July 10
Manuel Ruiz and seven companions; Francis, Abdel Mooti and Rafael Massabki, martyrs of Damascus (†1860)
Martyrs
From July 9 to 12, 1860, the Christian community of Damascus had to suffer greatly from the envy and bad faith of the Druze, a mysterious and fanatical sect that lived in Lebanon and Syria.
Biography
So it began with a fight between children, which was the reason for the Druze, murdering and burning, to attack the Christians. Around 2,400 houses were looted and burned and 6,000 defenseless Christians were killed, among them thirty priests and three bishops of different Christian rites. Only the emir Abd-el-Kader, who esteemed Christians, managed to save a few thousand Christians, including Jesuits, Lazarists and nuns, taking them to the center of the city. Only the Franciscans did not join this troop, thinking that they would be safe in their convent. However, the Druze managed to enter and the Franciscans, eight monks and three tertiaries, not wanting to renounce their Catholic faith, were killed with swords. On October 10, 1926, the eleven martyrs were included in the list of the blessed of Holy Mother Church.
Practical advice
Without seeking recognition, he fulfills a costly duty without giving in to fear with external order and internal recollection.