Saints Daniel, Samuel, Donulus, Leo, Hugolinus, Nicholas and Angelus

Daniel Daniel Provincial of Calabria and leader of the group of seven martyrs of Ceuta. , provincial of Calabria, a man of eminent holiness, asked Brother Elias, Vicar General, for permission to go and preach the faith to the Moors, with six other religious, named: Samuel, Donulus, Leo, Hugolinus, Nicholas, and Angelus.

Having received the obedience of the Vicar General and the blessing of Francis, the holy missionaries embarked, in 1221, at a port in Tuscany, from where they traveled to Tarragona, in Spain. Their initial plan was to go directly to Morocco, to mingle their blood with that of their brothers; but certain reasons, favorable to their pious enterprise, led them to take the route to Ceuta Ceuta City of the martyrdom of the seven Franciscan brothers. .

Daniel arrived there first with three companions, as the ship's captain would not take any more. They stopped outside the city, in a suburb where all the Christian merchants from Pisa, Genoa, and Marseille resided. Entry into the city was strictly forbidden to Christians. Their occupation was to distribute the bread of the divine word to these merchants while waiting for their companions, who arrived on September 29.

The following Friday, the first day of October, they conferred together on the arrangements they had to make and the help they needed for the harsh combat that was being prepared. The next day, Saturday, they confessed to one another and received Holy Communion, without which, when it could be received, Saint Cyprian did not want the confessors of the faith to be exposed to martyrdom: "because," he said, "it is the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which give the courage to endure torments." Saint Chrysostom and Saint Bernard also say that the most holy Eucharist is the strongest defense that one can oppose to the temptations of the devil and the attractions of sin.

The seven brothers left the holy table, following the expression of Saint John Chrysostom, like roaring lions, breathing only fire and flames, and no longer able to contain the ardor that devoured them. On the evening of the same day, they washed each other's feet, to imitate the Son of God who washed the feet of his disciples before his passion; and on Sunday, early in the morning, while there were few people in the streets, they entered the city, their heads covered with ashes, and began to say in a loud voice: "There is no salvation except in Jesus Christ."

They did not walk for long before being arrested, overwhelmed with blows, and led before the king. In his presence and before the nobles of the Court, they courageously repeated what they had said to the people: "That one must believe in Jesus Christ, and that there is no salvation to be hoped for except in his name alone." They proved this truth with strong reasons and eloquent words. The king, seeing them poorly dressed and hearing their plain speaking, took them for madmen, and believed that their shaved heads, with a crown of hair, were a mark of it. However, to test their constancy, and also because they had despised Muhammad and his doctrine, he had them thrown into a dreadful prison, where they remained for eight days, loaded with irons and treated without pity.

Their captivity did not prevent them from writing to the Christians of the suburb of Ceuta. The letter was addressed to the priest Hugh, in charge of the Genoese, and to two religious, one a Friar Minor, the other a Friar Preacher, who had recently arrived from the depths of Mauritania. This precious document, being all that remains to us here below of the holy martyrs, we insert into this notice with all the respect due to a relic.

"Blessed be God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our afflictions! It is he who, having shown our father Abraham the victim he was to offer him, sent him to traverse the earth as a pilgrim and a madman, justifying him because of his faith, which had earned him the title of friend of God. Thus, he taught us to appear as madmen in the eyes of the world, if we wish to be found wise before the divine Majesty. The Savior also said to us: 'Go, preach the Gospel to every creature; the servant is not to be greater than his master, nor the disciple above him who instructs him. If men persecute you, remember that they persecuted me, first.' And we, very small and very unworthy servants of Jesus Christ, touched by these words, have left our homeland and have come here to preach the Gospel, for the glory of God and the salvation of our souls, for the edification of the faithful and the confusion of the obstinate infidels, following this word of the Apostle: 'Being before God the good odor of Jesus Christ, we are for some an odor of life, and for others an odor of death'; the Savior himself had said: 'If I had not come, and if I had not preached to them, they would not have had sin.'

"We have therefore entered this city of Ceuta to preach to the people the name of Jesus and his holy law; we have even announced to the king the good news of salvation; but he, treating us as madmen, has had us thrown into prison; and it seemed appropriate to us to warn you of it. Although, by the grace of God, we have much to suffer here, we are nevertheless greatly consoled in Our Lord, in whose goodness we have placed all our trust, hoping that he will find the sacrifice of our life acceptable. May glory and honor be rendered to him for this forever! Amen."

The judge, named Arbaldo, wishing to observe through a crack in the wall what the captives were doing in their prison, saw them freed from their chains, their faces shining with an extraordinary brightness, and melodiously singing the praises of God with incomparable joy. The king, warned of this prodigy, had the confessors brought to him on Sunday morning, the tenth day of October, and offered them great riches if they would become Muslims. They replied with intrepidity that they could only have a profound contempt for all things of the earth and even for life itself, when they thought of the happiness of the future life. The king had them separated, in the hope of subduing them more easily, and each was tempted individually by promises and threats; but the holy confessors, with equal constancy, defied torments and despised pleasures.

As Father Daniel spoke with great force, a Saracen, transp orted with Père Daniel Provincial of Calabria and leader of the group of seven martyrs of Ceuta. anger, struck him on the head with a great blow of a scimitar; and as another Saracen exhorted him to become a Muslim if he wished to avoid worse treatment, the Saint replied that he should much rather think of converting himself to the Christian faith, if he wished to avoid hell, where Muhammad already was, and where the Quran could only lead him.

Returned to their prison, the holy confessors threw themselves at the feet of Father Daniel, their superior, who had so gloriously begun the martyrdom in which they all hoped to participate, and shedding tears of joy, they said to him: "We give thanks to God, and to you, my Father, for having procured for us the palm of martyrdom. Our souls will follow yours; bless us and die; willingly we shall die with you: the combat will soon end, and we shall then have eternal peace." Daniel embraced them tenderly, blessed them, and further animated their courage with these words: "Let us rejoice in the Lord, my dearest brothers, this is a feast day for us; heaven is open to us, the angels come to meet us and surround us. Yes, it is today that we are going to receive the crown of martyrdom, and this crown will never wither!"

Indeed, the king, seeing that they were unshakable, condemned them all to have their heads cut off. They were stripped of their clothes, and, with their hands tied behind their backs, they were led to the place of execution, preceded by a herald who proclaimed the cause of their death. The holy martyrs advanced joyful and proud as if they were going to a wedding feast, singing triumphantly the praises of God in the midst of their torment; they knelt down to commend their souls to God, then they calmly presented their heads to the executioner, who struck them down one after another, while their souls flew into the bosom of God to enjoy there eternally the glory reserved for the martyrs. Thus was accomplished the triumph of the seven Friars Minor, on the tenth day of October in the year 1221.

## CULT AND RELICS.

The infidel populace broke the heads of the holy martyrs and tore their bodies to pieces; these mutilated remains were gathered by the Christians, who first deposited them in the warehouse of the Marseilles merchants, and later interred them in the suburb of Ceuta. A few years later, these precious relics were transferred to the church of Saint Mary, near Morocco, where God manifested the glory of these Saints through an infinity of miracles, and notably by a great light that the Moors themselves perceived every night above the church where the holy bodies rested. Since then, an infant of Portugal, having obtained them from a king of Morocco, had them transported to Spain, where new miracles made them very famous.

Whatever the case may be regarding these various translations, it is not known for certain today in what place the relics of the seven martyrs rest. It has pleased God to hide this treasure from us, but let us not doubt it, He will know well how to be the guardian Himself of these sacred bones to which He will one day restore life and immortality.

The numerous miracles performed by these holy martyrs led the people to honor them solemnly; however, the Franciscan family did nothing to honor their memory until 1816, when it obtained from Pope Leo X the permission to reci te their of pape Léon X Pope who authorized the office of Saint Ozanne. fice. This Pope solemnly declared them martyrs and fixed their feast day on October 13. Their names are inscribed in the Roman Martyrology. Their feast is celebrated not only throughout the Order of Saint Francis, but also in several dioceses, notably in that of Braga, in Portugal.

Excerpt f rom t Braga Diocese in Portugal celebrating the feast of the martyrs. he Franciscan Annals.