During the last months, there were news from various places related to St. Ezekiel Moreno. Generally, these were churches that have something to do with the saint's birth in Alfaro (La Rioja, Spain) and that recall events in his life and different aspects of his personality.
Spain
Last April 20, Holy Wednesday, the new Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Huerta, in Tarazona (Zaragoza, Spain) was inaugurated. This was a cathedral that hails back to the middle of the 12th century and that was submitted to restoration since 1992. This is the cathedral of the diocese to which St. Ezekiel belonged from birth to death, and in which without doubt he prayed many times.The new bishop of the diocese, Eusebio Hernandez, also an Augustinian Recollect, enchased a relic of his religious brother in the new altar of the cathedral. About the same time, after so many years of works to eliminate the problem of humidity, the colegial church of San Miguel was also inaugurated in the town that witnessed the birth of Ezekiel, in Alfaro (La Rioja, Spain). This is a church of the 16th century, completely made of bricks, like the cathedral of Tarazona. This was the parish to which St. Ezekiel belonged during his infancy. In one of its chapels, the baptismal font where he was baptized is preserved.
Colombia
A little earlier, on March 20, this time in the American continent, in Pasto (Colombia), the cathedral that was in a state of ruin was closed by judicial order. The cornerstone of the cathedral was placed by St. Ezekiel on October 25, 1899. Little by little without interruption, the temple began to rise. The holy bishop did not see it completed, since it was not opened to worship until 1921. Some ten years ago a fissure was detected in the cupola; this has been the object of many interventions, and finally the cause of its closure.
Philippines
On May 20 in the Philippines, the works on the foundation of the first sanctuary dedicated to the saint of Alfaro began. The temple will have the capacity for 700 persons. It is located near Manila, in Las Piñas, where St. Ezekiel was parish priest from 1876 to 1879. It was here the Saint exercised extraordinary acts of charity attending to those in need during severe drought and even during small-pox epidemic. It is probably for this reason that this sanctuary will be made into the central nucleus of the Institute for the Alleviation of Poverty.