The centuries of the conquest tell us that already was the religious
habit of the discalced Augustinians known in this most fertile
province; for in the year one thousand six hundred and twenty-two,
brother Fray Francisco de San Nicolas, a native of Cadiz, made a
voyage from Negros to Manila. During that voyage he suffered terrible
storms, escaping as by a miracle. That voyage was on business for
the service of the church, which proves that, in its beginnings, the
Recollects had sown the seeds of the gospel in that territory. In the
year one thousand six hundred and twenty-two, father Fray Jacinto
de San Fulgencio founded the convent which was called Binalgaban,
and which exercised spiritual care over one thousand five hundred
families. The said mission passed to the Society of Jesus. The divine
Goodness wrought some wonderful events for the conversion of this
island of Negros. [One of these is mentioned.]

But that germ was to produce its abundant and wonderful fruits in the
nineteenth century. The observation of the prodigious improvements
which four religious who entered this island with the rich treasure
of religion, to promote the spiritual and material welfare of their
fellows, have been able to produce, was reserved, in the designs of
Providence, for our epoch. By the force of their preaching the Catholic
worship is receiving an increase of a hundredfold; the villages are
dividing, and the parishes are multiplying; the population is assuming
a new character of culture and civilization; those Indians are becoming
affable, industrious, and enterprising; and they are very rapidly
attaining the moral and material recompenses due to their labor.

His Excellency, the most illustrious Don Fray Romualdo Jimeno, bishop
of Cebu, under date of April fifteen, one thousand eight hundred and
forty-eight, represented to the superior government the scarcity
of native priests for supplying the curacies in this province,
petitioning at the same time that the spiritual administration of
the said province be entrusted to one of the excellent orders in
Filipinas. The governor and captain-general, Don Narciso Claveria,
conde de Manila, assented to the proposition of the diocesan,
and entrusted the island of Negros to the province of the Recollect
fathers, by his decree of June twenty, one thousand eight hundred and
forty-eight. The very reverend father-provincial, Fray Joaquin Soriano,
received such an arrangement with due thanks; a