The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 24 of 55 / 1630-34 / Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, As Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

by Unknown

13. Father Fray Estéban de Peralta, a preacher, and a Castilian.

14. Father Fray Pedro del Castillo, a preacher, from Andalucía.

15. Father Fray Pedro Valenzuela, a preacher, and a Castilian.

16. Father Fray Baltasar Jiménez, a priest, from Andalucía, who returned to the province.

17. Father Fray Felipe Tallada, a preacher, from Andalucía, who returned to the province.

18. Father Fray Rodrigo de Quiñones, a priest, from Andalucía.

19. Father Fray Juan de Ugarte, a priest from Perú, and a Vizcayan.[56]

20. Father Fray Francisco Rubio, a priest, and a Castilian.

Three religious died, in Méjico and San Juan de Ulua, of whom very good hopes were entertained. This has caused a great lack here as is the case when any sound religious is taken away. For since so many die, if there is no one to hold the fortification, what has been gained must necessarily be lost. For, if the devil learns that there are no soldiers, who doubts that he will return to gain the mastery of what was taken from him? Those religious have labored exceedingly well, and some of them have become eminent linguists; and, God willing, we shall have to say much about them. Our father provincial immediately distributed them through the four provinces, very wisely, according to the need of each.

At this time one of the Recollect religious, a doctor and scholar, named Fray Diego Rodrigo, was head of that order here. He bore the title of father vicar-provincial, for the province had as yet no authority to elect a provincial. He had some disputes with a beneficed secular, whereupon the said beneficiary complained to the archbishop, Don Fray Miguel García. The latter sought advice as to whether he could try that cause, and, I know not why, kept the priest secluded in our convent. The cause was continued, and afterward the said vicar-provincial, Fray Rodrigo, went to España by way of India. Through that journey he accomplished matters of no little importance; for he suffered much and served the Catholic church greatly. He converted and reduced many schismatic Russians[57] to the Catholic church, and bore a solemn message from them to his Holiness. For this religious had excellent qualifications for distinction; he was a fine Latin scholar and an excellent preacher, and was no less a theologian. In the Roman court he was of great aid to the religious of the Filipinas against the pretensions of the seculars, so that his arrival there was very important. He was very well received in that court, and in that of España; and he would have obtained his desires, had not the Lord been pleased to cut him off, taking him from this life to enjoy that which is eternal. He had written a book on the affairs of this country, but it is not known into whose hands it has fallen. May it bring to the light achievements so eminent and honorable. Without doubt they would be of much importance for a knowledge of what there is in these lands so remote from our own.