The Augustinian Recollect Province of Saint Ezequiél Moreno
Encyclopedia
The Augustinian Recollect Province of Saint Ezeqauiél Moreno is a division of the Order of Augustinian Recollects that has jurisdiction over the Philippines
, Taiwan
and Sierra Leone
. It officially separated from the Province of Saint Nicholas de Tolentine on 28 November 1998. Today, the Provincialate House is located at Neptune Street, Congressional Subdivision, Project 6, Quezon City
.
, 10 priests and 4 consecrated brothers said to the Philippines in order to heed the request of the Archbishop of Manila to help in the Christianisation of the islands
. And with their arrival on 12 May 1606 in the Island of Cebu
, they became the fifth order
to be the stalwart of Philippine evangelisation. Together with the Augustinians (who arrived first in 1575), the discalzed Franciscan
s (1578), the Jesuits (1581) and the Dominicans
(1587), they performed the heroic task of not only Christianising the Philippines
but also to lay the foundations of many of its modern-day towns and cities.
was led by no less than if very first Prior Provincial
Fray Juan de San Jerónimo. Together with him was Fr.
Rodigo de San Miguel, a man well versed not only in Theology
but in other science
s as well. Unfortunately, Fr.
Andrés de San Nicolás did not make it to his destination but perished at sea.
in 1606, the Recoletos built their first priory in the same year in Bagumbayan outside the walls of the present-day Intramuros
. The house is still preserved by the national government until today, though it is in an unihabitable state. The Priory
was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and became one of centre of devotion to the Lady of Health for many years.
Three years later, they founded another house within the walls which became their Provincial House until the end of World War II
. In 1616, they also founded a house in Cavite
and went back to Cebu
in 1621 to found yet another one. In the same year, they also began constructing the order's most prominent sanctuary in history, the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian.
, itself it was clear that the original motive of its creation was to be more contemplative . Their main plan was to live more radically their life of prayer and community. Because of this, their original priories were not parishes by contemplative houses.
However, the difference in setting of the Philippines was so different that the missionaries in the Philippines
needed to have a more active role. Filipinos flocked to their doord every Sunday to attend the Holy Mass and they had no choice but to open their doors. In 1607, they were officially given the charge to Christianise the towns of Bagac
, Bataan
. They also founded in the same year a community in Masinloc, Zambales
, Zambales
, which is considered their first real parish. And finally, at the end of the decade (1609), they also were made in charge of Bolinao
, Pangasinan.
On 1 March 1621, the colonial government divided the Island of Mindanao into two. The Northeastern section of the Island was given to the Recollects while the rest was given to the Jesuits. Their most prominent area was in Butuan City
, Cateel and the Dinagat Islands. However, during the Jesuit Expulsion, the task was left solely unto their shoulders.
Perhaps, the province that carries the heaviest imprints of the Recollect
mission is the island of Negros (now divided into Negros Occidental
& Negros Oriental
). Given to them in 1626, the Recollects not only founded parishes but also the very towns they have today. Today, most of the names of their towns bear the same names as those of Spain
, mainly those areas where the missionaries came from.
Other areas that were given to them were the Island of Romblon
, Banton and Tablas in 1635. Mindoro
was added to their charge in 1679 and eight years later, the island of Masbate
. Finally, they were also given some areas in the present-day Quezon Province in 1658.
By 1898, the year that the Filipinos declared their freedom from Spain, the Recollects were attending to about 1,203,399 souls in 203 towns and 20 provinces in the Philippines.
missionaries in the Philippines did not content themselves to Christianise the Philippines. They also embarked an ambitious mission to other areas, most notably in Japan
. Despite the scarcity of resources, they began an arduous mission to the said country 1623. The mission was begun by Spanish Fr.
Francisco de Jesús
and the Portuguese Fr. Vicente Carvalho and sow the seeds of Christianity
in the Unzen, in the island of Kyushu
. Their mission blest the order with its very first martyr
s in Japan. The two priests were subjected to slow fire on 3 September 1623.
Their fate was repeated in the person of Fr. Melchor de San Agustín and Fr. Martín de San Nicolás in 1632. However, before the two died, they were able to give some catechetical instruction
to a young girl named Magadalene
in the Prefecture of Nagasaki. She later became a member of the Tertiary and became the order its very first saint.
Aside from Japan, the Philippine Province is also in charge of the mission in Taiwan
and Sierra Leone
.
and her sister Cecilia Rosa
in 16 July 1728, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters is the second oldest congregation in the Philippines
after the Religious of the Virgin Mary
. It also holds the honour of being the third oldest Congregation
founded in Asia
.
It was originally an organisation of Tertiaries
but later on developed into a full congregation. The Congregation is perpetually united to the Order of Augustinian Recollects in many ties. It is one of the active congregations belonging to the Augustinian Recollects
family and a fruit brought forth out of the missionary zeal of the Order.
The primitive Augustinian Recollect Fathers guided the two foundresses and the first community of beatas. They directed the Beaterio from its earlier stage of growth and development until it was canonically erected as a diocesan religious congregation on 19 August 1929 through the recommendation of the Reverend Father
Gerardo Larrondo, the incumbent Prior General
of the Recollect Friars; and through the benevolence of the Most Reverend
Michael O'Doherty
, then, Archbishop of Manila.
Still with the nurturing assistance of the Augustinian Recollect Order, juridical autonomy was procured for the congregation which subsequently was declared an Institute of Pontifical Right by the Holy See
on 20 November 1970, under the pontificate
of Pope
Paul VI.
or Tertiary
of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. Founded as early as the 1650s in the town of Bolina0
, Pangasinan
, these pious men and women share in the charism
of the Recoletos
in their daily lives.
In fact, the history of the Secular Augustinian Recollects
is so fruitful in the province that it is from this province that the first martyr
and saint
of the Order came from this province in the person of Magdalene of Nagasaki
.
Aside from this wondrous saint
, the Secular Augustinian Recollect was also blest with other heroic people like Calara Calima and Isabel. In fact, the modern-day Augustinian Recollect Sisters were members of the SARF
during their earlier times.
Today, with more than 400 members scattered all over the archipelago, the Philippines
Tertiaries
are the second most numerous both in terms of nationality and provincial affinity.
es, the OAR though that a good way to really help the Philippines is to educate their people. Therefore, the Recollects began founding learning institutions as well. Scattered all over the country, these institutions are considered to be one of the centres of learning in their respective areas.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. It officially separated from the Province of Saint Nicholas de Tolentine on 28 November 1998. Today, the Provincialate House is located at Neptune Street, Congressional Subdivision, Project 6, Quezon City
Quezon City
Quezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
.
The Arrival of the Recollects in the Philippines
Though the Province was only created in 1998, the Recollect Mission came to Philippine soils quite early in its history. Just 17 years after the Recollection was formed in the Chapter of ToledoChapter of Toledo
The Chapter of Toledo is a meeting of the heads of the different provinces of the Order of Saint Augustine in Toledo, Spain in 1589. This meeting is considered an important part of the history of the order because this gave birth to the so-called Augustinian Recollection, through the so-called...
, 10 priests and 4 consecrated brothers said to the Philippines in order to heed the request of the Archbishop of Manila to help in the Christianisation of the islands
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. And with their arrival on 12 May 1606 in the Island of Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, they became the fifth order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
to be the stalwart of Philippine evangelisation. Together with the Augustinians (who arrived first in 1575), the discalzed Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
s (1578), the Jesuits (1581) and the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
(1587), they performed the heroic task of not only Christianising the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
but also to lay the foundations of many of its modern-day towns and cities.
The First Recoletos
The first Recolect mission to the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was led by no less than if very first Prior Provincial
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
Fray Juan de San Jerónimo. Together with him was Fr.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Rodigo de San Miguel, a man well versed not only in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
but in other science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s as well. Unfortunately, Fr.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Andrés de San Nicolás did not make it to his destination but perished at sea.
The First priories
Though they first set foot in the island of CebuCebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in 1606, the Recoletos built their first priory in the same year in Bagumbayan outside the walls of the present-day Intramuros
Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district in the present day city of Manila, the capital of the Republic of the Philippines. Nicknamed the "Walled City", Intramuros is the historic fortified city of Manila, the seat ot the government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros,...
. The house is still preserved by the national government until today, though it is in an unihabitable state. The Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and became one of centre of devotion to the Lady of Health for many years.
Three years later, they founded another house within the walls which became their Provincial House until the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1616, they also founded a house in Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
and went back to Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
in 1621 to found yet another one. In the same year, they also began constructing the order's most prominent sanctuary in history, the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian.
Missionary Activities
Philippine Missions
In reality, the Recollection was not meant to be active. The Fifth Determination of the Chapter of ToledoChapter of Toledo
The Chapter of Toledo is a meeting of the heads of the different provinces of the Order of Saint Augustine in Toledo, Spain in 1589. This meeting is considered an important part of the history of the order because this gave birth to the so-called Augustinian Recollection, through the so-called...
, itself it was clear that the original motive of its creation was to be more contemplative . Their main plan was to live more radically their life of prayer and community. Because of this, their original priories were not parishes by contemplative houses.
However, the difference in setting of the Philippines was so different that the missionaries in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
needed to have a more active role. Filipinos flocked to their doord every Sunday to attend the Holy Mass and they had no choice but to open their doors. In 1607, they were officially given the charge to Christianise the towns of Bagac
Bagac, Bataan
Bagac is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Bataan, Philippines. According to the latest census , it has a population of 24,202 people in 4,553 households...
, Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
. They also founded in the same year a community in Masinloc, Zambales
Masinloc, Zambales
Masinloc is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 40,603 people in 7,790 households.-Barangays:Masinloc is politically subdivided into 13 barangays.* Baloganon* Bamban...
, Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
, which is considered their first real parish. And finally, at the end of the decade (1609), they also were made in charge of Bolinao
Bolinao, Pangasinan
Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 69,568 people in 12,182 households.-History:...
, Pangasinan.
On 1 March 1621, the colonial government divided the Island of Mindanao into two. The Northeastern section of the Island was given to the Recollects while the rest was given to the Jesuits. Their most prominent area was in Butuan City
Butuan City
The City of Butuan is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del...
, Cateel and the Dinagat Islands. However, during the Jesuit Expulsion, the task was left solely unto their shoulders.
Perhaps, the province that carries the heaviest imprints of the Recollect
Recollect
The term Recollect refers to a group that resulted from the various reformation that happened into the different mendicant orders during the middle ages...
mission is the island of Negros (now divided into Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental
Negros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
& Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...
). Given to them in 1626, the Recollects not only founded parishes but also the very towns they have today. Today, most of the names of their towns bear the same names as those of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, mainly those areas where the missionaries came from.
Other areas that were given to them were the Island of Romblon
Romblon
Romblon is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon....
, Banton and Tablas in 1635. Mindoro
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
was added to their charge in 1679 and eight years later, the island of Masbate
Masbate
Masbate is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bicol Region. Its capital is Masbate City and consists of three major islands: Masbate, Ticao and Burias.-History:...
. Finally, they were also given some areas in the present-day Quezon Province in 1658.
By 1898, the year that the Filipinos declared their freedom from Spain, the Recollects were attending to about 1,203,399 souls in 203 towns and 20 provinces in the Philippines.
Foreign missions
The RecollectRecollect
The term Recollect refers to a group that resulted from the various reformation that happened into the different mendicant orders during the middle ages...
missionaries in the Philippines did not content themselves to Christianise the Philippines. They also embarked an ambitious mission to other areas, most notably in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Despite the scarcity of resources, they began an arduous mission to the said country 1623. The mission was begun by Spanish Fr.
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Francisco de Jesús
Francisco de Jesus
Francisco de Jesus is a retired boxer from Brazil, who competed in the men's light-middleweight division during the late 1970s and early 1980s....
and the Portuguese Fr. Vicente Carvalho and sow the seeds of Christianity
Christianity in Japan
Christianity is a minority religion in Japan, with less than one percent claiming Christian belief or affiliation. Nearly all known traditional denominations of Christianity, including Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Christianity are represented in Japan today.The root of the Japanese...
in the Unzen, in the island of Kyushu
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
. Their mission blest the order with its very first martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s in Japan. The two priests were subjected to slow fire on 3 September 1623.
Their fate was repeated in the person of Fr. Melchor de San Agustín and Fr. Martín de San Nicolás in 1632. However, before the two died, they were able to give some catechetical instruction
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
to a young girl named Magadalene
Magdalene of Nagasaki
was born in 1611 as the daughter of a Christian couple martyred about 1620. With the arrival of the Augustinian Order, Magdalene served as an Augustinian lay sister or tertiary, interpreter and catechist for Fathers Francis of Jesus Terrero and Vincent of Saint Anthony Simoens.In 1632, these two...
in the Prefecture of Nagasaki. She later became a member of the Tertiary and became the order its very first saint.
Aside from Japan, the Philippine Province is also in charge of the mission in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
.
Augustian Recollect Sisters
Founded by the Dionisia TalangpazDionisia De Santa Maria Mitas Talangpaz
Dionisia Talangpaz is a Filipino Roman Catholic figure. Along with her sister Cecilia Rosa De Jesus Talangpaz, she founded the "Beaterio de San Sebastian de Calumpang" , in 1719...
and her sister Cecilia Rosa
Cecilia Rosa De Jesus Talangpaz
Cecilia Talangpaz is a Kapampangan Filipino Roman Catholic figure. Along with her sister Dionisia Talangpaz, she established the "Beaterio de San Sebastian de Calumpang" , in 1719...
in 16 July 1728, the Augustinian Recollect Sisters is the second oldest congregation in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
after the Religious of the Virgin Mary
Religious of the Virgin Mary
The Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary is a ecclesiastical community of vowed religious Roman Catholic women of pontifical right and approval founded in Manila, Philippines. The community was founded in 1684 by Venerable Mother Ignacia del Espíritu Santo, a Filipino Roman Catholic...
. It also holds the honour of being the third oldest Congregation
Local church
A local church is a Christian congregation of members and clergy.Local church may also refer to:* Local churches , a Christian group based on the teachings of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, and associated with the Living Stream Ministry publishing house.* Parish church, a local church united with...
founded in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
It was originally an organisation of Tertiaries
Tertiaries
Tertiaries may mean either:* associations of lay Christians connected with the mendicant and other religious Orders, i.e. Third orders* a bird's hand i.e. remiges....
but later on developed into a full congregation. The Congregation is perpetually united to the Order of Augustinian Recollects in many ties. It is one of the active congregations belonging to the Augustinian Recollects
Augustinian Recollects
-History:The Order of Augustinian Recollects or simply the Augustinian Recollects are a Roman Catholic mendicant Catholic religious order of friars and nuns. They are a reformist offshoot from the Augustinian hermit friars and follow the same Rule of St...
family and a fruit brought forth out of the missionary zeal of the Order.
The primitive Augustinian Recollect Fathers guided the two foundresses and the first community of beatas. They directed the Beaterio from its earlier stage of growth and development until it was canonically erected as a diocesan religious congregation on 19 August 1929 through the recommendation of the Reverend Father
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Gerardo Larrondo, the incumbent Prior General
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of the Recollect Friars; and through the benevolence of the Most Reverend
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Michael O'Doherty
Michael O'Doherty
Michael O'Doherty may refer to:*Michael J. O'Doherty , Archbishop of Manila 1916–1949*Michael O'Doherty , Irish publisher...
, then, Archbishop of Manila.
Still with the nurturing assistance of the Augustinian Recollect Order, juridical autonomy was procured for the congregation which subsequently was declared an Institute of Pontifical Right by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
on 20 November 1970, under the pontificate
Pontiff
A pontiff was, in Roman antiquity, a member of the principal college of priests . The term "pontiff" was later applied to any high or chief priest and, in ecclesiastical usage, to a bishop and more particularly to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope or "Roman Pontiff".-Etymology:The English term derives...
of Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
Paul VI.
The Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity
The Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity is the Third OrderThird order
The term Third Order designates persons who live according to the Third Rule of a Roman Catholic religious order, an Anglican religious order, or a Lutheran religious order. Their members, known as Tertiaries, are generally lay members of religious orders, i.e...
or Tertiary
Tertiary
The Tertiary is a deprecated term for a geologic period 65 million to 2.6 million years ago. The Tertiary covered the time span between the superseded Secondary period and the Quaternary...
of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. Founded as early as the 1650s in the town of Bolina0
Bolinao, Pangasinan
Bolinao is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Pangasinan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 69,568 people in 12,182 households.-History:...
, Pangasinan
Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers . According to the latest census,...
, these pious men and women share in the charism
Charism
In Christian theology, a charism in general denotes any good gift that flows from God's love to man. The word can also mean any of the spiritual graces and qualifications granted to every Christian to perform his or her task in the Church...
of the Recoletos
Recoletos
Recoletos may refer to:*The Order of Augustinian Recollects*Paseo de Recoletos...
in their daily lives.
In fact, the history of the Secular Augustinian Recollects
Secular Augustinian Recollects
The Secular Augustinian Recollects, is the Third Order of the Order of Augustinian Recollects...
is so fruitful in the province that it is from this province that the first martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
and saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of the Order came from this province in the person of Magdalene of Nagasaki
Magdalene of Nagasaki
was born in 1611 as the daughter of a Christian couple martyred about 1620. With the arrival of the Augustinian Order, Magdalene served as an Augustinian lay sister or tertiary, interpreter and catechist for Fathers Francis of Jesus Terrero and Vincent of Saint Anthony Simoens.In 1632, these two...
.
Aside from this wondrous saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
, the Secular Augustinian Recollect was also blest with other heroic people like Calara Calima and Isabel. In fact, the modern-day Augustinian Recollect Sisters were members of the SARF
Secular Augustinian Recollects
The Secular Augustinian Recollects, is the Third Order of the Order of Augustinian Recollects...
during their earlier times.
Today, with more than 400 members scattered all over the archipelago, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
Tertiaries
Tertiaries
Tertiaries may mean either:* associations of lay Christians connected with the mendicant and other religious Orders, i.e. Third orders* a bird's hand i.e. remiges....
are the second most numerous both in terms of nationality and provincial affinity.
Recollect Augustinian Youth
Considered the Fourth Order, this organisation aims to form the modern youth with the spirituality of Saint Augustine.OAR & Education
Aside from administering parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es, the OAR though that a good way to really help the Philippines is to educate their people. Therefore, the Recollects began founding learning institutions as well. Scattered all over the country, these institutions are considered to be one of the centres of learning in their respective areas.
Institutions with University Status
- University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos - fondly called UNO-R, the school was founded in 1941 in Talisay City, Negros OccidentalTalisay City, Negros OccidentalTalisay City is a 5th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. It neighbors Silay City to the north, and Bacolod City to the south. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it has a total population of 96,444 people. As of 2007, it has a total land area of 20,118 hectares...
, Negros OccidentalNegros OccidentalNegros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half...
. It is the first institution in the city and in the province. Though not actually founded by the Recollects, the management was transferred to them on May 25, 1962 with Fr. Federico Terradillos, OAR as its first rectorRectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. The school patron is SanSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Nicolás de Tolentino, the patron of souls in PurgatoryPurgatoryPurgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
.
- University of San Jose - RecoletosUniversity of San Jose - RecoletosThe University of San Jose – Recoletos is a Catholic private university founded in 1947 in Cebu City, Philippines by the Order of Augustinian Recollects...
- also known as USJ-R. Founded in 1947, it is one of CebuCebuCebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
's centre of learning. It receive University Status 21 September 1984 and by 2001 it was granted autonomy by the Commission on Higher EducationCommission on Higher Education (Philippines)The Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines, , abbreviated as CHED. The CHED is attached to the Office of the President for administrative purposes...
. Also in 2003, it was granted Level 3 accreditation by the PAASCU.
Institutions with College Status
- San Sebastian College - Recoletos de Manila - founded in 1941, it remains the only RecollectRecollectThe term Recollect refers to a group that resulted from the various reformation that happened into the different mendicant orders during the middle ages...
institution in Metro ManilaMetro ManilaMetropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. It also has a satellite campus in Canlubang, Laguna. Baste, as it is fondly called by its students, is most popularly known because of its 5-year consecutive win in the National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines)The National Collegiate Athletic Association is an athletics association of nine colleges and universities in the Philippines. Established in 1924, the NCAA is the oldest athletic association in the Philippines...
. It also stays as one of the main institutions of learning for Law.
- San Sebastian College - Recoletos de CaviteSan Sebastian College - Recoletos de CaviteThe San Sebastian College – Recoletos de Cavite, Inc. is a private-sectarianCatholic Institution located at Cavite City. Established in1966 by the Augustinian Recollects as an all-male school, it only had 281 students...
- though bearing the same name, the institution in Cavite CityCavite CityThe City of Cavite is a fourth class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city occupies a hook shaped peninsula jutting out into Manila Bay. Cavite City used to be the capital of the province...
developed separately from that of Manila. Founded in 1666 as an all-male school, it opened its doors to accept women in 1986.
Institutions Offering Secondary Programmes
- Colegio de Santo Tomas - Recoletos - established in 1940 in San Carlos CitySan Carlos City, Negros OccidentalSan Carlos City is a 2nd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. The settlement was elevated to city status on July 1, 1960 per Republic Act 2643...
, Negros OccidentalNegros OccidentalNegros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half... - Colegio San Nicolas de Tolentino - Recoletos
- San Pedro Academy - Recoletos - Caidiocan, ValenciaValencia, Negros OrientalValencia is a first class municipality in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. It is located 9.4 kilometre west of Dumaguete, the largest city and capital of the province. According to the national 2000 census, Valencia has a population of 24,365 people in 4,860 households. Valencia has a...
, Negros OrientalNegros OrientalNegros Oriental is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It occupies the south-eastern half of the island of Negros, with Negros Occidental comprising the north-western half. It also includes Apo Island — a popular dive site for both local and foreign tourists...
Seminaries & Theological Houses
- Santo Tomas de Villanueva Recoletos Formation House - the order's Minor SeminaryMinor seminaryA minor seminary is a secondary boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming priests. They are generally Roman Catholic institutions, and designed to prepare boys both academically and spiritually for vocations to the priesthood...
located in San Carlos CitySan Carlos City, Negros OccidentalSan Carlos City is a 2nd class component city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. The settlement was elevated to city status on July 1, 1960 per Republic Act 2643...
, Negros OccidentalNegros OccidentalNegros Occidental is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Bacolod City and it occupies the northwestern half of Negros Island; Negros Oriental is at the southeastern half... - Casiciaco Recoletos Seminary - also called the Seminario Mayor - Recoletos de Baguio and offers PhilosophyPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in Baguio CityBaguio CityThe City of Baguio is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway...
. - San Ezequiel Moreno Novitiate - Recoletos - the novitiate house in Antipolo CityAntipolo CityAntipolo is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometers east of Manila. It is the largest city in the Calabarzon Region in terms of population...
, RizalRizalRizal is a province located in the CALABARZON , just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Casimiro A. Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building,... - Recoletos Formation Center - the Theology HouseTheologyTheology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
in Mira-Nila Homes, Quezon CityQuezon CityQuezon City is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L...
.
Recollect Saints
- SaintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Ezequiél Moreno y DíazEzequiel Moreno y DíazEzequiel Moreno y Díaz, also Ezekiel Moreno y Diaz was a member of the Order of Augustinian Recollects and now venerated as a Saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He was born on 9 April 1848 in Alfacro, La Rioja, Spain and later on served as a missionary to the Philippines. He also became the Bishop...
(9 April 1848 - 19 August 1906) - patron of the Province. Born in AlfaroAlfaro, La RiojaAlfaro is a town and municipality in La Rioja, northern Spain. Its population at January 2009 was of 9,883 inhabitants and has 194.23 km² extension...
, La RiojaLa Rioja (Spain)La Rioja is an autonomous community and a province of northern Spain. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, and Nájera.-History:...
, SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, the saintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
arrived in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on 10 February 1870. He was ordained a priestPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
by the Archbishop of Manila, the Most Reverend Gregorio Melitón Martínez on 2 June 1871. He was missionary to many of the archipelagoPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, most notably in PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
where he founded the CathedralCathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto PrincesaApostolic Vicariate of Puerto PrincesaApostolic Vicariate of Puerto Princesa is an apostolic vicariate in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the Philippines. As an apostolic vicariate in the Catholic Church hierarchy, it operates like a diocese and is headed by a bishop. Its cathedral is the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Parish in Puerto...
. He was later sent to ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
where he was appointed as bishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Pasto.
- SaintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Magdalene of NagasakiMagdalene of Nagasakiwas born in 1611 as the daughter of a Christian couple martyred about 1620. With the arrival of the Augustinian Order, Magdalene served as an Augustinian lay sister or tertiary, interpreter and catechist for Fathers Francis of Jesus Terrero and Vincent of Saint Anthony Simoens.In 1632, these two...
-
- Martyrs of Motril -
Recollect Martyrs
- Reverend FatherPriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Agustín Miño - first missionary to BataanBataanBataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
and ZambalesZambalesZambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
. Considered the RecollectRecollectThe term Recollect refers to a group that resulted from the various reformation that happened into the different mendicant orders during the middle ages...
proto-martyr of the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.
Other Notable Recoletos
- Archbishop José Aranguren - first RecollectRecollectThe term Recollect refers to a group that resulted from the various reformation that happened into the different mendicant orders during the middle ages...
Archbishop of Manila who reigned from 19 January 1846 to 18 April 1861. - Br.FriarA friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
Matías Carbonel (1806–1861) - built the Isabel II Bridge in ImusImus, CaviteThe Municipality of Imus is a first-class municipality in the province of Cavite, Philippines, and it is the officially designated capital of Cavite...
, CaviteCaviteCavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
which is still being used until now - Fr.PriestA priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
Diego Cera - former Parish Priest of San José ParishSaint JosephSaint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
in Las Piñas
See also
- Order of Augustinian Recollects
- Augustinian Recollect Sisters
- Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity