The first group of Augustinians, originating from Spain and Mexico under the leadership of the Venerable Fray Andres de Urdaneta, arrived in the Philippines in 1565 as pioneers in the Church’s task of evangelization in this part of the globe. Originally establishing themselves in Cebu, the “City of Sto. Niño,”[1] which is located in the heart of the country, these missionaries soon expanded their apostolic activities to the neighboring towns and islands and, a little later, to almost all the other principal regions of the archipelago.
To further nourish and kindle their missionary zeal and fervor, the Prior General then of the Order, Tadeo da Perusa, decreed on March 7, 1575, the creation of a new Augustinian Province in the Philippines under the title: Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines (Santisimo Nombre de Jesus de Filipinas).
Words will never suffice to describe the missionary endeavors undertaken, trials and difficulties encountered, joys and glory experienced by those great apostles of the gospel and our revered predecessors. To all these, no better testimony could be found than the almost three hundred towns and churches they founded, the conversions of many, the publications and other cultural enrichments they made from 1565 to 1898.
At the turn of the 20thcentury, however, for several reasons the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines decided to shift its missionary activities to newer territories, like China and South America. As a logical consequence of this move the seat of the Province was transferred from Manila to Madrid. The Augustinian presence then in the country was reduced to the minimum.
To fill this “Augustinian vacuum”, the remaining Augustinians intensified the recruitment and formation of Filipino candidates. And as the number of the latter increased and their preparedness adequately established, the idea of creating a new Province came to be seriously considered.
The coming into existence of such a new Province dawned in 1974 when the Regional Assembly of the Philippine Augustinian Vicariate asked for the creation of a Vice-Province in the country. Though the plan fizzled out, it was again revived by a group of Filipino Augustinians at a meeting in the Basilica of Sto Niño on April 29, 1981. The plan this time was for the creation of the new Province. It was then believed that a new Province would not only inject additional life to the spirit of Filipino Augustinians because of the challenge and the great responsibility which such a move offers, but also a new Province would become a sign of the solid growth of the Augustinian spirit and ideals in the Philippine native soil and in the Filipino heart.
The move to create a new Province, which would be called the Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu – Philippines, was officially endorsed by the Regional Assembly of the Augustinian Vicariate of the Philippines at the closing of its sessions on August 19, 1981, in the Monastery of San Agustin, Intramuros, Manila, and by the Provincial Chapter of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines, held in Valladolid, Spain, on July 17, 1982. Such proposal was overwhelmingly approved by the members of the 174th General Chapter held in Rome on September 13, 1983, and the new Province was canonically erected on December 25, 1983.[2]
On January 15, 1984, the Feast of Sto. Niño de Cebu, the new Province was solemnly inaugurated with a solemn high mass presided by the Very Rev. Fr. Martin Nolan, OSA, Prior General of the Order, in the Basilica del Sto. Niño de Cebu. Others present were: Fr. Julian Centeno, OSA, Asst. General; Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, D.D., Archbishop of Cebu; friars of the old and new Provinces headed by their Prior Provincials, Fr. Pedro Rubio, OSA and Fr. Eusebio Berdon, OSA, respectively; the Asia Pacific Augustinian Conference (APAC) representatives; some Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation, headed by their Superior General, Mo. Leontina Castillo, OSA; other religious from different Religious Institutes; civil authorities; and members of different Augustinian organizations.
As agreed upon in a Memorandum of Agreement, the new Province took possession of the following houses: Basilica del Sto. Niño (Cebu, 1565), University of San Agustin (Iloilo, 1904), Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod (Negros Occidental, 1962), San Jose Parish (Iloilo, 1868), Guadalupe Monastery (Makati, 1601) and the still-being-constructed then, San Agustin Center of Studies (Quezon City, 1984); while Convento de San Agustin (Manila) and Colegio San Agustin (Makati) remained with the Mother Province.
The upsurge of enthusiasm among the members of the new Province very soon led to the establishing in 1985 of additional communities: the Sto. Niño Parish in Mohon, Talisay, Cebu and the Colegio San Agustin and Sto. Niño Parish in Biñan, Laguna. In 1987, the Province accepted the offer of the Bishop of San Pablo diocese to administer the Mother of Good Counsel (formerly St. Jerome Emiliani) Parish in Chrysanthemum Village, San Pedro, Laguna.
The new Province kept on growing. The Augustinian Novitiate and Prayer House Community was established in 1989 in Mohon, Talisay City, Cebu and the Pilgrim Center in 1992 in Cebu City, which houses the Provincialate Community.
Meanwhile, the Province accepted the joint mission which later became a collaboration with the Australian Province in South Korea (1993), a collaboration with the Dutch Province in Indonesia (1998), with the Villanova Province in South Africa (2002) and with the Vicariate of Japan (2003), and extended assistance in terms of personnel to the General Curia. A local mission was also accepted (ad experimentum in 2001 and definitively in 2004) in the island of Socorro, Surigao del Norte. A new quasi-parish of St. Lawrence the Deacon has been entrusted to the care of the Province in 2005 in Gubat, Sorsogon. And to further expand the Province’s presence in Mindanao, the University of San Agustin initiated its extension campus in Mati, Davao Oriental (2007)].
Other events worthy to be noted are: the transfer of the seat of the Province from San Agustin Center of Studies (SACS) in Quezon City to Basilica del Sto. Niño in Cebu City in 1990; the construction in 1990 of the Sto. Niño Pilgrim Center in Cebu City and its approval by the General Curia in February 1992 as a religious residence for the Provincialate Community; the eventual transfer of the seat of the Province from the Basilica del Sto. Niño to the Pilgrim Center in August 1993; and the construction in 1995 of the College Seminary in the SACS compound in Quezon City. The latter, aside from being a residence of our college philosophy students, also houses the St. Thomas Villanova Institute (affiliated to the University of San Agustin), which offers a government-recognized philosophy course.
Additional buildings constructed worthy to be noted are the chapel of the University of San Agustin high school campus in Sambag, Jaro, Iloilo (2000), to mark the celebration of the Jubilee Year, the Sto. Niño Friary in Mohon, Talisay City (2004), the new parish church under the patronage of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Socorro, Surigao del Norte (2004), and the Sto. Niño Spirituality Center in Consolacion, Cebu (2008).
Eventually, new houses were canonically created, namely: Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish Community in Socorro, Surigao del Norte (September 11, 2006), Gubat Augustinian Community in Sorsogon (February 17, 2007), Sto. Niño Spirituality Center in Consolacion, Cebu (February 5, 2010) and San Agustin-Mati Community in Davao Oriental (December 13, 2010), thus making the total number of communities of the Province to fifteen (15).
The province continued expanding its pastoral involvement with the acceptance of the Parish of Sta. Ana in Burgos, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte and the acquisition of the Retreat House in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental which was renamed into Centro Sant’ Agostino-Benedicto. Likewise, the Archdiocese of Cebu had authorized the presence of the Province in Kinatarcan Island, Sta. Fe, Cebu and for our friars to officiate sacraments at the Immaculate Conception Chapel, which is located in the Province’s property. The latest addition to the Province’s missionary activities is the acceptance of a chapel but now a full-pledged parish of St. Augustine of Hippo in Saguday, Quirino.
ENDNOTES:
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[1] In honor of the widely venerated image of the Holy Child Jesus or Sto. Niño, which was discovered by one of Legaspi’s men on the shores of Cebu on April 28, 1565, Philip II of Spain conferred the name Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus on Cebu City in 1571. It is to this sacred image of the Holy Child, which had become the central object of devotion of the first baptized Filipinos, that the Filipino Augustinians entrust the care and protection of their newly created Province. Just as the devotion to the Holy Child was instrumental in the spread of the Cath olic Faith in the islands, so also it is hoped that it will be instrumental in the spread and growth of the Augustinian spirit and ideals among the descendants of those first Filipino Christians.
[2] See copy of the decree of creation in the Appendix.
In order to appreciate better the celebration of the silver anniversary of the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines, it is important to have a brief glimpse on how she came into existence. In 1565,[1]the first group of Augustinians, spearheaded by Fray Andres de Urdaneta, OSA came into the Philippines for the task of evangelization and conversion of the people of the archipelago to the Christian faith. They first established themselves in Cebu, the heart of the country. They soon extended their apostolic activities to the neighboring towns and islands until they reached the principal regions of the archipelago.
After ten years of apostolic activities, the Prior General at that time, Rev. Fr. Tadeo de Parusa, OSa decreed on March 7 the establishment of the New Augustinian Province in the Philippines with the title “Santisimo Nombre de Jesus de Filipinas.” From this period until 1898, they founded almost three hundred towns and churches as result of their missionary endeavors.
Mindful of the success of the Augustinians’ steadfast apostolic ministry for more than 300 years, the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines decided to shift its missionary act5ivities to newer territories like Peru, Columbia and Venezuela. For this reason, the seat of the Province was moved from Manila to Madrid. In effect, the presence of the Augustinians in the Philippines declined in number. To fill the gap, the Augustinians who were left behind doubled their effort in the recruitment and formation of the Filipino candidates.
Having obtained good numbers of Filipino Augustinians, the idea of creating a Vice-Propvince was put into consideration by the Regional Assembly of the Philippine Augustinian Vicariate in 1974. It was brought up in the assembly but was not taken seriously until a group of Filipino Augustinians revived the plan. At this time, the petition was changed into a new Province.
Prior to the official move to establish a new Province in the Philippines, the petition for a new Province underwent stages of approval. Under the leadership of Fr. Eduardo Perez, OSA (Regional Vicar of the Vicariate of the Orient), all the members of the Vicariate[2] were issued a circular containing the following elements” “a) a questionnaire regarding opinion on and affiliation to the proposed Province or Vice-Province; b) the position paper to be presented to the Provincial Chapter and General Chapter; c) and the drafting of the petition to the General Chapter for the creation of new Province or Vice-Province. Out of 49 respondents, 41 favored the creation of New Province, Five for Vice-Province and two Abstentions.”[3] In effect, the petition for the creation of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines was officially endorsed by the regional Assembly of the Augustinian Vicariate of the Orient (July 19, 1981), and by the Provincial Chapter of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines (July 15, 1982) to the General Chapter in Spain. The members of the General Chapter overwhelmingly approved it.
To make clear the presentation of the establishment of the new Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, it is of primary importance to know what the Constitutions[4] of the Order of St. Augustine say. The Constitutions stipulate:
In establishing a new province the needs of the Church and the particular condition of the region are the chief things to be considered. The new province ought to have a territory separate from the other provinces, unless the good of the Order should require otherwise. Ordinarily a new province is not to be established unless it has five houses and fifty friars in solemn vows, ascribed to it, possesses temporal goods sufficient for its needs and for the support of its candidates; and is clearly able, on the basis of experience, to progress by means of its vocations, especially native ones.[5]
As far as the needs of the Church and the conditions of the region are concerned, Fr. Eusebio Berdon, OSa, [6] during the Ordinary Provincial Chapter presented four important reasons justifying the viability of the creation of a Province in the Philippines. Two of the four main reasons as to why a new Province should be created are put into consideration. As for the Church, the reason was stated thus,
As already stated, the Church today wishes that local Christian communities, especially those which had been evangelized for alreadt a considerable period of time, like the Philippines, be self-sustaining. This is also the spirit of our Consitutions (no. 193). And today, the Filipino Augustinians strongly believe that a fully indpependent Augustinian community (as a Province) can fruitfully exist in the Philippines with a minimum help from the Mother Province.[7]
The call to be a self-sustaining community – as a Province – deeply penetrated the hearts of the pioneering Filipino Augustinians. It might be very difficult for them to take the risk, but still they took courage, mindful that the establishment of anew Province would be a big help for the Order and for the mother Church is governing her children scattered in different parts of the world. Likewise, the observance of the three-fold purposes necessary for the establishment of a juridical person, e.g., “works of piety, of the apostolate, or of charity” (cf. Can. 114, 2) renders the establishment of a new Province fruitful.
Although the Church encourages local Christian communities to be self-sustaining, according to Fr. Eusebio Berdon, OSA, there were still some Augustinian Friars at that time did not favor the creation of a new Province. Two reasons were considered: a) the sense of history and b) sense of immaturity. As for the former, some wished, especially some of those who remained affiliated, that the Mother Province be intact. As for the latter, some were not ready to be independent for fear of handling bigger responsibilities. Nevertheless, the creation of the new Province was pursued and eventually established. Further, as for the condition of the region, it said thus,
Similar to the gospel, the spirit and teachings of our Father St. Augustine, as particularly contained in his Rule and our Constitutions, could be lived and expressd in slightly diverse ays, according to the cultures of different people.[8]
Vatican II encourages that “the studies for the priesthood should be undertaken in close contact with the way of life of their own people.”[9] And one important wat to assist the spirituality of the native people is to encourage local native vocation. As a Province composed of Filip;ino Augustinian members, the inculutration of faith could be best demonstrated and applied to the diverse Filipino culture. Considering these two essential reasons, the chief requirements are met.
ENDNOTES:
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[1] The Historical account that follows is patterned on the Brief Historical Introduction of the Provincial Statutes and Quadrennial Program (2004-2008) of the Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu, pp 2-5, BHI hereafter.
[2] The Constitutions provide a definition: “a Vicariate is a grouping of Houses of some Province, whicg exist in a distant region where the Provincial cannot easily exercise immediate rule. It is governed by a Regional Vicar” (Constitutions of the Order of St. Augustine, n. 259), COSA hereafter.
[3] Fr. E. Berdon, OSA, The Making of a Province, A Souvenir Program for all Members of the Province, 1992, p. 13, photocopy. MP hereafter. The data presented here are taken from an officially circulated or printed document as far as the author of this article is concerned.
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