As a significant strategy in his effort to reform the Order of Saint Augustine, he reintroduced one of the practices of Priors General that had lapsed seventy years earlier.
He formally visited Augustinian houses, and did so with more diligence and possibly more vigour than had ever happened previously.
Part of this activity was record-breaking for, although the Order had already existed on the Iberian Peninsula for almost three centuries, Seripando was the first person to visit there while holding the office of Prior General.
Being forearmed by the Pope at his own request with documents that would claim exemption from all of part of his authority because of earlier privileges that had been granted, he set out on a major overland visitation of numerous Augustinian houses in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, and that took two and a half years.
Seripando justified the expenditure of such a considerable amount of time and energy by saying, “I realise that it is not up to the sheep to seek the shepherd; it is the shepherd’s duty to visit, search out, lead back and feed his flock.”
Even the consideration of a thirty-month trans-Alpine journey by horseback was assisted by Seripando's being aged only forty-six years at the outset; two of his initial Augustinian companions had to be replaced even before the travellers had departed Italy.
The journey by horseback from Rome to Portugal and back began in November 1539 and continued until April 1542.
He was accompanied his official socius (“personal assistant"), the secretary of the Order, two Augustinian lay brothers, and a servant who could also serve as a cook.
They stayed in Augustinian houses whenever possible, but otherwise in monasteries of other religious orders, or in wayside hospices for travellers.
In the official visitation of each Augustinian house (convento), Seripando would address the entire community and then meet each Augustinian separately.
In informal moments, he further came to know the members more, and determined who would be good contacts for continuing the reform once he returned to Rome.
At the same time, the two officials travelling with Seripando would examine the registers required to be kept by the procurator (treasurer) and sacristan of the convento.
En route he also attempted to advance the status and the works of the Order by meeting national monarchs, bishops and civic authorities.
This included King Francis I of France, and King John III of Portugal.
When in Spain he celebrated a chapter of great significance, at which the two Augustinian Provinces in Spain were reunited into the former Province of Spain.
In Spain he also met the future saint, Thomas of Villanova, who was the Augustinian Provincial in Spain when the Augustinian Latin American missions had begun in 1533.
Seripando encouraged that the missions there be further expanded.
Seripando retained vivid memories of the saintly Thomas of Villanova for the rest of his life.
