Born Ezekiel Moreno y Díaz in Alfaro, Spain, on April 9, 1848, he entered the Augustinian Recollect Order as a young man and was ordained a priest in 1871. His vocation soon carried him far from Spain: he served as a missionary in the Philippines, where he spent many years preaching, administering the sacraments, and caring for the people entrusted to him.

After returning to Spain, he was sent to Colombia, where he became a bishop and devoted himself to restoring the life of the Church, strengthening the clergy, defending the poor, and bringing the Gospel to communities scattered across the countryside.

St. Ezekiel was known for his profound pastoral charity and for his particular compassion toward the sick and suffering. When he himself was diagnosed with cancer, he accepted his suffering.

His life reflected the Gospel vocation of the shepherd: to proclaim Christ faithfully, serve those in need, and remain close to God’s people even in suffering.

He died on 19 August 1906, in Monteagudo, Spain.

He preached in distant missions, restored struggling communities, cared for the sick, and remained faithful when he himself became afflicted.

The Christian response to suffering is therefore not despair, but offering, trust, perseverance, and charity.