en
the habit in the convent of Manila. Consequently, they were prepared
to undertake new enterprises for the increase of the faith, and to go
to points distant from the metropolis in order to spread the knowledge
of the Christian name to those people who were living in heathendom.

[The early details of this mission have been fully given in previous
volumes. The villages and missions of this province (a number of
which are islands) in charge of the Recollects are as follows: Cuyo,
with 2,392 tributes, and 9,475 souls; Agutaya, with 519 1/2 tributes,
and 2,258 souls; Paragua, with 618 1/2 tributes, and 3,219 souls;
Dumaran, with 785 tributes, and 1,416 souls; Puerto-Princesa, with 573
souls; Culion or Calamian, with 871 1/2 tributes, and 2,438 souls;
and Balabac, with 581 souls. The Recollect martyrs of the province
of Calamianes are as follows: Francisco de Jesus Maria; Juan de San
Nicolas, 1638; Alonso de San Agustin; Francisco de Santa Monica,
1638; Juan de San Antonio; Martin de la Ascension; Antonio de San
Agustin, 1658; Manuel de Jesus y Maria, 1720; Antonio de Santa Ana,
1736. The fathers of this province held in captivity were Onofre de
la Madre de Dios, Juan de San Jose, Francisco de San Juan Bautista,
and Pedro Gibert de Santa Eulalia.]

Bishopric of Cebu

Province of Cebu

[The Recollects land at Cebu on their first arrival from Spain, and
are later conceded a chapel by Bishop Pedro de Arce near the city,
where they found a convent. We translate:]

... In later times, the edifice has been improved and modified;
the most notable of these changes was that of a few years ago,
which has made the convent larger and more beautiful, thus making it
possible for it to attain its object--namely, the entertainment of
the religious who go to Visayas, and of the sick, who are compelled
to go to Cebu to be cured of their ailments. The church is also very
large, and suitable for the celebration of religious functions with
the solemnity and splendor of the Catholic worship. The faithful of
Cebu and of the immediate village of San Nicolas attend that church, in
order to fulfil the Christian precepts and receive the sacraments. As
there are always religious instructed in the Visayan language, many
devout persons daily frequent the church of the Recollects....

In the beginning of its foundation, this convent had in charge the
spiritual administration of the souls in the island of Maripipi,
by concession of the a