author
Juan Serrano
1715–1754
An Augustinian friar from Belchite who spent his later years in Manila, he is remembered for devotional writing in Tagalog that helped carry Catholic teaching to readers in the Philippines. His surviving work points to a life shaped by mission, translation, and prayer.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Belchite in 1715, Juan Serrano was a Spanish Augustinian religious who later lived and worked in Manila, where he died in 1754. Library records identify him as both a friar and an author, placing him within the long tradition of Spanish missionary scholars active in the Philippines during the eighteenth century.
He is best known for the Tagalog devotional work Novena sa Maloualhating Ama, at Doctor at Ilao nang Santa Iglesia na si San Agustin. That book reflects the practical purpose of much religious writing of the period: to make prayer and instruction available in a language local readers could use with ease.
Although not much biographical detail is easy to confirm today, the record that remains suggests a writer whose work was closely tied to pastoral life rather than literary fame. For modern listeners and readers, Serrano stands out as one of the many overlooked figures who helped shape early religious publishing in the Philippines.