01'r Catholic Heritage in T cxas
to get a drink, but found that the water was salty. In his anguish he knelt and prayed to be delivered from his unbearable misery. Whether he fainted from weakness or not, cannot be determined, but after a while he declares that two Indians came to him in a canoe, who tenderly picked him up, laid him on some fresh hay, and carried him across after giving him drink and food. When they had crossed the river the Indians, who appeared to the worn-out missionary more like ministering angels than civilized savages, said to him one word : "Tampico, Tampico," and pointed towards the Spanish settlement a short distance beyond. His worst suf- ferings were over. Shortly afterwards he arrived at the village and was heartily welcomed by the inhabitants, from where he proceeded to Mexico City. Although the poor friar lived for many years he never recovered his strength, but was an invalid all the rest of his life. After his arrival in Mexico, the surgeons extracted from his body several arrowheads that had been left imbedded in the flesh, when he pulled out the shafts. Davila Padilla, who knew Friar Marcos de Mena personally, says of him: "All his life he was an example of humility and devotion. He loved to attend the divine services and the choir of the Order. He had studied for the choir but in his great humility he preferred to be only a lay brother. The old priests of this province [of Santiago de Mexico] held him in great veneration and esteem for his religion and virtue. When the learned Fray Bartolome de Ledesma went to Peru with Don Martin Enriquez, the viceroy of New Spain, who was transferred to that kingdom, he took him as his companion, satisfied with his great virtue and good example. Later, when Fray Bartolome was made Bishop of Oaxaca while in Peru, the old friar chose to remain in that country, where he died in the monastery of the City of the Kings (Lima) in the year 1584." 25 Thus came to his end the last of the five sons of Saint Dominic, who, through the designs of Providence were thrown upon the coast of Texas. Two of them were buried on the banks of the Rio Grande while in search of sedentary Indians to whom they could preach the Gospel. Another fell with an arrow through his back a quarter of a league from the river, a fourth succumbed on the road, and the last of the five, Fray Marcos c;le Mena alone lived to carry the sad story of their incredible sufferings back to New Spain.
25 /bid., p . 290.
Powered by FlippingBook