Luis Cancer
Spanish missionary
Who they were
Luis Cáncer, a Dominican from Aragon, followed Las Casas to Guatemala and worked among the Native peoples of Vera Paz with great zeal and courage, composing hymns on the mysteries of the faith in their language.
To prove that peaceful evangelisation could work, he obtained charge of the mission to Florida and sailed in 1549 with two other Dominicans. Betrayed on landing, the three priests were killed at Tampa Bay.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia does not describe his cause.
Why that counted as sanctity
A missionary who died bringing the Gospel peacefully to Florida.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - Luis Cancer
- Wikidata Q6700403 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Luis Cáncer (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.