Chapter XXXIX
Of the election of our father Fray Alonso de Méntrida
This chapter-meeting which follows was somewhat stormy, for the opposition made it more conspicuous than was right. Our father provincial, Fray Juan Enríquez, had had a most happy triennium. The time coming to appoint a successor in his place, he considered our father Fray Juan de Henao—a man who was well liked in the province and who had many influential persons who were affectioned unto him—a suitable man. Others, although few, resented this choice, and therefore tried to block its accomplishment. Those men were few in number, but they had great authority. The affair went so far that it came to the ears of Don Alonso Fajardo, who was governor of the Filipinas. He tried by means of his authority to mediate, so that there should be no scandal; for he was well inclined to the order, and grieved over the matter. Finally, our father Fray Juan Enríquez preferred to set aside his own pleasure rather than that of the order; and, consequently, did not attempt to elect a provincial by force, although he could have done it, for he had many followers. Our father, Fray Juan de Henao, performed a truly religious action; he stated publicly that he renounced any claim that he might have on the provincialate, and signed the same. He declared that those who had hitherto been his partisans he authorized to support any other man who should be of greater account to the province. He said that he was not considering his own welfare, but that of the province, which he recognized as his mother; and, as such, he would always place its good in the foreground.
All were highly edified by this, especially the governor and the archbishop, who were there. Father Fray Alonso del Rincón, who bore letters-patent to preside, made the same renunciation. Consequently, without any opposition, our father Fray Alonso de Méntrida was immediately elected, viva voce, on Sunday, May 20, 1623. Father Fray Hernando Guerrero, senior definitor, presided at this election. The definitors elected were: our father master, Fray Diego del Aguila;[58] the second, Fray Alonso del Rincón; the third, Fray Hernando Cabrera;[59] and the fourth, Fray Francisco Coronel.[60] The visitors were Fray Juan de Henao and father Fray Hernando Becerra. In assembly with the outgoing provincial and the father president, they enacted regulations for the province with the devotion that could be expected from fathers so venerable.
[After relating several remarkable and miraculous occurrences connected with the ministry of certain Augustinians, Medina continues:]
During this term, although our father Fray Alonso de Méntrida was so great a religious—for which reason the priorate of the whole province was given to him, and he was made provincial, with the greatest renown that any one has ever had in this province—some trouble occurred in the province of Bisayas. This was occasioned, no doubt, by our father provincial, who was oppressed with ill-health, not visiting it, although he was a son of the said province. Although this province is less desired, as it is so far from Manila, yet the Lord seems to care more for it, sending to it the most illustrious of our religious; and taking therefrom the most devout of the province—as at that time our father Fray Alonso de Méntrida—for its credit and reputation. He was very zealous, and obtained an increase of income for the house at Manila, so that it was able to attend better to its many obligations of choir, study, and infirmary, and those of so important a community. Our father had the good fortune also to receive a very distinguished contingent of religious in the second year of his term. They were brought by father Fray Juan de Tapia, who, as we have said above, was sent by our father Fray Juan Enríquez as procurator of the province. The religious were received with open arms; for the province was now in need of laborers, as the country was but little suitable to sustain life—especially among young men, who, as the blood boils in so warm a land, fall sick easily and die.
The religious who came in that year of 1624 are as follows:
1. Father Fray Juan de Tapia, their superior and commissary.
2. Father Fray Francisco Villalón, a reader, a Castilian.
3. Father Fray Sebastián del Rio, a preacher, a Castilian.