Local access dig.pdf. [Rocha-SongNianzhu.pdf]
Online at Internet Archive.

"Rocha is known for two works, one a translation of a catechism in the form of a dialogue written in 1561 by Marco Jorge, the title of which Rocha rendered as Tianzhu shengjiao qimeng (1619) ... the second known as the Method of the Rosary, Nien-chu kuei-ch'eng (Nianzhu guicheng, ca. 1620) .... illustrated with fifteen woodblock prints. Tung Ch'i-ch'ang (Dong Qichang) or someone of his school is said to have been responsible for adapting the pictures, made originally by Girolamo Nadal in 1595, for Rocha's book. The latter is extremely rare but a copy, probably an original, is preserved in the Vatican Library. Pasquale M. d'Elia in 1939 reproduced all fifteen illustrations, together with Nadal's on facing pages." Cf. Dictionary of Ming Biography, p. 1145.

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 71-72.
Jap-Sin I, 43b
Song nianzhu guicheng 誦念珠規程.
By Luo Ruwang 羅儒望 (João da Rocha, 1565–1623).
Thirty-six folios (Arabic numbers: 72–107). Chinese bamboo paper, one volume. No date or place of publication.

The Latin catalogue has: “Rosarium ignoto auctore.” The word “ignoto” was struck out by the archivist, who added a note: “P. Gaspar Ferreira S.J. ut patet e comparatione textus inventus cum eo, qui inventus in Bibl. Apost. Vatican., Racc. Gen. Orient. III 214 Tom I. | Jap Sin 115 f. 165v Figueredo testatur anno 1628 hoc Rosarium cum catechismo P^is Da Rocha esse simul eodem volumine colligatum | Ita P. Paulus Brunner, S.J., Prov. Camp. 8 Maii, 1958, Treviri. | P. Teschitel, Archiv.”

Citation source: Albert Chan, S.J., Chinese Books and Documents in the Jesuit Archives in Rome, pp. 70-71.
Jap-Sin I, 43a
Tianzhu shengjiao qimeng 天主聖教啟蒙 By Luo Ruwang 羅儒望 (João da Rocha, 1565–1623).
Sixty-nine folios (Arabic numbers: 3–71). Chinese bamboo paper, one volume. No date or place of publication.

A cutting in Latin on the cover reads: “Hic catechismus non cum Imaginibus Passionis Dominicae fuit impressus jam ante annum 1600.”

The translation is based on the famous Cartilha of the Portuguese Jesuit Marco Jorge (1524–1571), which booklet was written in 1561 for the instruction of the young rural people and published in 1566. It was widely used throughout Portugal and the Portuguese colonies and won the title of "the golden book."
The translation was adapted for use of the Chinese especially for beginners; hence the name qimeng 啟蒙 (instruction of the young). The booklet is in the form of a dialogue, in colloquial style and clearly explained. The Chinese text was probably revised by Yang Tingyun 楊廷筠.
During the early years of the Catholic Church in China there was hardly any catechism for the instruction of the catechumens and to compose one was by no means an easy task. Above all, it was necessary to tackle the problem of the terminology used in a catechism. Da Rocha used transliteration for many of the new terms. Seemingly he was aware that a free translation might lead to misunderstanding on part of the catechumens. The transliteration was based on Portuguese, e.g., cristão 基利斯當, padre 罷德肋 (now 神父), filho 費略 (now 聖子), Spiritu Santo 斯彼利多三多 (now 聖神). On folio 64 the word alma is translated as 亞尼瑪 (the Latin anima) with a note calling it "linghun 靈魂" (as nowadays), the only time this term was used throughout the book. The word graça is translated as 額辣濟亞 (sometimes also translated "shengchong 聖寵," a term we use today). In the section on the four precepts of the church (folio 33v et seq.) we read:

The Pope orders us to put [these precepts] into practice gradually, that they may lead us to holiness and to the practice of virtue. As the Gospel is not widely spread and as the neophytes are still not solid in their faith, it is not necessary to oblige them [to observe these precepts] with severity. And so, if they find them difficult to keep, they are not held to have committed sins. If they are able to keep them, they will obtain great merit, but if they cannot keep them, they are not to be blamed. However, they are probably to know that such are the precepts. (folio 47)

Cf. Ribadeneira et Philippus Alegambe, Bibliotheca Scriptorum Societatis Jesu (Roma, 1676) p. 498; Bartoli, p. 780; Sommervogel 6:1931; Colombel 1:264; Margiotti, pp. 277–278; Couplet, p. 8; D’Elia, Le origini dell’arte cristiana cinese (1583–1640) (Roma, 1939), pp. 67–77; BR, p. XXVIII; TV 1:207; FR 1:384; DMB 2:1145.