Life of St. Francis Gil de Federich: His Birth up to His Arrival in the Philippines (1/11)

by Rev. M. B. Cothonay, O.P., 1911

Blessed Gil de Federich (1) was born in December 1702 at Tortosa in Spain, the ancient Dertusa of the Romans, situated at the mouth of the Ebro. Baptised on the 1 4th of the same month, he was named Francis, Joseph, Bonaventure, John the Baptist, Philip, Felix, Thomas, Joachim de Federich. Thus was he blessed with a goodly number of powerful patron saints as his protectors at his entrance upon his earthly career. Not long afterwards on the 3^rd of February, 1703, he received the sacrament of Confirmation in the Chapel of the Episcopal Palace. The house in which he was born is still shown —  No. 6 of the street which, formerly called Ancha (Broad Street), has since the 8th of December, 1904, borne the name of the Blessed. The family of Gil de Federich belonged to the nobility of Tortosa. The annals of the city have preserved the name of Francis Gil de Federich who, when Tortosa was besieged by the French in 1648, was an officer commanding the defense of one of the fortifications and, though he acquitted himself of his charge heroically, he was forced to surrender to General Marsin.

His parents were pious Catholics who left nothing undone to procure a sound Christian education for their children and to preserve them from the corruption of the world. His brother Anthony who became a canon of Tolosa and wrote the life of his beatified martyr-brother, tells us that from his earliest years he was piously inclined and that he fully corresponded to the salutary lessons and the solicitous care of his pious parents. Never was a child more docile. He held in aversion all the vanities and amusements of the world and found his greatest pleasure in the Church where he loved to prolong his prayer and to frequent the sacraments. He shunned the companionship of young people of his own age whose conduct was not above reproach.

The Dominicans had at Tortosa not only a large convent but a college as well where the higher education of young men was thoroughly provided for. There it was that young de Federich made his first entry into the field of literature and of the natural sciences. The very appearance of his learned and pious professors together with his intercourse with them inspired him with a desire of entering the Order of St. Dominic. He was only fifteen years old when he petitioned for admission to the convent of Tortosa. We are not told whether his parents favored or opposed his vocation. It is more probable that, seeing their son so strongly inclined to virtue, they encouraged him in his noble undertaking and offered him voluntarily to the Lord. Having received the most favorable reports concerning the young Francis de Federich the superiors of the convent at Tortosa sent him to make his novitiate at the famous convent of St. Catherine Martyr at Barcelona. All that is known of him during this period is that he was a fervent novice during his year of probation, and that, at the end of the twelve months he was admitted without difficulty to his profession in the year 1718.

From that time he gave himself to the serious study of philosophy, canon law, Holy Scripture, and afterwards of theology. During these years his constant aim was to acquire as complete a knowledge as possible of the divine sciences and to augment the religious virtues in his soul. His time was spent chiefly in the choir singing the praises of God, then in his little cell bent over his books, before his crucifix or sitting before his professors and listening to their teaching.

For some unknown reason he made some of his studies at Barcelona, others at the University of Orihuela and others still at the convent of Tremp, in the province of Lerida where he was ordained to the priesthood on the 27th of March, 1727, at the age of twenty-four years and three months.

Two years previous, in 1725, Rev. Father Salvador Contreras, a missionary from the Province of the Holy Rosary in the Philippine Islands, made the rounds of the convents of Spain inviting well disposed young religious to accompany him to the Philippines, there to devote their lives to the meritorious work of converting the pagans. His efforts were not in vain, for thirty-six religious answered his call and set sail for Oceanica. Francis Gil de Federich had been one of the first to solicit this favor. He longed for a life of devotedness; he heard a voice within him calling him to those far distant lands where so many souls were sitting in the shadow of death and he had generously answered: “Here I am, Lord, send me.” (Isaiah 6:8) But his Provincial did not hear. He refused to give up this religious who promised to be one of the glories of the Order. He believed that his place was rather in Spain. However, as Father Contreras insisted, the Provincial agreed to give him Father John de Traveria, another religious of the Convent of Barcelona.(2) Brother Francis de Federich was grievously disappointed by this decision but, being a child of obedience, he bowed his head in silence and continued to pray and hope that a more favorable opportunity would some day present itself.

The Holy Ghost tells us that God does the will of those who fear him. (Psalm 144:19) These words were verified in our future martyr who asked Our Lord unceasingly to open to him the way to the Philippines and to the missions among the pagans if such were His will.

In 1729 another emissary from the Province of the Holy Rosary again visited the convents of his Order in the Peninsula asking for young religious who desired to join the missions. He had scarcely reached Barcelona when he received the request of Father Francis de Federich. But the permission of the Most Rev. Father General of the Order was also necessary. Now it so happened that the Most Rev. Father Ripoll, the General, was the same who as Provincial of Arragon had refused to permit Father de Federich to go to the Philippines.

The superiors of Father Gil at Barcelona forwarded his request to Rome fully persuaded that the answer of the Most Rev. Father Ripoll, the General, would not differ from that of Father Ripoll as Provincial. Father Gil prayed fervently that the heart of his superior might be touched. The latter doubtless viewing matters from a higher standpoint, and consulting the general good of the Order, readily gave his consent.

While this brought great joy to the heart of Father Gil, it was a keen disappointment to his superiors and his religious brethren of Barcelona who were heard to murmur very loudly against the Father General and especially against Father Caballero who, not satisfied with having taken from them Father Peter Ponsgrau, was now carrying off Father Gil de Federich on whom they had founded so many hopes. Many of his secular friends and, above all, his relatives endeavored to break his resolution; but he was too firmly strengthened by divine grace to be changed from his holy purpose.

When all had been arranged he bade farewell to his brethren of Barcelona in July, 1729 and set out for Madrid in company with Father Ponsgrau and a few other religious. There a great trial awaited him. One of his uncles, Father Ildefonsus Sans, a Dominican, sent him a letter in which he summed up all the objections already advanced against his departure and added others which he believed capable of shaking the constancy of his nephew. The latter answered simply that in leaving for the Far East he was doing what he firmly believed to be the will of God, and therefore no human consideration could stop him. He was going, he said, to encounter many labors and probably, much suffering for the glory of God and in expiation of his sins.

He continued his journey to Cadiz, whence twenty-seven religious who were assembled there sailed, August 12^th, 1729, in a vessel of the fleet commanded by the Marquis de Mary. Father Gil was the seventh of that apostolic company of which Father Bernard Ustariz was appointed Superior. They reached Vera Cruz early in November after a favorable voyage during which the travelers recited their office in common and made their religious exercises as if they had been in their convent.

From Vera Cruz they went by land to the City of Mexico where the Province of the Holy Rosary had erected a hospice in which their religious who were on their way to the Philippines awaited an opportunity to re-embark in the Pacific Ocean.

For three long months they were compelled to remain in Mexico during the course of which one of their number, Father Manuel Mancelio, fell so sick that they were obliged to send him back to Vera Cruz where he died on February 18, 1730, thus reducing the number of the apostolic band to twenty-six religious. At last, on the 30^th of the following March they were able to set out for Acapulco, a fine harbor on the Mexican coast of the

Pacific, and on April 1^st they embarked on a vessel bearing the name of “The Holy Family.” They reached the Philippines only on the 1^st of November. The usual time required for this passage was four months, but the contrary winds and the storms which they met with prolonged their voyage to seven months. They had spent fourteen and a half months in going from Cadiz to Manila.

It is difficult to imagine to-day the difficulties, the wretchedness and the tedium of navigation at that time. In our day we travel from Spain to the Philippines in one month on large vessels which are literally floating palaces in which the traveler enjoys all the conveniences of life. In the middle of the eighteenth century a year or more was required for the same journey; the passengers were huddled together in small boats which were most inconvenient; the fare consisting almost without exception of preserved foods was far from being healthful, and often insufficient in quantity. The early missionaries therefore had more opportunities for merit than those of our day whenever they were called upon to leave the shores of Europe.

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Notes:

(1) Beatified by Pope Pius X on May 20, 1906, and canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988.
(2) Father John de Traveria was the first religious of the Convent of Barcelona intended for the missions of Tonkin, but it was not given to him to enter upon them. The vessel which carried him and another father was lost during the passage from the Philippines to Tonkin.