“¡Florida ha sido rociada en el este y en el oeste, en el norte y en el sur, con la sangre purísima de los mártires!”
--Monseñor Augustin Verot, primer obispo residente de Florida, agosto de 1858
Hay 54 martirios siendo investigados en este momento, de los cuales, algunos tienen un mártir y otros, varios. Estos ocurrieron durante la evangelización del territorio de nuestra nación conocido como La Florida. Esta es una historia que abarca desde el heroico desembarque de frailes dominicos en la bahía de Tampa en 1549, hasta 1761 en Pensacola con la muerte de tres indios apalaches que intentaban proteger la Eucaristía.
Antes de leer sobre estos hombres, mujeres y niños santos, hay tres cosas que deberías saber.
1. Esta lista no es la definitiva, porque se siguen investigando estos hechos. Cada una de las causas propuestas de martirio debe sostenerse teniendo en cuenta los elementos formales y
materiales del martirio y la fuerza del testimonio de los testigos que lo vieron. Los documentos de evidencias deben ser verificados y seguros. Los historiadores deben testificar ante un Tribunal designado a cada mártir propuesto.
2. La Iglesia requiere que todos los documentos se mantengan sellados mientras se investiguen los martirios. Por consiguiente, hay referencias sin citar a la espera de ser verificadas por los historiadores. Esto implica que los documentos y las fuentes no deben publicarse hasta que la
Iglesia haya completado la investigación.
3. Un apunte sobre el “mártir anónimo”: la Iglesia puede canonizar a un individuo cuyo nombre sea desconocido, siempre y cuando su martirio sea conocido. Sin embargo, si el “mártir anónimo” se conoce solo por un número o un nombre, esto no es suficiente información para que la Iglesia lo canonice. Hay muchas personas que murieron por su fe en La Florida, especialmente de los pueblo apalaches, quienes no están en la causa. La razón es que son “anónimos”.
I Los protomártires
Aunque hubo sacerdotes de la diócesis que se ocuparon de Florida desde una fecha muy temprana, los protomártires pertenecían a tres órdenes religiosas muy importantes: dominicos, jesuitas y franciscanos. Los dominicos, que habían sido muy activos en la Nueva España, fueron expulsados cuando intentaron fundar una misión pacífica cerca de la bahía de Tampa en 1549. Los jesuitas, reclutados por el adelantado Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, el fundador de San Agustín, permanecieron en Florida durante un breve y sangriento periodo (1566-1572), pero que fue glorioso porque su misión abarcaba desde la Florida hasta la bahía de Chesapeake. Los primeros franciscanos llegaron a Florida en 1573, y durante dos siglos, se encargaron incansablemente de la población indígena de todo el norte de Florida, llegando a construir una cadena de misiones que iba desde San Agustín hasta Pensacola. En 1597 cinco franciscanos de las islas de la costa de Georgia perecieron como resultado de un levantamento indígena.
III Este de Florida: Los primeros ataques
Varios ataques localizados en las misiones franciscanas en la zona oriental de Florida resultaron en martirios a finales del siglo XVII y en la primera década del siglo XVIII. Dos de estos mártires fueron padres franciscanos: Fray Luis Sánchez, que fue asesinado en una de las misiones franciscanas más septentrionales, y Fray Agustín Ponce de León, nativo de San Agustín. El resto de los mártires de este grupo fueron nativos conversos, asesinados por no renunciar a la Fe. Algunos de estos ataques fueron resultado de la creciente presencia inglesa en el norte y la demanda de esclavos. Las misiones franciscanas fueron objetivo principal de saqueadores
en busca de esclavos.
V Pensacola: Principios del siglo XVIII
Hay evidencias que indican que tanto misioneros franciscanos como fieles laicos murieron como mártires en Pensacola y alrededores al inicio de la primera década del siglo XVIII. Estos misioneros estaban proclamando el evangelio a los indios Mobila.
VI San Agustín: Mediados del siglo XVIII
Durante la segunda y tercera década del siglo XVIII muchos franciscanos y nativos conversos sufrieron martirio a mano de
tribus nativas hostiles en San Agustín y sus alrededores. Es remarcable la presencia de dos franciscanos terciarios que fueron atacados y asesinados mientras enseñaban el catecismo en una capilla.
VII Nombre de Dios (San Agustín): Invasión de Palmer
Tres eventos de martirio están asociados con el asalto del coronel John Palmer, miembro de la Cámara de los Comunes de Carolina. En 1728 atacó el pueblo yamasi de Nombre de
Dios, ubicada al norte de San Agustín. Allí mató a 30 nativos yamasi e hizo 15 prisioneros además de prender fuego a la
capilla y al convento.
VIII St. Agustine: Oglethorpe
Estos eventos ocurrieron en las misiones católicas dentro y alrededor de San Agustín, donde muchos nativos conversos
provenientes de otras regiones de la Florida habían buscado refugio. Algunos de estos eventos están asociados con el asedio de San Agustín dirigido por James Oglethorpe, proveniente de la recién fundada colonia de Georgia. Estos agudos incidentes revelan la honda fe católica entre los pueblos nativos de Florida.
IX San Agustín: Finales del siglo XVIII
Estos dos eventos indican la hostilidad que
persistió hacia los misioneros franciscanos bien
entrada la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII.
Los últimos informes de martirio surgen de la actividad misionera española en la parte más occidental de la región de la Florida y de lo que es hoy Alabama.
Marcos, Mateo, and Prudencio, 1703, Apalachee Province
Nombres: Marcos, Mateo y Prudencio (Apalaches)
Fecha: 1703
Lugar: Provincia de Apalache
Roberto (Yamasee)
Date: July 22, 1740
Place: chapel of Our Lady of La Leche, St. Augustine
The English under Oglethorpe, “this enemy of Spain and of our Catholic religion and of our faith”, and their allies the Creeks attacked the shrine of Our Lady of la Leche on July 22, 1740. They were beaten back, but not before they burned and desecrated the shrine.
Two Yamassee Indians Eladio and Roberto were found dead of musket wounds within the chapel. Their blood had made a pool on the dirt floor. These Indians had been given the honor and responsibility of caring for the shrine.
“…both of them baptized and of great faith and veneration to the same Virgin Our Lady, and that both of them helped the religious when they celebrated the Masses there, and that they taught the Catechism to the other Indians… They fulfilled all their duties and carried them out and accomplished them with much zeal and great dedication and care, because the said holy image of the Blessed Virgin of the Milk and of the Good and Happy Childbirth was greatly venerated by all, since she was very miraculous and took care of her children at all times and in all things…
…But these two Indians, Eladio and Roberto, as it seems, died before the altar of the said chapel and the holy image of the Virgin Our Lady of the Milk and of the Good and Happy Childbirth, when they were trying to stop the enemies that were ruining and burning everything, and the only resort they had for this was to shoot arrows at the Creek Indians, so they armed themselves with their bows and the arrows they had in their quivers and shot their enemies, and as a result of this defense, five of the said Creek Indians died from the arrows [that were shot at them], and these arrows could still be seen in their bodies. And due to this defense they made, the two of them were killed when they were fighting against the Creeks in order to defend the image of Our Lady the Virgin…and that the Indians Eladio and Roberto died as a result of having been shot by the Creek Indians, it can be known that they died in defense of their faith, when with great zeal they wanted to avoid the destruction of the holy image of the Virgin, which was destroyed by the bullets of the English.”
Six witness testified to their martyrdom by “the Holy Cross and the Gospels.”
Antonio the Blessed and Companions, March 22, 1760, Pensacola
Names: Antonio Bendito, (Anthony the Blessed) (Chicasa Indians)
Anselmo,
Juan Ignacio the younger and his brother Estaban
Juan el Viejo (John the older)
Date: March 22, 1760?
Place: Pensacola (near the sea)
Among a group of Chicasa Indians who were fishing at the sea near Pensacola, was a Chicasa man known as “the Blessed Indian” or “Antonio the Blessed” because of his holiness and charity.
“… he was very generous and kind, a very devout and faithful Catholic who considered nothing as his own, who would share his maize, his animals and possessions with those who had nothing, and that was the reason why all [the Indians] respected him highly and loved him…”
A group of Cherokee and Talapuche Indians fell upon them for a slave raid. They began to tie the Chicasa Indians together at the neck with leather straps when a group, led by Antonio the Blessed resisted. He explained that they helped the Franciscan priests at the Masses and that the Franciscans taught them the things of God, and that therefore they could not go with him.
“the said Antonio, with no fear of them, just stayed there, standing, and went on speaking and preaching to them [as if they were] at church, and told them that they were doing wrong, but that if they repented and asked God’s forgiveness, then the Father, in His infinite mercy and for the great love He had for them, would forgive them as their Father; and he said all this, and he spoke to them in such a way, in the name of all the others and in their stead, to the said Cherokee Indians and to the others that were Talapuche, when they were threatening all the more strongly to kill them all if they did not disavow their faith to go with them. And it was at that time that he [i.e.,
Antonio told them and explained to them that it was better to die for the faith of Jesus Christ and the holy Catholic religion as free servants of God, than to carry a life as their slaves in lands of the English for fear of the harm they could inflict them, no matter how many further offenses and blows they might cause them. But that, if they died for God, they would go to heaven; and, from that point of view, it was a small thing to die for God, because Jesus Christ Himself had died on a Cross in order for them to live with him forever in heaven. He also said that he carried the cross of St. Francis, which is also the cross of St. Antho ny, like his baptismal name, and that he could not disown it; and [then] of the Indians tore it from his neck, and he said to them that he was alive on that cross, and that if they killed him that would make no difference, because he would continue to be alive and preaching from the cross. And then they started striking him and throwing stones at him, and while this happened, the Indian Antonio fell to the ground, but he didn’t stop speaking about the faith of heaven and saying that he was asking God to forgive them, and he was also asking them [his executioners] to allow him to tell them about God and His Holy Mother, the Virgin, and he never stopped preaching and went on speaking about God. And when the others [that were with him] were asked, they all said the same thing as the Blessed Anthony was saying, and they added that they were happy to die, because thus they would be all the sooner with their Father God in the heavens.”
The slavers beat Blessed Antonio, Anselm, Juan el Viejo, Juan Ignatio the Younger and his brother Estaban, and then burned them to death
Reported martyrdoms associated with Punta Rosa near Pensacola Bay, April 1761
Date: February 12, 1761 and April 1761
Place: San Antonio de Punta Rasa, (Garcon Point, Pensacola Bay)
[Historians seeking corroborating documentation.]
There are two purported martyrdom events under study that are associated with an attack on Punta Rasa, near Pensacola. The first is reported to have occurred in February 1761; the proposed martyrs from February are Eulalia (Tallaposa Indian woman) Alonso de Tames (Spaniard of the garrison) Juan (Spaniard of the garrison) Bernardo Perea (Spaniard of the garrison) and a newborn baby boy. The second is reported to have occurred in April of 1761; the proposed martyrs from April are Antonio Mejia Tomas de Avila, Matias de Tarmenazar, Nicolas (brother of Matias), Jose Fernando, and Gonzalo Bertido.
Elpidio Jose, Alberto and Matias el Chico, April 7, 1761, Pensacola
Names: Elpidio Jose, Alberto and Matias el Chico (Apalachee interpreters)
Date: April 7, 1761
Place: Los Santos Cosme y Damian (?), Pensacola
A group of English/Creek attacked Apalachee Indian refugees living in Pensacola on April 7, 1761. Three devout and faithful Christian Apalachee translators died in defense of the Eucharist in a beautiful chapel built with great love by their priest and fellow natives.
“Without any mercy in their fury so cruel, the three atiquis were killed by them when they tried to protect the cup with the hosts and the tabernacle so that they would not profane them, and in this they seized them right there in front of the altar and altar stone and cut off their scalps and beat them and decapitated them, and finally they burned them with the chapel that they set fire to.”