As a young man, he moved to Spanish colony of New Spain, where he later became a Franciscan novice at the Convento Grande in Mexico City on 27 October 1609, and took religious vows a year later.
[5] The missionaries were opposed in their efforts by the Governor of New Mexico, the veteran soldier Juan de Eulate, who held office from 1618 to 1625.
He was told by a native catechist whom he reproached for keeping a concubine that the Tanos were expecting to soon receive permission to "live as before they were Christians.
"[9] Zambrano blamed Eulate for the conditions at Galisteo, saying he was "more suited to a junk shop than to the office of governor he holds ... a bag of arrogance and vanity without love for God or zeal for divine honor or for the king our lord, a man of evil example in word and deed who does not deserve to be governor but rather a hawker and [a creature] of these vile pursuits.
"[9] On 11 April 1626 Zambrano said that Governor Eulate had ordered a deputy of the Confraternity of the Mother of God de la Concepcíon to be falsely accused and hanged because of his membership, and because he was a pious man.