Born around 1580, in Torres Vedras, Portugal, Ferreira was sent to Asia, where he was a missionary in Japan from 1609 to 1633, which was then ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate.
Lahir sekitar tahun 1580, di Torres Vedras, Portugal, Ferreira dikirim ke Asia, dimana ia menjadi misionaris di Jepang dari 1609 sampai 1633, menjadi kepala Yesuit di bawah tekanan keshogunan Tokugawa.