 Born in Antonossa, in the Province of Álava (Basque County), Spain, Andrés Quintana joined the Franciscan Order in 1794 when he was 17 years of age.Nine years later he had completed his formation and achieved the priesthood in the province of Cantabria (in northern Spain), as did a great many of the Spanish missionaries.In 1804 he sailed to the New World to join the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico, a springboard for all missionaries doing work in New Spain.