Note 4 — COLLEGE OF SAN JUAN DE LETRAN

This province finding itself pledged with the prosecution of the rearing of those orphan boys, assigned for them some low quarters which were near the porter’s lodge of our convent of Santo Domingo. That site already had the form and name of a college with the title of San Pedro y San Pablo, which it had had from the beginning. Under this title the college was confirmed by our most reverend father master general, Fray Thomas Turco. But inasmuch as the concessions of the king our sovereign were made under the title and name of the ancient college of San Juan de Letran, founded by Juan Geronimo Guerrero, and had been accepted under that title by the king our sovereign, who received it by various royal decrees under his royal protection, on that account even yet it has conserved the title of San Juan de Letran.4 However, it also recognizes as patrons the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. For the government and direction of this college, the venerable father, Fray Sebastian de Oquendo,5 prior at that time of the convent of Santo Domingo, who had charge of the college then, made them some very holy, but very strict statutes, for they were taken quite exactly from the rule of our father St. Augustine. But, since they were not obliged to attain so great perfection, and still being but boys, were not able to show so much, after some years, the said statutes were revised in a provincial chapter of this province. Thus did that college maintain itself for some years in the low quarters of our convent of Santo Domingo of this city. So greatly did the number of those boys increase that they sometimes surpassed two hundred, and since there were so many, and they were boys, one can understand the racket that they must have made, which could not but be an obstacle to the regularity of a religious convent. Consequently, the province discussed the question of placing them in a separate house, which was located opposite the church of the said convent. They arranged in that house all the necessary rooms for a college, and its church, and belfry, in order that they might there celebrate the divine offices; for thus it was conceded expressly in the licenses of the ordinary, government, and city, which were made for the foundation of that college.6