Fray Diego Gutiérrez was a native of Sigüenza in the province of Guadalajara, and professed in the convent of Agreda in 1574. He went to the Philippines in 1578, where he had charge of various missions in Luzón. He served as definitor during the chapters of 1578 and 1590. His death occurred at Lubao in 1613.
Fray Antonio de Porras was born in Sevilla and professed in the convent of that city. He arrived at Manila in 1598, where he exercised the duty of master of novitiates in the convent. He went to Bisayas instead of Japan which was his chosen field, working there from 1600 to 1639 (the year of his death). He held several important ecclesiastical offices in the Bisayas.
See Pérez’s Catálogo.
[23] Definitors are the fathers who compose the council of the provincial. Aditos are those who are to be substituted for any definitor because of his death.—Coco.
[24] Fray Fernando Becerra was born in Valladolid and took his vows in the convent of Salamanca, where he read sacred theology. On going to the Philippines he was missionary in Bantay in 1611, preacher and reader in 1613, provincial secretary in 1614, missionary at Hagonoy in 1615, at Pásig, 1617, 1620, and 1623, after having served as visitor and definitor. He was elected provincial by acclamation in 1626, but died July 31 of the same year. He left several writings. See Pérez’s Catálogo, pp. 81, 82.
[25] Fray Alonso Méntrida, an illustrious Bisayan missionary and a noted writer, was born in the city of Méntrida, and took his vows in the convent of Casarrubios in 1590, where he became reader for some time, later exercising the same duty at Manila and Lubao until he went to the Bisayas, where most of his work thereafter lay, although he ministered in some of the Luzón missions. He served as definitor in 1614, as prior of Manila in 1618, and as provincial in 1623. He died at the age of seventy-eight, on March 22, 1637. He compiled a grammar and dictionary in Bisayan dialects. See Pérez’s Catálogo, pp. 53–55.
[26] For sketches of these religious, see Pérez’s Catálogo.
[27] Juan Enriquez was a professed religious of the Toledo convent. After going to the Philippines he labored in San Pablo de los Montes in 1607, in Taal in 1608, and in Malate in 1611. He was definitor in 1617, and visitor and provincial in 1620. In 1625 he went to Spain as procurator, and died there in 1631. See Pérez’s Catálogo, p. 77.
[28] Fray Juan de Villalobos was a conventual in Panay in 1593, prior of Santo Niño de Cebú in 1599, first prior of the convent of Guadalupe in 1602 and 1605, and later visitor and definitor. He died in 1620. See Pérez’s Catálogo, p. 45.
[29] Fray Pedro García Serrano, a native of the town of Chinchón, in the province of Madrid, took his vows in the province of Castilla. He had considerable reputation as an orator, and was given the title of master in sacred theology some time after his arrival at the islands in 1613. He filled many posts in the order, among them that of vicar-provincial, definitor (1629), and prior of Guadalupe (1624–1629), as well as that of commissary of the Inquisition and calificador of the Holy Office in the archbishopric of Manila. He died in Mexico in 1631, while on a voyage to Spain, having been appointed definitor of the general chapter and commissary-procurator. He wrote some moral sermons in the Pampanga dialect, while exercising the care of missions in that province. See Pérez’s Catálogo, p. 90.