Panamao is one of the little islands adjacent to this island of Leyte, almost contiguous to it, being separated from it only by a strait so narrow that a ship can barely pass through. It abounds with timber and is therefore suitable for the construction of ships, as are many of these islands, and in December of 1601 the ship was here being built on which I was later to sail from those islands (in July of 1602). A large number of Spaniards, Indians and other workers had been gathered there for the construction work, and they gave Father Francisco Vicente, of our Society, who traveled from Carigara or Alang-alang to visit them and attend to their needs, very much to attend to. This priest went there at a most opportune time, as if led by the hand of God, to dispose the hearts of men, whom the divine hand had already predisposed by means of an incident that filled them with dread and apprehension. What had occurred was this. A Spanish-speaking Negro who was there in the service of the captain had his wife staying with him, and having had to leave the place to look for some materials required in the work, on his return one night found his wife with another man. Overcome by jealous rage he attacked them both with a spear, slaying the adulterer and leaving his wife for dead. The case was a very unfortunate one because the dead man was a young fellow who was well liked by everybody, and seeing him dead without the benefit of Confession, in such circumstances and at the hands of a Negro, albeit a just man, moved everyone to penitence. Just then Father Francisco Vicente arrived, and finding the harvest ready began by his sermons, talks and confessions to reap the ripened fruit, as related by the Father himself in one of his letters, which says:

"I arrived at Panamao on the Saturday of the last Sunday of Advent and the captain received me with great affection and obsequiousness. It is a large settlement of Spaniards and Indians that has gathered together there, and Our Lord gave us a good harvest of souls. Upon my arrival I addressed them and tried to win their affection, and immediately thereafter brought up the necessity for building a church. This was accomplished in such a manner that on the following day I said mass in it; I preached to them about sin, explaining its ugliness and its harms, etc., and in particular bringing to their minds the fresh lesson and sermon that Our Lord Himself had very recently preached to them. All were noticeably moved and decided to ask for Confession and the redress of their souls, and in order not to lose so ready a prize, I worked with all haste preaching now to the Spaniards and now to the Indians. That Sunday I delivered three sermons. In addition to this I tried to attract the chiefs and principal residents by means of private chats, explaining to them how they should make their confession.

"As they had heard that I was to be leaving immediately, right after the first day of Advent, they begged me to stay at least until the third day in order that they might be able to make their confessions. I agreed, and from that moment those people began to come to me so devoutly, both Spaniards and Indians, that they created a furor. I lost no opportunity, exhorting, comforting, soothing, instructing and trying to attend to them wholeheartedly. The confessions began before dawn at about four in the morning: they came making general confessions of a whole lifetime, or of many years, weeping and sobbing, so that it was often necessary to hold the reins and encourage them, instead of having to find reasons for their compunction and grief, as is often the case.

"It happened at that time that some Spaniards had to leave for another small island, and among these a few came to me hurriedly in order not to lose their opportunity, making up for the brief time at hand with their extraordinary devotion. The others, who did not even have that brief time available, deferred me until their return, deeply disappointed and full of holy envy for those who remained. In truth what took place within all those souls only God really knows; all I can say is that I have not seen greater penitence or more sincere devotions. There were persons who spent whole nights in tears with a crucifix in their hands. And so quiet were those days of Advent that they seemed like Good Friday: they all stayed in their houses, unless they wanted to go to mass or to talk to me about the salvation of their souls, showing in their grave and subdued faces the grace that Our Lord was bestowing upon them, and demonstrating their interior grief and the light Our Lord was giving them in their comings and goings from their homes to me with a thousand scruples and to satisfy their conscience. I offered a thousand blessings to God our Lord for having brought me there to provide so many benefits to so many souls. Many people assured me that they had never seen anything like it.

"I continued hearing confessions to dispose them as well as possible for the season of Advent. I am certain that if I had to purchase at the cost of labors all the moments of joy and satisfaction I experienced while giving Communion to each of them (and at the same time, it seems to me, reading their hearts), not even a thousand trips from Spain could pay the price. I was supposed to leave on the fourth day of Advent but found it impossible to do so, because they begged and importuned me to stay longer, and also because some had not yet finished making their confessions. I therefore had to stay until Sunday.

"On Sunday we effected a reconciliation between the murderer and the adulteress. They embraced and forgave each other and very fervently made their confessions. On Monday morning I said mass at a little after two o’clock, since I would shortly have to be leaving; I did not do so secretly enough, however, for all the people with profuse fervor came to attend it. With tears and words they expressed their sorrow over my departure and pressed me to return soon in order to bring them renewed comfort. And so I returned thence, glorifying God. I left a little hospital for the sick and the poor, to which everyone contributed with alms or personal services: may it give glory to Our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom everything proceeds."