[Though the religious had come in the previous year, and though the second Sunday after Easter of the year 1588 had gone by (which is the usual day on which provincial chapters are held), the fathers, being so few, had waited for the arrival of those who came from Mexico. Accordingly, the chapter was convoked by the father vicar-general on the twelfth of June, and there were chosen as definitors father Fray Diego de Soria, vicar of the convent at Manila, where the chapter was held; Fray Juan Cobo; Fray Juan de San Thomas, vicar of Bataan; and Fray Bernardo de Sancta Catalina, vicar of Pangasinan. They and the rest elected, as the first provincial of the new province, father Fray Juan de Castro. The first act passed in this chapter was to accept the general ordinances made for the foundation of this province when the founders were in Mexico. The chapter provided that special care was to be taken that no ministerial duties were to be accepted as curacies, but merely as charity--with liberty of removal, due notice being given to the bishops. It also determined that these ordinances should be read and declared to the religious who were to be brought over from España, so that if they approved of them they might come, while if they did not venture to undertake them they might remain; and no one might complain that he had been deceived, if he should find himself obliged to keep them. In this chapter the province was given the glorious name of our Lady of the Rosary, to whom all the religious desired especially to belong; they also chose as special advocate and patroness her who was the apostle [41] to the apostles, Saint Mary Magdalen, on whose day they had reached port in these islands, and by whose aid (which they had a thousand times experienced in the order) they hoped for the most complete and glorious success in that which they were undertaking. The religious were warned to treat the Indians with great charity and a spirit of kindness, as beloved sons, showing them the love that we feel for them not only by words but by deeds, and striving to attract them by love. If punishment should at any time be necessary, it was not to be by our hands, that it might not happen to us, as Saint Gregory said, that corrections should be converted to arms of wrath. To the convent of Manila they gave the title of priory, and appointed as the first prior father Fray Diego de Soria. They accepted the vicariate of our Lady of the Rosary of Macan, and named as vicar thereof father Fray Antonio de Arcediano. They likewise accepted the vicariate of our father Saint Dominic of Binalatongan, appointing as vicar thereof father Fray Bernardo de Sancta Catalina; likewise the vicariate of our father Saint Dominic of Bataan, the vicar whereof was father Fray Juan de Sancto Thomas; likewise the vicariate of Gabon, the vicar whereof was father Fray Juan de San Pedro Martyr. They appointed as preacher-general father Fray Miguel