Some marvels wrought by the Lord in the convent of Manila, and the
rebuilding of the same
[Though the first church and convent were but small and poor buildings,
made of wood, they were very precious in the sight of the Lord,
who manifested therein many miracles. The candles in the chapel of
our Lady burned without wasting. The site being clayey and not firm,
and the church poor and built in haste, it was not two years before
the larger chapel fell to the ground, warning of the fall having been
given to one of the novices in a dream. In response to his prayers, the
Lord granted that the church should fall without harming any person,
injuring the sanctuary, or damaging the image of our Lady of the
Rosary. This image was thereafter regarded with such reverence that,
when a new image with a marble face was set up above the altar, the
people demanded their old image again. Although the convent was poor,
and had no income or funds for the rebuilding of the church and the
other edifices, they went on with confidence in the Lord to erect a
convent and a church of stone. By the favor of God, they received
a number of bequests and other gifts, which enabled them to build
a handsome stone church, large and strong, two large dormitories,
a sacristy, a chapter-house, a refectory, a porter's lodge, and such
other offices as a convent has need of. The enterprise went on so
rapidly that, though the wooden church had fallen toward the end of
the year 1589, the new one was finished on the ninth of April, 1592,
by the generous alms of the faithful, and the diligence of father
Fray Alonso Ximenez. It seemed that the work was to stand for many
years, but it was not to be. In the year 1603, toward the end of April,
exactly thirteen years after the building of the church [34] fire broke
out in the town, at a great distance from the convent; and in a short
time it consumed a third part of the city, including our convent, the
hospital of the Spaniards, and that of the Indians. They succeeded in
rescuing only the most holy sacrament and a beautiful statue of our
Lady of the Rosary. There were lost seventy-two buildings, fourteen
Spaniards, and many more Indians and negroes, of whom the number is not
known. The property destroyed amounted to a million. The fire respected
many precious and sacred things, and had for our convent the effect of
requiring us to rebuild. It was determined that the church should be
a vaulted building, which required stronger foundations for the whole
church. It was also decided to raise and strengthen the large chapel,
and to build a cloister and a super-cloister, and these buildings are
in good condition still. The work was paid for by the alms of the
faithful, as they were received from time to time. There was never
either any lack or any superfluity.]