holy province, in its name contracting many new
obligations, in order not to fail in the cultivation of the vineyard of
the Lord. Of those who had volunteered, those who appeared to be most
intelligent and zealous were chosen; and the procurator tried to get
them to Sevilla as soon as possible, where they arrived on February
20, 1651. They finally embarked, and celebrated their spiritual
exercises on shipboard just as if they were in the retirement
and quiet of their own convents. They preached many afternoons;
persuaded the sailors to be present at the prayer of the rosary
daily, exhorted them never to let the sun go down on their sins,
since they had the sacrament of penitence so near at hand; and were
very urgent in teaching them all the Christian doctrine. God granted
them the consolation of experiencing considerable fruit by that means;
for morals were considerably reformed, and oaths and blasphemies were
banished, so that the ship was like a religious house. The religious
gave many thanks to God, because at their exhortation He conquered the
obstinacy of a Moro who begged them to wash him with the holy waters
of baptism. The Moro received those waters with great fervor, and died
shortly after, leaving all in the great hope that he attained glory.

333. For twenty days they suffered violent and contrary winds, but God
delivered them from that peril and from other very serious dangers. He
preserved them also from an epidemic that was raging in the port of
Vera-Cruz--a disease called vomito prieto, [30] from whose malignancy
the greater part of those who had embarked died, although only one of
our religious perished. They reached Mexico all worn out, and remained
in that city until March 10, 1652. Finally they reembarked in the port
of Acapulco, whence they had a fortunate passage to the Philipinas
Islands. They arrived there so opportunely that the fathers were
discussing the abandonment of some of the missions because of their
so great need of ministers. Consequently, they gave many thanks to the
divine Majesty for those religious who arrived at so suitable a season.

[Chapter iii consists of accounts of the lives of various Recollect
fathers. Those who labored in the Philippines are the following. Miguel
de Santa Maria was a native of Cadiz and a son of Rodrigo Lopez de
Almansa. He professed in the Manila convent June 26, 1618, at the
age of 28. Later he became prior of the Caraga mission, and founded
the convent