GRANT TO JESUIT SCHOOL (Colegio) IN CEBU
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GRANT TO JESUIT SCHOOL (Colegio) IN CEBU |
Sire:
Hernando de Espinosa, procurator of the Society of
Jesus in the Yndias, in the name of the residence 49
of this order in the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus (Cebu) of the Philipinas
Islands, has represented that, because of the great need of persons to
administer the sacraments to Spaniards, Indians, and Sangleys residing in and
about that city, and to preach to them the holy gospel, the provincial of the
said Society, with the permission of the governor, founded the said residence
six years ago (1595). It is productive of much good, for, besides the preaching
to the Spaniards, natives, and Sangleys, and hearing their confessions, the
other sacraments are administered to them; and there is a school where
reading
and writing are taught and
Latin studied, which is of
great gain and benefit to the community. The religious who are there are in
great poverty; for they have no income, nor do they receive any alms from the
people. The said procurator entreats from you a very moderate consideration, on
account of their poverty. This being evident to the said governor, he ordered
that to them be given annually, for such period as should seem fitting to him,
two hundred pesos and two hundred fanegas of rice, as an alms, from the
treasury of the fourths from the encomiendas that are without instruction. With
this it is, however, impossible to support the said residence. It has need of
repairs on its house, and, on account of its narrow quarters, of erecting new
buildings; and because it has no alms, in lands or chaplaincies,50
for the mass or any other of the purposes referred to, it is in great want, as
is evident by the investigations made in the royal Audiencia of the said
islands, which were examined in the Council. He entreats that your Majesty, in
consideration of the aforesaid, will order that the said two hundred pesos and
two hundred fanegas of rice—which were granted to it, as
stated, by the said governor from the treasury of the fourths — be set aside for it from the royal
treasury, as the other fund is not a permanent one. He further asks that you
will bestow upon it from the royal treasury one thousand pesos of income for its
support, and three thousand, to be paid once, for repairs and buildings for the
said residence; since your Majesty is wont to favor the other parts of the
Yndias for this purpose, as there is no other recourse for aid. After examining
this matter in the Council, our opinion is that, if your Majesty be so pleased,
one thousand pesos of eight reals each, might be given once to that residence
from the royal treasury of the Philipinas, as an aid in building its houses; and
that, besides, information concerning it should be obtained from the governor
and the archbishop.
Valladolid, December 11, 1601.
[Endorsed: "Council of the Indias; December 11,
1601. In regard to the aid and alms that should be bestowed upon the residence
of the Society in the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, of the Philippinas."
"So let it be."]
49 Spanish, colegio...[back
to text]
50 A fund, the interest of which is required by the Spanish
laws for the support of an ecclesiastic.[back
to text]
(Source: Blair & Robertson, The Philippine Islands, volume 11, pp.257-259)
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