Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz & Companions
Image: Tinh Than
(Franciscan Media) Born in Spain Santander in 1804 not much is known of the early life of Emmanuel Ruiz but details of his heroic death in defense of Christianity have been passed down through generations.
Born of humble parents, Emmanuel became a Franciscan Priest and served as a missionary in Syria Damascus–this was at the same time that anti-Christian riots shook the country and thousands were martyred.
Among these were Fr. Emmanuel Ruiz, Superior of the ‘Franciscan Convent’ together with seven other Friars and three Laymen–When a menacing crowd of Islamists came looking for the men, they refused to renounce their Christian faith and become Muslim (sounds familiar, I digress) as a result, the men were subjected to horrible torture before their martyrdom in 1860
Fr. Emmanuel Ruiz, his Brother Franciscans and three Maronite Laymen were Beatified in 1926 by Pope Pius XI
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