ASCANIO, NICANORE, Blessed. — Spanish Franciscan, martyred in Damascus on 10 July 1860. Born in Villarejo de Salvanco (Madrid) on 10 January 1814, he entered the Order in 1830, but was forced to return to the secular life due to the events in Spain in 1835. After being ordained a priest, he served as parish priest of Villarejo and director of the community of Conceptionist nuns in Aranjuez until 1858, when he was able to re-enter the Order and depart, in the following January, for Damascus. There, during the Druse uprising, he refused to apostatize and was slaughtered.
He was beatified along with seven companions (v. DAMASCUS, MARTYRS OF), by Pius XI, on 10 October 1926.
BIBL.: P. Paoli, I beati Emmanuele Ruiz e i suoi sette compagni dell'Ordine dei Frati Minori, Martiria Damasco, Rome 1926.