Fr Emilio Moscoso SJ will be beatified on November 16 in Riobamba, a city in Ecuador where he bore ultimate witness to his faith on May 4, 1897.
In a letter to the whole Society on November 8, Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ lauded the life and brave martyrdom of Fr Moscoso, pointing particularly to “his deep devotion to the Eucharist and to Mary; his witness of poverty and obedience as he faithfully fulfilled his daily obligations; the simple and orderly community life of his day; his bravery in defending the faith and the Church; his steadfast solidarity with the citizens of Riobamba; his care for the body of the Society as he visited his companions in prison and returned to the college to share the fate of his community”.
The soon-to-be Blessed was born in Cuenca, Ecuador on April 21, 1846 to a profoundly Catholic social and family environment. He entered the Jesuit novitiate at the age of 18 and studied humanities and philosophy in Quito. He taught at the national colleges of Riobamba and Guayaquil and was ordained a priest in 1876. He was sent for Tertianship to Manresa, Spain in 1878 where he was immersed in the very sources of the spirituality of St Ignatius as he was trained in the school of the Exercises and the traditions of the Society.
He returned to the Americas in 1879, serving in the Society’s residence and in the Colegio de la Inmaculada in Lima, Peru until 1882 before being transferred to Quito. In 1889 he was assigned again to Riobamba, where he began teaching at Saint Philip Neri College. He was named rector of the college and superior of the community in 1893.
The Liberal Revolution of 1895, which restricted the Catholic Church in Ecuador, brought the Jesuits to the front lines in the defense of the Church. Under pressure from the regime, the easy option would have been to close the college and abandon the city, but Fr Moscoso and his companions stood firm in their commitment to serve the youth of Riobamba, which resulted in their imprisonment on May 2, 1897. Fr Moscoso showed great serenity as he consoled his brothers who were threatened with expulsion. When he was released from prison, he tried to calm the angry crowds who were protesting the arrest of the Jesuits and tirelessly sought the liberation of his companions still in prison.
Two days after, on the dawn of May 4, while repelling an attack by a rebel group, government forces violently profaned the Eucharist in the college chapel. Fr Moscoso was in his room praying on his knees before the crucifix, rosary in hand when two officers shot him at point-blank range. The people of Riobamba lamented and protested the profaning of the Eucharist and the murder of their beloved Fr Moscoso.
“After many years dedicated to teaching and the apostolate of prayer, Emilio Moscoso came face to face with persecution,” wrote Fr General Sosa. “I desire that all of us, strengthened by the Eucharist as he was, may show ourselves to be in solidarity with those living with conflict, especially with the most vulnerable and disregarded of our society.”