Luis Cancer
Encyclopedia
Father Luis Cancer or Fray Luis de Cancer (died June 26, 1549) was a Dominican
priest and pioneer Spanish
missionary
to the New World
.
He was born at Barbastro
, in Aragon
. Luis entered the Dominican order and was inspired like many of his time to go to the New World
in an effort to spread Christianity.
de Cancer came to the New World in 1518 and worked successfully for some time among the native peoples of Puerto Rico
and Hispaniola
. He then ventured to the mainland and had particular success in Guatemala
. A disciple of the famed Indian protector, Bartolomé de las Casas
, Father de Cancer's efforts were so successful in an area that was known for its bellicose natives, that it was renamed the “Province of True Peace.” He believed that aggression and violence were counter-productive to the spread of the Gospel and that the native peoples needed to be treated with dignity. He had great success in pacifying the Indians
whom more violent methods had failed to subdue. He upheld the cause of the natives at an ecclesiastical assembly held in Mexico
in 1546.
, de Cancer felt that a true missionary effort needed to be undertaken. By late 1547 he had received permission to undertake such an expedition. The Santa Maria de la Encina set out from Vera Cruz, Mexico
in early 1549 with de Cancer and three other Dominicans bound for Florida. He insisted that it be an unarmed vessel. Father de Cancer’s high ideals were put to the test as he arrived on the shores of Tampa Bay
in late May 1549. Undoubtedly marred by previous contacts with Spanish Conquistadors
, the native peoples were very suspicions of this latest venture. Undeterred, de Cancer spent about six weeks in the Tampa Bay area making numerous contacts with the native Tocobaga
. Ignoring warnings from the captain, de Cancer pressed onward and continued to make continued contact with the natives, despite the fact that one of the other Dominicans had already disappeared. On June 25, 1549 he celebrated mass ashore on the Feast of Corpus Christi
. The next day Fray Luis de Cancer, a man of peace and Gospel virtue was martyred by a band of Indians shortly after setting ashore, and in the sight of his companions. His last words were “Adjuva me, Domine" ("Help me,Lord"). His death sent shock waves through the Dominican missionary community in New Spain
.
decided that the first parish on Florida’s West Coast
should be named St. Louis Church in his honor. In 1998, the Diocese of St. Petersburg
established the Fr. Luis de Cancer 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. Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor, Florida
which is not far from the location of the incident, has a stained glass window depicting de Cancer's martyrdom.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
priest and pioneer Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
.
He was born at Barbastro
Barbastro
Barbastro is a city in the Somontano county, province of Huesca, Spain...
, in Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
. Luis entered the Dominican order and was inspired like many of his time to go to the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
in an effort to spread Christianity.
Early successes
FrayFriar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
de Cancer came to the New World in 1518 and worked successfully for some time among the native peoples of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
. He then ventured to the mainland and had particular success in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. A disciple of the famed Indian protector, Bartolomé de las Casas
Bartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
, Father de Cancer's efforts were so successful in an area that was known for its bellicose natives, that it was renamed the “Province of True Peace.” He believed that aggression and violence were counter-productive to the spread of the Gospel and that the native peoples needed to be treated with dignity. He had great success in pacifying the Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
whom more violent methods had failed to subdue. He upheld the cause of the natives at an ecclesiastical assembly held in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1546.
Time in Florida and martyrdom
Having read of the several failed expeditionary attempts to FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, de Cancer felt that a true missionary effort needed to be undertaken. By late 1547 he had received permission to undertake such an expedition. The Santa Maria de la Encina set out from Vera Cruz, Mexico
Veracruz, Veracruz
Veracruz, officially known as Heroica Veracruz, is a major port city and municipality on the Gulf of Mexico in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The city is located in the central part of the state. It is located along Federal Highway 140 from the state capital Xalapa, and is the state's most...
in early 1549 with de Cancer and three other Dominicans bound for Florida. He insisted that it be an unarmed vessel. Father de Cancer’s high ideals were put to the test as he arrived on the shores of Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
in late May 1549. Undoubtedly marred by previous contacts with Spanish Conquistadors
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
, the native peoples were very suspicions of this latest venture. Undeterred, de Cancer spent about six weeks in the Tampa Bay area making numerous contacts with the native Tocobaga
Tocobaga
Tocobaga was the name of a chiefdom, its chief and its principal town during the 16th century in the area of Tampa Bay. The town was at the northern end of what is now called Old Tampa Bay, an arm of Tampa Bay that extends northward between the present-day city of Tampa and Pinellas County...
. Ignoring warnings from the captain, de Cancer pressed onward and continued to make continued contact with the natives, despite the fact that one of the other Dominicans had already disappeared. On June 25, 1549 he celebrated mass ashore on the Feast of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi (feast)
Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
. The next day Fray Luis de Cancer, a man of peace and Gospel virtue was martyred by a band of Indians shortly after setting ashore, and in the sight of his companions. His last words were “Adjuva me, Domine" ("Help me,Lord"). His death sent shock waves through the Dominican missionary community in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
.
More recent recognition
Though not a canonized saint, he is nevertheless regarded as the Proto-martyr of Florida. In 1860, Bishop Augustin VerotAugustin Verot
Bishop Augustin Verot was the third Bishop of Diocese of Savannah, and the first Bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine....
decided that the first parish on Florida’s West Coast
Tampa Bay Area
The Tampa Bay Area is the region of west central Florida adjacent to Tampa Bay. Definitions of the region vary. It is often considered equivalent to the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater Metropolitan Statistical Area defined by the United States Census Bureau. The Census Bureau currently...
should be named St. Louis Church in his honor. In 1998, the Diocese of St. Petersburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Petersburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in Florida. It was founded on March 2, 1968.-Background:The Diocese of St. Petersburg was established on June 17, 1968, from the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami. It is a...
established the Fr. Luis de Cancer 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. Espiritu Santo Catholic Church in Safety Harbor, Florida
Safety Harbor, Florida
Safety Harbor is a city on the west shore of Tampa Bay in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated in 1917. The population was 17,203 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 17,550....
which is not far from the location of the incident, has a stained glass window depicting de Cancer's martyrdom.