Pedro rested for a moment as he guided the nearsighted Fr. Diego up the footpath that would lead them to faraway Agana, the headquarters of the mission that arrived in the Ladrones islands in 1668. It was already 1672 and Fr. Diego had remained tireless in preaching the gospel to the native Chamorros. Pedro looked back at the remote place they were to leave behind and at the church that they just constructed.
He led Fr. Diego along with a rope tied to the priest’s waist so he wouldn’t bump into trees and rocks along the way. Despite his physical limitations, Fr. Diego plodded on, large rosary beads dangling around his neck and in his hand a long wooden pole with a crucifix attached to the top. He brought with him a satchel with his breviary, bible and holy oil. Read the rest of this entry