Many of the said convents are no longer in existence now, either through lack of religious, or for other accidental reasons; because these have occurred, it has been deemed advisable to abandon them—although the churches are still standing and are cared for, and our religious visit those villages, preserving them in the faith, so that the spiritual food is not wanting to them.
§ XII
Mention of some hardships which Ours have suffered in the spread of the Catholic faith
It would be beyond our powers to tell what Ours suffered in spreading the gospel truth, and in drawing the souls of so many barbarians and heathen from their blindness and errors; for, as they have cared more for gaining the reward of heaven than of earth, what is known of it is little or almost nothing. We trust in God, who can reward those who serve Him, and that He will have given great glory to those who have suffered so much for the extension of His honor, by bringing so many people to recognize Him. Let us, then, relate that the father-provincial of the above named houses visits them three times during the term of his office—and that with so great perils by land and water that the preservation of his life seems a special providence of heaven. Father Fray Onofre de la Madre de Dios was met on one of those occasions by more than twenty caracoas of pirates and was obliged to cast himself into the water, together with his secretary. They went to an island, where, naked and without food, they suffered those miseries that can be imagined.
Another provincial father, Fray Andrès del Espiritu Santo, suffered a violent tempest, in which a number of persons perished. The boat having overturned, as neither he nor three other religious who were accompanying him knew how to swim, they seized hold of the keel. They remained there two days and one night, expecting death every instant. But God was pleased to have them reach a beach amid rocks and reefs. There, bruised and full of wounds, they found no other comfort than to seek roots with which to support themselves for many days, until unexpected aid came to them from another part.
Father Fray Nicolàs de Tolentino visited the province of Caragha. He was wrecked three times, and suffered most the last time; for, the boat having broken, he had nothing to eat in seven days. Having reached an uninhabited place by dint of his exertions, he went overland through rough paths and through mountains, at the risk of being eaten by crocodiles, until he found a little boat, that carried him and his companion to Manila. They were so weak and hurt that they could not recover their health for a long time.
Brother Fray Francisco de San Nicolàs, a native of Cadiz, coming from the island of Negros to attend to certain things of the church service, suffered so terrible a whirlwind that the boat was driven upon some rocks and broken into splinters. Its occupants were drowned, and our lay brother, not knowing how to swim, went to the bottom. Without knowing how, he found himself in the hollow of a rock which had an opening at the top. He managed to creep through, by the help of God, who protected him. Climbing to the top he saw that he was on a rocky islet of one-half legua in circuit, and remained there until his cries and shouts brought some passing Indians, who, surprised at so novel an occurrence, took him off in their boat.
The captivities and oppressions suffered by Ours would take long to recount, and so I shall give only one. Jolo is an island that lies between those of Burnei and Mindanao. It is very famous in that archipelago, not for its size, but for the warlike daring of its caciques or petty kings, who have made themselves feared by their robberies and cruel deeds throughout those seas. While their fleet, then, was at Calamianes, father Fray Juan de San Joseph, a native of Granada, was captured. He was then prior of the convent of Cuyo, and was visiting those villages which had been converted to the faith, administering the sacraments and the word of God to them—the employment of those gospel ministers. They took him to their island, being greedy for the ransom. The amount of it was discussed, but as the sum demanded by those barbarians was large, and the poor religious could not collect it in a short time, it was necessarily delayed for some time. During that time the Mahometan islanders began to persuade the father to abandon the faith and adopt their vile worship, promising him great riches and comfort, and marriage with a sister of the lord or petty king of the island. That would have been a powerful temptation to one who was not so firm in the law of Jesus Christ, and assisted by His divine favor. Our religious resisted that strong and troublesome battery mightily; but those barbarians, seeing themselves despised, turned the leaf, converting those flatteries into threats of death, and placed before him many cruel methods of depriving him of life. That was not what the good father feared most, since he desired to lose his life for the faith which he professed. The petty king had conceived an affection for the father, and left untried no means in his power in order to break down the strength of the religious. To such an extent did he carry his madness that one of the wives of the barbarian, a beautiful and unbridled woman, visited our prisoner often, accompanied by beautiful women of high rank, in order that they might achieve success in winning him to their disgraceful love; for, had he been taken in that net, the chaste man would have remained ensnared. That trick, it is well known, is one of the most persuasive that the devil furnishes. For he makes war by the affection for the object, and with the vehement incentives of the appetite. But divine grace was very well fortified in the soul of the gospel minister. Consequently, the shots of the devil, the world, and the flesh were weakened and destroyed. The women returned in confusion, after hearing him preach of the mysteries of our sacred law. He understood the Bisayan language very well, and consequently learned the one peculiar to that island in a short time. Although the instruction did not take root in their minds, at least they recognized a certain element of grandeur that aroused their veneration. Father Fray Juan passed considerable time in those struggles, comforting the Christians who were there, and obtaining many triumphs for himself. Finally, on the arrival of the time for his ransom, he returned to his convent at Cuyo, joyous at having suffered for God, although not well satisfied at not having given his life for his holy law. But we can declare that if the barbarians lacked the determination to condemn him to martyrdom, our Catholic soldier did not want the courage to receive it.
We shall give an end to this year of twenty-two, by giving a brief memorial of father Fray Diego de Santo Tomàs, a native of Nueva-España, a creole of Cholula, and the son of Diego Garcia de Leon and Doña Inès Carrillo. He went to Filipinas when very young, where, leaving the deceits of the world, he betook himself to the port of religion, taking our holy habit in the convent of San Nicolàs of Manila. He professed in the year 1610. When he saw the so great fervor of the religious for the spreading of the faith, he took the call so effectively into his breast that the superiors, employing him in that exercise, ordered him to become sub-prior. He was afterward prior of Masinglo, and lastly of Dinai. In the exercise of those duties, he was careful to employ all his strength in caring for the sheep reduced to the flock of the church. He went through the Calamianes Islands, preaching, converting, and confirming those converted in the faith. And as his cares were prodigious, and he became weakened by his hardships, his strength failed him; tired out, he became sick, and died on a desert beach, without any human presence. However the divine presence would not fail him. Happy soldier, whom death overtook while fighting in the campaign of the Church of God!
Let us give a companion to this father, and let him be father Fray Juan de la Anunciacion. He was born in Madrid, in the parish of San Gines. His parents were Diego del Castillo and Felipa Manuel de Benavides. He took our holy habit in the year 1613, while father Fray Juan Bautista Altaraque was master of novitiates. He professed the following year under father Fray Augustin de San Gabriel, prior of the convent of the said town. He went to the Indias, being desirous of employing his life in the service of God and the welfare of souls. He thoroughly understood the languages of the Indians. Entering the rudest of the islands, he preached with great fervor, and converted many heathen. He spent some years in that employment, and finally his life, without anyone being present at his death. He died worn out, and for lack of nourishment. He lived much, since as long as life lasted for him he employed it in the service of the holy church and the conversion of the infidels. His body was found and very reverently given honorable burial.