The friar who helped Columbus gain an audience with the Spanish monarchs was Juan Pérez.
Juan Pérez was a Franciscan friar at the monastery of La Rábida in Andalusia and had previously served as a confessor to Queen Isabella. When Columbus became discouraged and considered leaving Spain to seek support elsewhere, Pérez urged him to make one more appeal to the queen.
Pérez wrote to Isabella and helped reopen communication with the royal court. The queen then summoned Pérez to court and instructed Columbus to wait for a further decision. This intervention helped restore Columbus’s access to Isabella and Ferdinand during the crucial negotiations of 1491 and 1492.
Antonio de Marchena, another friar associated with La Rábida, also supported Columbus and is sometimes confused with Pérez. Early historical accounts even blended their names, but they were separate men. The specific friar credited with contacting Isabella and arranging this renewed audience was Juan Pérez.