The first witness to make a statement before Friar Alonso de Benavides was Friar Esteban de Perea, on 26 January 1626, just one day after the Edict of the Faith had been read in Santa Fe. Perea had first arrived in New Mexico with Governor Peralta in early 1610 and was an eyewitness to the tumultuous relationship between Peralta and the Franciscan Custodian at that time, Friar Isidro Ordóñez. Perea had later served as the Custodian of New Mexico as Ordóñez’s successor and was

When Friar Alonso de Benavides arrived in New Mexico in December 1625, he carried with him two very important items that had significant impacts on New Mexico history.