fe and approached the holy communion with
many tears, having previously made public profession of the Roman
Catholic faith and abjured their heresies, being prepared to live
and die in the said faith. Two days later, with rosaries around their
necks they were led forth to the place of execution in great joy of
mind that they could atone for their sins by death.

Our Order has been no less occupied with the Indians in these
regions than with others--partly because there is a greater number
of them gathered in this town of Manila than anywhere else, partly
because they feel a greater good-will toward the members of the
Society than toward any others. They never lack some one of Ours
to aid their confessions; and they would need old priests the year
round, if there were so many who understood the language, to hear
the confessions of all. They greatly affect the holy communion, and
report wonderful fruit from it. Every week, on Saturday, very many
hasten to perform their discipline with the others; and more would
come if the city gates which separate the Indians from the Spaniards
were not closed at nightfall. Indeed many do not fear to creep through
the little hole in the gates in order not to neglect that salutary
penance. They hasten, too, on the Sabbath to hear the sacrament of
the mass of the Blessed Virgin, and in Lent to hear sermons, and that
in such numbers that, although our church is of considerable size,
they fill it completely. And when it was overthrown by the earthquake,
they all hastened together, down to the very children, to give their
help in carrying stones away. It was a delightful sight to see them
swarming like ants upon the rubbish and the wall--men and women,
young and old, powdered with dust and lime, carrying baskets on their
shoulders and vying with each other in carrying off the ruins so as
to clear the space.

The girls' sodality, recently introduced among the natives, has
marvelously roused all the others. Sometimes they have fed the poor
with such liberality that much was left for the prisoners and other
needy persons. After the meal was over, they poured water for the hands
of the poor persons, and kissed them; and then the poor persons fell
on their knees and prayed God for their benefactors. At another place
these same Indian members of sodalities went to the Indian hospital and
there gave their aid to the sick by making their beds and digging up
the ground for them--a thing worthy of sp