All were highly edified by this, especially the governor and the archbishop, who were there.  Father Fray Alonso del Rincon, who bore letters-patent to preside, made the same renunciation.  Consequently, without any opposition, our father Fray Alonso de Mentrida 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 Rincon; 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 Mentrida 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 Mentrida—­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 Enriquez 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 Villalon, a reader, a Castilian.

3.  Father Fray Sebastian del Rio, a preacher, a Castilian.

4.  Father Fray Diego de Ordas, a preacher, a Castilian.

5.  Father Fray Martin Claver, an Arragonese, a preacher, and apostolic notary.

6.  Father Fray Francisco Barela, a reader, a Castilian.