Volume 37 — CHAPTER XII

Wreck of the galleon “San Diego;” the mission that arrived from Nueva España; and the feast of the Conception of our Lady.

This province of ours was very deficient in religious to fulfil its charge of the instruction and teaching of so many villages, which were commended to our care as the first spiritual conquistadors of these remote islands. Nine years had already passed since the last mission had reached this province (in the year 1645), during which sixty religious had died; and, besides, the procurators who had been sent to España to get new missions had suffered the same fate. Father Fray Cristobal Enriquez, although he reached Madrid, and presented himself before the royal and supreme Council of the Indias for that purpose, did not obtain a favorable despatch. For, permission having been given him to conduct thirty religious to these islands, and trusting to that and having assembled and conducted many from the provinces of España to Sevilla (in which he had spent the little that he had for that purpose), a new decree was issued in which he was ordered to suspend the transportation of the thirty religious who had been allowed to him, under pretext of inability to equip them because of the many war expenses of that time. The religious who were assembled in Andalucía returned to their provinces; and father Fray Cristobal Enriquez, having spent all his supply money, died in the city of Cáceres, which was his birthplace.

With these losses the province found itself in the greatest need because of the lack of workmen for the missions in its charge, until the arrival in 1654 of the galleon “San Diego” in charge of the commander Pedro Villarroel de la Cuesta—which was wrecked in the beginning of June near the harbor and bay of Manila, as it went aground on an unknown shoal. However, only the hull of the ship was lost and all the men and the cargo were saved. That galleon brought fifteen religious, who had been sent by the provincial of the province of Méjico, by virtue of the authorization given him by the last procurator of this province, Fray Francisco de Victoria, who died in Méjico. The said religious were admitted into this province at a private meeting of the definitors held on June 13 of the said year 1654. They are as follows:

Father Fray Gerónimo de la Serna, who was in charge of that mission, forty years old, and twenty-five in the habit. He had been a prior with vote three times in his province, and died in the year 1668.

Father Fray José Polanco, a theologue. He was an excellent minister to the Tagálogs and Ilocans, and served in this province for many years with great credit, for he was an able minister and skilled in both languages. He died in the year 1681, in a grievous manner; for, when coming in a champan from the province of Ilocos, where he was prior of the convent of Bauang, the vessel went to pieces and he was drowned together with sixteen persons in the same boat.

Father Fray José de la Cruz, minister of the province of Pampanga, where he rendered much service to the order, and left a lively remembrance of his zeal in the churches of Candaba, Betis, and México, which he built from the foundations with great beauty and strength. He died in the year 1695.

Father Fray Francisco Jordán, an excellent theologue, who was afterward given the title of lecturer. He was a successful minister to the Ilocans, and a good preacher. He died in the year 1666.

The father lecturer Fray Lorenzo de Cisneros, who had taken the habit after he had been a secular priest for many years. He was an able theologue, and had been one of the household of Don Juan de Palafox, whom he had served considerably in his litigations with the regulars of Nueva España. That religious was minister to a Christian village some time in Ilocos; but afterward his mind failed him, and he lived so for many years, suffering the troubles and hardships that so troublesome an infirmity causes. I knew him for many years, and he was never furious, but very mild and gentle. Consequently, he was always left unshackled, and gave no other sign of the infirmity from which he was suffering than his outbursts of greatest nonsense. He was ever very affable and courteous. A few days before his death, he recovered his mental faculties; and, after having received all the holy sacraments, he died in great calm in 1662, at an age of more than seventy.

Father Fray Pedro de la Plaza, fifty-three years old, an excellent theologue, who had also been a secular priest for many years, and only had three years of profession. He died in 1665 in the convent of Manila.

The brother chorister, Fray Antonio de Quesada, twenty-two years old, a student in the arts. He seems to have been a minister in the province of Pampanga, and very skilful in that language. He died in 1661.

Brother Fray José de Sotomayor, who was a minister in the province of Ilocos, and died in the year 1665.

Brother Fray Bartolomé de la Torre, twenty-two years old, who had completed his studies. Afterward he became lecturer in arts in the convent of Manila, and was sent to the province of Bisayas, where he was an able minister, definitor, and vicar-provincial. He died in 1684.

Brother Fray Marcos Zapata, a theological student, twenty-two years old and five in the habit; he was a minister in the province of Ilocos, where he died in 1673.

Brother Fray Francisco Flores, of the same age and [length of time in the] habit, was minister in the province of Tagalos, and died in 1675.

Brother Fray José de Mendoza, twenty years of age, was minister in the province of Ilocos, and a fine preacher in that language. He died in the convent of Manila in 1678.

Brother Fray Luis de Montujar [or Montufar: Pérez] twenty years old, was an excellent minister in the province of Tagalos, definitor, president of the chapter, and my predecessor in the office of commissary of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. He was a very observant religious, and died in 1690.

Brother Fray Domingo de San Miguel, twenty-four years old, a student in the arts. He was a fine religious, of much modesty and great virtue. He served much and well in the province of Ilocos. He became visitor, and died in the Manila convent in 1677.

Brother Fray Miguel de Quesada, nineteen years old. I can find no notice of the province in which he was minister, or of his death.

All those religious were natives of Nueva España, and sons of the province of Santísimo Nombre de Jesús of Méjico. Before admitting them as sons of this province, many and great difficulties were experienced.

[Continuing, the author discusses these difficulties, with citation of various authorities. The religious of Nueva España and Peru administer the sacraments by authority of the ordinary; while in the Philippines it has been delegated by the popes to the definitors, who sub-delegate it to the various religious. In order to go to the Indias, the consent of the general and of the king is necessary, and is obtained through the royal Council of the Indias. The difficulty arises, then, because these religious have not been previously presented in the above Council. Necessity, however, rules the day, and they are admitted—although the precaution is taken by the heads of the order in the islands to state their intention of obtaining, within six years, the consent and approbation of the royal Council of the Indias to that admission.]

[In December of 1654 is celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin—which was formally proclaimed as a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, December 8, 1854. The celebrations in Manila extend over a number of days, and all take part in them. The papal permission for the feast has been obtained from Innocent X by the entreaty of Felipe IV.]