How do the villagers secretly continue with their Christian faith?

For the past six years the peasants have been living without the instruction of a priest or a brother. In lieu of proper religious instruction the villagers set up their own order of administration. They chose one of the older men to perform the role of priest or jiisama. A group of men called tossama teaches and leads prayers. A third group of helpers, or mideshi, does whatever it can to ensure the safety of the villagers.