The Martyrs of La Florida (d. 1549–1706) were a group of Native American and Spanish

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

killed in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

during the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

's colonial expansion into North America. The group of 86 individuals includes a number of priests and laypeople, killed by Native Americans and subjects of the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. The lead martyr of the cause is the Native American layman Antonio Cuipa. Fr Luis Cáncer, OP is among the others killed, alongside a number of Dominicans,

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

, and various laypeople.Martyrs of La Florida Missions
/ref> Their cause for

canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

was opened in 2015 by Bishop

Gregory Parkes Gregory Lawrence Parkes (born April 2, 1964) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Parkes has been serving as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg in Florida since 2017. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Pensac ...

of the Diocese of Pensacola–Tallahassee, along with support from bishop representatives in the dioceses of St. Augustine, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Palm Beach and Venice. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has also endorsed the cause.

History

During the period of the Spanish Empire's expansion into the New World, various Catholic settlements were established in North America, including a number extending into what would become the United States. Among these were the settlements in

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida ( es, La Florida) was the first major European land claim and attempted settlement in North America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba, the Viceroyalty of New Spain, ...

, where the first permanent one was

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...

. Soon a free Black Catholic fort was established nearby,

Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose Fort Mose Historic State Park (originally known as Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, and later Fort Mose; alternatively, Fort Moosa or Fort Mossa), is a former Spanish fort in St. Augustine, Florida. In 1738, the governor of Spanish Florida, Ma ...

, for Africans escaping British enslavement in the provinces of Georgia and

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. They would later serve as a garrison defending the Spanish territories from invasion—of which a number would occur, taking the lives of numerous inhabitants. During this era, various conflicts arose between the local Native populations and the encroaching colonists and Catholic missionaries, resulting in clashes and not a few deaths. British attacks also killed a number of civilians, as well as religious personages. Altogether, 86 Catholics were later recognized as having been killed in a fashion that would qualify them to be martyrs of the Church. The Catholic bishops leading the canonization cause chose to have a Native American serve as the lead martyr of the effort, Antonio Cuipa. Fr. Luis de Cáncer was also among those killed, alongside Dominicans,

, and various laypeople. In 1743, Pope

Clement XI Pope Clement XI ( la, Clemens XI; it, Clemente XI; 23 July 1649 – 19 March 1721), born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 23 November 1700 to his death in March 1721. Clement XI w ...

and King

Philip V Philip V may refer to: * Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) * Philip V of France (1293–1322) * Philip II of Spain, also Philip V, Duke of Burgundy (1526–1598) * Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was ...

of Spain declared October 3 as a feast day for the martyrs. Their official cause for

was opened in 2015 by Bishop

Luis Cáncer

Luis Cáncer OP is regarded by the cause organizers as the proto-martyr of

. In 1860, Bishop Augustín Verot decided that the first parish on Florida's

west coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

should be named St. Louis Church in his honor. Likewise, in 1918 Fr. de Cáncer's likeness was installed as part of a large stained glass window at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer (New York) run by the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

of priests. In 1998 the

Diocese of St. Petersburg The Diocese of Saint Petersburg ( la, Dioecesis Sancti Petri in Florida) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Florida. It comprises , encompassing Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus co ...

established the Fr. Luis de Cáncer Distinguished Priestly Service Award to be given annually to a priest of the Diocese of St. Petersburg who best exemplifies selfless and dedicated service to the people of God. Espíritu Santo Catholic Church in

Safety Harbor, Florida Safety Harbor is a city on the west shore of Tampa Bay in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It was settled in 1823 and incorporated in 1917. The population was 16,884 at the 2010 census. History The area has been inhabited since the Stone ...

, which is not far from the location of his death, also has a stained glass window that depicts de Cáncer's martyrdom. In 2011, the diocese placed a Catholic Heritage Marker at the main entrance of that church, acknowledging both his and other early Catholic missionary efforts in the Tampa Bay area.

Shrine

A shrine for the Martyrs of La Florida is being planned for a stretch of land in

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, Florida, Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In ...

, with the designs completed in 2022 by Cram and Ferguson Architects.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Official website
Venerated Catholics Servants of God Jesuit Servants of God Dominican Servants of God Spanish venerated Catholics History of North America Spanish Roman Catholics Native American Roman Catholics Catholic martyrs Catholic martyrs of the Early Modern era