The Jesuit Warrior

Book excerpt: Two men of God left Spain for the new world. One of them was a fully ordained member of the elite Jesuit society, and the other was his protégé. The faith of the Jesuit was deeply ingrained and unwavering, while the faith of his student was weak and questionable at best. They each left Spain with different goals. The goal of the Jesuit was to save the souls of the pagan tribes thought to occupy west central Florida, while the goal of the youth was exploration and adventure. The apprentice had witnessed horrific events as a child, events that were approved and encouraged by the church and the inquisition. He would later witness events that would destroy his fragile faith and turn his life in a completely different direction. He became a realist. Although he still searched for truth and honor, he was convinced he would not find it in the teachings and actions of the Jesuits or the Spanish. He renounced his heritage, and the teachings of the Jesuits became irrelevant. He would find his truth and honor in the most unlikely of places, among the so-called pagan savages called the Calusa.