Don Gomez, a Spanish Grandee, his daughter, Mercedes, and her fiancé, Juan Puyan, are seated at a table in the garden of Don Gomez's country home when a servant enters and announces the arrival of a stranger to see Don Gomez. Don Gomez goes into the house to meet the stranger, who proves to be Carlos Ferrara, who bears a letter from General Gonzales, an old friend of the Don's, asking the hospitality of the Don for Ferrara while he is touring Spain in the interests of the government. Carlos falls in love with Mercedes, whom he persuades to elope with him, thinking thus to gain possession of the Don's fortune. Juan and the Don learn of the elopement and follow Mercedes and Carlos to the Mission, arriving there just too late to prevent the marriage. The Don disowns his daughter. Juan, brokenhearted, becomes a monk. Carlos proves to have been an adventurer and his letter a forgery. Several years later Carlos, leader of a gang of bravos, runs a disreputable road house. A Mexican gardener in the monastery gardens overhears a conversation between the monks to the effect that the ship will arrive at sunset with the Sacred Chalice. The Mexican runs to inform Carlos, and Carlos plans to trail the monks and get the Chalice. Mercedes overhears the conversation and runs to the monastery to inform the monks of the plot. She finds Juan there as Father Superior. Juan takes all his monks with him to protect the chalice and leaves Mercedes to ring the Angelus. The Chalice is delivered to the monks and on their way back to the monastery with it they are waylaid by Carlos and his men. A fierce fight ensues. It is interrupted by the ringing of the Angelus, to which all the Mexicans bow their heads in prayer. The father points out to the Mexicans their sin in defiling the Holy Chalice. Carlos urges them on, but they turn on him and tear him to pieces. The monks return to the monastery with the Chalice. The father finds Mercedes in sorrow, and when she asks his advice, saying she cannot return to Carlos, he tells her to carry her sorrow as he did to the foot of God's Holy Cross. Mercedes sobbingly kneels at the foot of the cross. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis

• Plot Summary

• Short
• Drama