CHAPTER III
A fine mission leaves España for Philipinas; and the venerable father Fray Christoval de San Joseph leaves this for the eternal life.
The year 1683
§ I
Of the missions of our religious who reached Philipinas during the years of these three decades, and in especial of the mission which made its voyage this year 1683 to the not small luster of the Catholic religion.
... 908. The third volume has already related that a mission left España in the year 1660 in charge of father Fray Eugenio de los Santos. [55] He brought in that mission, however, only eighteen choir religious and two lay brothers whose names I have been unable to ascertain, as the instruments with which I would have to do so have not come to me from España. They all reached Mexico in the above-mentioned year and since because of various accidents that happened during the voyage, in the islands and in the port of Cavite no ships came from Philipinas to Nueva España, either that year or the two following, the mission had to stay in the said city all that time incurring the expenses and fatal consequences that one can understand. In the year 1662 the viceroy of Mexico despatched a boat to the islands to get a report of their condition, for there was fear that they had been invaded by enemies. One of those missionaries ventured in that boat, and arriving at Manila it caused not a little rejoicing to the inhabitants there. The next year ships from Philipinas were seen in the port of Acapulco, and as a consequence fourteen religious took passage in them and arrived at Manila in August 1663, and not in 1684 as was wrongly reported in volume three. The five others remained in Nueva España, but they afterwards reached their destination and all served in those fields of Christendom where they were of great use.
909. Father Fray Christoval de Santa Monica, after having been provincial of Philipinas, to which dignity he was elected in the year 1656, was appointed in 63, to come to España in order to collect and lead a mission. He came then, having received on the way not a few favors from St. Nicholas of Tolentino--favors which he received under the appreciable quality of miracles, but which we cannot specify for lack of documents. He negotiated in Madrid as successfully as could be desired, and collected a mission of twenty-four religious, all generally of good qualities and with the characteristics that are desired in that province. He set sail with that valiant squadron June 16, 1666. [After various miraculous happenings on the way, the vessel reached Vera Cruz in safety, whence the passengers went across the peninsula to Acapulco. August of 1667 the Recollects all reached Manila save two who remained in Mexico for another year because of sickness.]
910. In the year 1668, the venerable father Fray Juan de la Madre de Dios, of Blancas, was elected president of Mexico in the provincial chapter of Mexico, and father Fray Agustin de Santa Monica, commissary for España. The latter died aboard ship, and on that account, when the former arrived at Mexico, he found an order within two years to go to the court of Madrid in order to discuss some matters of not small magnitude, and to give his vote for the province in the general chapter. The authority and money for the conduction of a mission were long delayed, but at last he received them both at the end of 1674, whereupon he displayed so good zeal that he took passage with twenty-six religious in June 1675. He reached Mexico with his gospel militia, where he was ordered by the province to return to España to conduct certain matters that could only be entrusted to his person. Thereupon, sending his accounts to Philipinas, the mission went to the islands in the year 1676 in charge of another prelate, and father Fray Juan bent his steps toward his new destiny.
911. Another father, Fray Juan de la Madre de Dios, a native of Cuenca, had gone to Philipinas in the mission of father Fray Christoval de Santa Monica; in the year 1680, that definitory appointed him commissioner to España. He sailed the same year from the port of Cavite in the galleon named "San Telmo." [After a voyage tempered with the mercy obtained by St. Nicholas of Tolentino, in several dangerous situations, the father arrived at Acapulco, January 22, 1681, and was detained some time in Nueva España by the fever. Reaching Spain in November of the same year, he hastened to lay his supplications at the royal feet, and was given a decree calling for a mission of forty religious fathers and five lay brothers. "He also obtained a royal decree dated April 16 of the abovesaid year [1682] in which his Majesty continued the annual alms of one hundred and fifty pesos for the medicines which are used in our infirmary of Manìla; and another of the thirtieth of the same month, in which he also continued the alms of two hundred and fifty pesos and a like number of fanegas of rice per year for the maintenance of the four religious of Ours who were in charge of the Indians in Manìla."]
914. In view of this, the edict for the mission was published by our father vicar-general. An excellent mission was collected at Sevilla for the purpose of taking passage in the fleet which was about to sail to Nueva España in charge of General Don Diego de Saldìvar. Thereupon the mission sailed from Cadiz on the fourth of March, 1683, and consisted of the following religious.
1. The father commissary, Fray Juan de la Madre de Dios, native of Cuenca.
2. The father vice-commissary, Fray Fernando Antonio de la Concepcion, native of Aldea del Cardo, of the bishopric of Calahorra.
3. The pensioned father reader, Fray Juan de la Concepcion, known as Moriàna, an Andalusian.
4. Father Fray Agustin de San Juan Bautista, a native of Leganès near Madrid.
5. Father Fray Juan de la Encarnacion, of Talavera.
6. Father Fray Francisco del Espiritu Santo, of Xarayz in La Vera de Plasencia.
7. Father Fray Antonio de San Agustin, of Madrid.
8. Father Fray Juan de San Antonio, of Alcalà de Enares.
9. Father Fray Juan de San Nicolàs, of Daymiel in La Mancha.
10. Father Fray Alonso de San Agustin, of Villa de Garcìas in Estremadura.
11. Father Fray Joseph de la Encarnacion, of La Nava del Rey.
12. Father Fray Francisco de la Ascension, of Madrid.
13. Father Fray Francisco de la Madre de Dios, of Malaga.
14. Father Fray Pablo de San Joseph, of Tobòso.
15. Father Fray Joseph de San Geronimo, of Calcèna in Andalucìa.
16. Father Fray Juan del Santissimo Sacramento, of Logroño.
17. Father Fray Vicente de San Geronimo, of Lupiñèn, near Huesca.
18. Father Fray Sebastian de San Marcos, of Tobòso.
19. Father Fray Gaspàr de San Guillermo, of Villanueva Messia.
Brother Choristers
20. Brother Fray Alonso de la Concepcion.
21. Brother Fray Diego de San Nicolàs, of Madrid.
22. Brother Fray Antonio de la Encarnacion, of Xetàfe.
23. Brother Fray Joseph de la Madre de Dios, of Tobòso.
24. Brother Fray Juan de San Agustin, of Oràn, Africa.
25. Brother Fray Francisco Antonio de la Madre de Dios, of Alcantara.
26. Brother Fray Francisco de Santa Maria, of Madrid.
27. Brother Fray Ignacio de San Joseph, of Buxaralòz, Aragon.
28. Brother Fray Joachin de San Nicolàs, of Añon, Aragon.
29. Brother Fray Joseph de Santa Getrudis, of Villafranca de Panadès, Cathaluña.
30. Brother Fray Joseph de la Trinidad, of Urrea de Xalon, Aragon.
31. Brother Fray Joseph de Santa Lucìa, of Caspe, Aragón.
32. Brother Fray Francisco de San Joseph.
33. Brother Fray Pedro de San Miguèl, of Porcuna, kingdom of Jaen.
34. Brother Fray Raphaèl de San Bernardo, of Berja, kingdom of Granada.
35. Brother Fray Manuel de la Concepcion, of Sevilla.
36. Brother Fray Juan de la Ascencion, of Moral, in the archbishopric of Toledo.
37. Brother Fray Alonso de San Joseph.
38. Brother Fray Juan de Santa Monica.
Lay Brothers
39. Brother Fray Pedro de la Virgen del Pilar, of Barcelona.
40. Brother Fray Agustin de Santa Monica, of Ecinacorva, Aragon.
41. Brother Fray Roque de San Lorenzo.
42. Brother Fray Joseph de Jesus.
43. Brother Fray Juan de Jesus, of Alcazar de San Juan, La Mancha.
915. All the above, minus the one named at number 22 who died at sea, and those included under numbers 9, 12, and 14, who hid in Puerto Rico, in order that they might return to their provinces, as they did do, arrived with the great good-will of the fleet, at Vera Cruz, June 1, 1683, whence they went to Mexico with all possible haste. There they comported themselves with the greatest rigor, observance, abstraction, and example, so that the hospitium appeared a desert. Thus they succeeded in obtaining the favor of the viceroy, the count of Parèdes, [56] and the venerable archbishop Don Francisco de Aguiar y Seyjas, who visited the fathers in the hospitium, and that not only once. During that winter those who had not completed their studies, continued them, and in that the father lector, Fray Juan de la Concepcion and others who were not lectors, but were worthy to be, worked with especial zeal. By the fifth of March, 1685, they began to go out in bands to Acapulco, whence they set sail April 4, in the almiranta, called "San Telmo." They anchored in the port of Sorsogòn, in Philipinas, on the fourteenth of July, and arrived in Manila some time in August. There they were given a fine welcome and were allowed some time to rest after so long a voyage. But they afterward began another greater work in that vineyard with the fulfilment which was hoped of not resting until they obtained their reward in glory.
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