 Born Antonio Oliva y Ordás, as a young man, he entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites around 1600.After completing his studies at their seminary, then part of the University of Salamanca, in 1609 he was ordained a Catholic priest.Anthony then taught Aristotle's dialectics and natural philosophy at another seminary of his Order, part of the Universidad Complutense, at that time located in Alcalá de Henares.