Summary
Highlights
Musicians fill the streets early for the fiesta. People wear their best clothes and jewelry. Pilosopo Tasyo is notable for not changing his attire. Crowds gather in front of the church, where a band plays while another band parades around town.
The procession begins at 8:30. It passes under an awning and is lit by old maidens from the Brotherhood of San Francisco. The carriage of San Diego de Alcala leads, followed by San Francisco and the Virgen De La Paz. Padre Salvi leads the procession under the canopy instead of Padre Sibyla.
The procession stops at Kapitan Tiago's house, where the mayor, Kapitan Tiago, Maria Clara, Ibarra, and other Spaniards watch from the window. Padre Salvi looks at them. The church is full, with people pushing to get closer to the holy water. It's hot and stuffy due to the crowd's perspiration.
The town pays 50 pesos for the sermon, considered very expensive. This amount is the same as for three nights of comedy. The sermon is distinct from the comedy, with a 25 peso fee justified by the belief that listeners' souls go to heaven, while comedy-goers' souls go to hell. Ibarra is in a corner, Maria Clara in a reserved seat near the altar, and Kapitan Tiago sits with other influential figures. The mayor arrives with his council, wearing an elaborate uniform with five medals.
Everyone awaits Padre Damaso's sermon. He enters, followed by an acolyte with a notebook. He surveys the audience, winks at Ibarra, and gives Padre Martin a scornful look for having preached yesterday. Padre Damaso then instructs the acolyte to open the notebook. Much of the sermon is in Spanish, with only a few words like 'Guardia Civil,' 'tulisan,' 'San Diego,' and 'San Francisco' understandable to the audience. Despite this, the devout listen intently as Padre Damaso continues.