The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, ... Volume 13

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1904 edition. Excerpt: ... RELACION DE LAS ISLAS FILIPINAS (concluded) By Father Pedro Chirino, S.J. Roma: printed by Estevan Paulino, in the year MDCIV. Source: This is translated from the orginal printed work, for which purpose have been used the copies belonging to Harvard University and to Edward E. Ayer of Chicago. Translation: This is made by Frederic W. Morrison, of Harvard University, and Emma Helen Blair. RELATION OF THE FILIPINAS ISLANDS AND OF WHAT HAS THERE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY THE FATHERS OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS How Father Francisco de Vera returned to Esparto for more fathers. Chapter XXXVII. The men of the Society remained in the rest of those Pintados Islands, occupied as we have already seen. In various places, during those two years, there had been newly erected to the glory of Jesus Christ thirty churches; but in all this the least important thing was the material gain, for the real success was in the continual increase of the body of Christians in all those churches. In places where Ours did not reside, each church had its own representative [fiscal], who took care of it and assembled the people, at least on feast-days, to recite the prayers and chant the Christian doctrine. They did this, not only in the church, but in their houses; and even when journeying by water, or cultivating the soil, their usual recreation is to sing these exercises. In proportion as the fruit grew more abundantly, so did the need of laborers increase - until Ours, exhausted by their lack of strength to reap such copious harvests, unanimously called for the succor of new companions. But as this aid must be sent from Europe, which is so far away, and as they could not depend upon letters, it was agreed to despatch Father Francisco de Vera, as a person who had been most...