Villarroya was born in
Villarroya de los Pinares, Spain, on November 20, 1734. Along with his close friend and fellow Jesuit,
Custodio Ximeno, Villarroya traveled to
Sonora in the spring of 1763. The two men were also accompanied by , the new governor of Sonora. Villarroya was initially assigned to Missions
Los Siete Príncipes del Átil and
San Pedro y San Pablo del Tubutama. In August 1763, he was reassigned to
Mission Nuestra Señora de los Remedios de Banámichi. Over the next few years, he served intermittently at Banámichi,
Mission Santa María de Bacerac, and
Mission San Miguel de Ures. In July 1767, Spanish soldiers from
Presidio Santa Gertrudis del Altar arrived to carry out the orders of Charles III by
expelling the Jesuits from Mexico. Along with about fifty other Jesuits, Villarroya was escorted to a church in Mátape, near
Hermosillo. From there, the soldiers took them to
Guaymas, down the
Gulf of California, through
Tepic, and to
Guadalajara. Many of the Jesuits died on the way, including Villarroya, who died on September 1, 1768, in
Ixtlán del Río. == References ==