Abstract

Abstract:

Sor Jerónima de la Asunción is renowned for establishing the first Franciscan nunnery in the Philippines. Despite her relative fame, there is still much to be written about Sor Jerónima and the small group of founding nuns that journeyed from Toledo to Manila in 1620–21. This essay sheds light on the cast of characters that helped the nuns receive the necessary licenses to travel to Asia. Key is the role of the relatively unknown Hernando de los Ríos Coronel, procurator general of the Philippines. In a saga that lasted twenty years, de los Ríos became the linchpin in helping the nuns finally travel to Manila. This essay draws on an unpublished manuscript written by Sor Ana de Cristo, a nun who accompanied Sor Jerónima, and other sources from Spanish, Philippine, and Vatican archives.

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