The capture of father Fray Juan de Santo Domingo, and his happy death
in prison in Japon
[After the death of Safioye, other enemies of Christianity held the
government of Nagasaki. With great acuteness the persecutors set
about capturing the religious who were concealed in the city. On the
thirteenth of December, 1618, they found two convents and captured four
religious, two of our order, Fray Angel Ferrer and Fray Juan de Sancto
Domingo, with some Japanese. At the same time they captured Father
Carlos Espinola and Brother Ambrosio Hernandez of the Society of Jesus,
with their Portuguese landlord. The fathers, on being interrogated,
confessed who they were. The two Japanese youths, the servants of
the religious, whom the judges desired to set free, insisted that
they were Christians, and declared that they were not ignorant of
the profession of the religious, so that the judges were obliged
to imprison them. The Japanese Christians crowded in and shouted,
and some of them made a bold confession of faith. The persecution of
the Christians throughout the kingdom of Japon increased greatly in
severity, but the Christians protected the fathers and did not give
them up. Even in the midst of the persecution many were converted and
baptized, and other religious came into the kingdom to carry on the
work. The fathers in prison were treated with great severity. Father
Fray Juan de Sancto Domingo fell ill in prison, and finally died
there. His imprisoned brethren desired to keep his body as that of a
saint; but, being unable to do so, cut off a foot and a hand, keeping
them for their comfort. The Japanese took the body, intending to burn
it and to scatter the ashes in the sea; but though they built a great
funeral pyre they were unable to burn it, and finally threw it into the
ocean, weighted with chains. The holy martyr was a native of Castilla
la Vieja, of the region of Campos near Sanabria, and assumed the
habit in the convent of San Estevan at Salamanca. He came to this holy
province in the year 1601. He was assigned to the ministry of Bataan,
where he learned the language quickly, as he did also the language of
Pampanga. Hence he was sent to Pangasinan, where he learned a third
Indian language. When he was afterward sent to preach the holy gospel
in the kingdom of Corea, he remained in Japon to assist the afflicted
Christians there, being persuaded to do so by the holy Fray Francisco
de Morales. He was engaged in the occupation of learning the Japanese
language when he was captured by the persecutors.]