RELIGIOUS CONGREGATIONSIN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF CAGAYAN DE ORO[i]

Introduction: Webster defined congregation as an assembly of people for religious worship; and to congregate is to gather into a mass or crowd; as an assembly. But in a layman’s viewpoint, whenever one speaks of congregation, we have the impressions that it simply denotes to a group of women, and strictly not of men. Although it is true that such is always associated with women like a congregation of nuns, it does not however follow that an organization or group of men could not have such title and could not belong to a congregation.  

Examples of these congregations which we certainly know are the Religious Virgin of Mary; Daughters of St. Paul, and the Canossian Sisters, nonetheless; we have to take note that there are countless more in the archdiocese doing their apostolate in the forte they best knew.

As we have said a while ago, congregation applies too not exclusively for the women, but also for the gentlemen. For instance take the case of the Barnabite Fathers; the priest group is classified as Clerics Regular having been founded in an epoch after the mendicant groups had been formed. Their group is neither referred to as belonging to a Society like the Jesuits, nor as an Order, but as a Congregation. It is fittingly called as a congregation because the Barnabites has three distinct classes or groups: the first group, is the Clerics Regular [male], second group, the Sisters – the Angelic Sisters, which was founded too by St. Anthony Marie Zacariah; and the third group is the organization of Laymen/Women who religiously adhere to the rule of St. Anthony Marie Zacariah and always compassionate with the missionary endeavors of the Barnabites in particular. Henceforth, the Barnabites used in general the word congregation in preference, so the three distinct classifications would fit all in one, or a mixture of three groups observing one rule of spirituality and charisma.

The Philippines being a Christian country is a religious jewel in Asia and has multitude number of congregation of sisters.  We would not talk who is the biggest group inasmuch as it would redound to vanity of those mentioned and it would be unfair for the smaller group more so that in missionary spirit, a big or small group does not matter because they all work for evangelization and not for gain like what the secular or business world always aspires.

Maybe we would bring our discussions as to when they arrived in this country in the case of foreign congregation, or when their congregation was founded or established, or when did they start their apostolate in the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

In the early history of the Christian Church, the undersigned wishes to notate that it was the men who had indulged or practiced first to live in ascetic and monastic lives rather than women.

Well, this does not imply that men are more pious and saintly than women, but history taught us that asceticism first was noticed among the Egyptian ascetics who dwelt in the remote regions of the desert in the middle of the third century [AD], to live in prayer, solitude, and poverty.  The first known hermit to history was Anthony.[ii] After the death of his wealthy parents, Anthony sold or gave away his inherited properties. He took his younger sister to the care of Christian maidens, and in 271 more or less, at age twenty, he began to live in solitude. At first he lived near his town, but decided to go deeper in the wilderness because ordinary people particularly the sick, the priests, and bishops kept on following him. With the indulgence of God, he was renowned charismatic leader and a prophet. In 356 he died at age 105 and he is known as the Father of the Hermits.[iii]

On the other hand, occurring on likely similar time, Pachomius [287-347 born later than Anthony, but died earlier], began as a hermit like Anthony, but around 320 he founded the first “cloister’s” and connected the cells near one another; and uniting their inhabitants in a communal life or community. Thus, the first monastery was created at Tabennisi on the Nile.[iv] From that part in Egypt, monasticism spread instantaneously to the whole East. The West became acquainted with it only after some of the great men like Athanasius went to Trier [Germany] with two other monks.

If the men had learned to live in cloisters or in monasteries, the women had followed living consecrated lives too in devotion to God; and certainly they had their own places or abodes. If the men had suffered persecution or martyrdom, their counterparts likewise suffered similar fates. In the year 202, two female martyrs – Perpetua and Felecitas without questions faced death during the time of Emperor Septimus Severus.[v]

Persecution of Christians began during the term of the Mad Dog of Rome’s, Emperor Nero; around July in year 64. It was the first period of persecution and it went on and on until it ceased in the Second Epoch [from years 312 to 604], or when Constantine the Great controlled the Roman Empire in year 312. He favored Christianity, and from then on persecution ceased.[vi]

Early Religious Congregations in the Philippines before 1883: Maybe it seems right to study what congregation first arrived in the Philippines and what was their early apostolate endeavors; and when did it take place? But before we would proceed on this study, let us try to establish first that the religious congregation of men was the first to arrive in the Philippines. The pioneering Religious Missionaries to come to the Philippines were the Augustinians [OSA]. They arrived here in 1565 together with the first conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Next to them, were the Franciscans [OFM] in 1578; the Jesuits [SJ] in 1581; the Dominicans [OP Order of Preachers] in 1587; and the Augustinian Recollects [OAR] in 1606.[vii]

These were the first four major groups that arrived until the early part of the 17^th century or up to 1606. However, there are about more than 30 religious missionaries [male groups] that came later beginning 1862 until 1976.[viii]

For the nuns and sisters, the first congregation to arrive in the Philippines upon the Royal Order of King Philip IV of Spain was the Sisters of St. Clare. They were established here in 1620 yet and six years later they wrote to the Spanish King [Philip IV]. The signatories of said letter were Sr. Jeronima de la Asunsion, Abbess, and her community, Sr. Ana de Christo Bicaria; Sr. Leonor de San Francisco; Sr. Leonor de San Buena Bentura; Sr. Lyusa de Jesus; Sr. Magdalena de Christo; Sr. Juana de San Antonio; Sr. Maria de los Angeles; and Sr. Maria de los Angeles; Sr. Maria Magdalena; Sr. Ana de Jesus; and Sr. Ana de Christo Bicaria Sr.[ix]

They petitioned the King to issue a Royal Decree authorizing them to accept as many applicants or postulants [daughters of Spaniards] to the congregation. Existing decree set some restriction on the number of acceptance of pious women to enter the congregation. The Abbess had seen this as a constraint in the propagation of Christian Faith that was why she earnestly requested the King to amend the old decree.

   a. Sisters of Sta. Clare: The Sisters of St. Clare or simply as Poor Clares was sent by the Spanish King to the Philippines to aid the unmarried daughters of Spanish conquistadores. Since these ladies were not married, they either entered the convent or had committed their lives in the service of the church, despite they lived outside the convent as lay women; and not as nuns or sisters. Their apostolate was centered on that, however times came when many unmarried young women other than those daughters of conquistadores had come and knocked the doors of the convent to become nuns. As such, the Abbess pleaded to the King for authorization to accept as many applicants because the congregation can also manage their operations since they had been faring well.   

It must be noted that the Sisters of St. Clare admitted only Spanish women to the congregation; it was so decreed by the Spanish King.

     b. Beatas de la Compania: In 1684 another group of women who frequently attend Holy Masses; going to confession, received Holy Communion, went to spiritual retreats and recollections, and lived in communal life evolved locally.  They lived at the back of a Jesuit school, the College of Manila in a dwelling unit called as House of Recogidas.[x]  The founder of this religious group known as the Beatas de la Compania was Ignacia Del Espiritu Santo, a Chinese mestiza of Binondo. She went away from their home because her parents wanted her to marry someone, and she did not like the idea for she liked to become a nun or sister.

In the early beginning, there were only nine (9) pious women who lived in communal life and called themselves as Beatas. The group was composed of Christina Gonzalez, the founder’s niece; Theodora de Jesus, Ana Margarita and the other four (4) women.  Later, their numbers increased dramatically, the prayerful and service oriented life had impressed and made many Indio women and mestizas to decide to enter the Beaterio. Jesuit priest was assigned to them as Confessor and Protector; the congregation was indeed close to the Society of Jesus that is why they were called earlier as “Beatas de la Compania”, which today is no other than the Religious of the Virgin Mary, or RVM.

Their foundress, Mother Ignacia died on September 10, 1748 and she was 85 years old at the time of her death.

Later in 1859 when the Jesuits returned to the Philippines or in their second coming in the heartland of Mindanao in the Mission of Tamontaka in the Cotabato’s, the Beatas had been at the forefront with them.  They took charge of an orphanage, where most of the children were Christians and sold as slaves by the traders in the markets of Cotabato. These Christian children were ransomed by the Jesuits from their owners or masters and were placed at the orphanage. Aside from these ransom children, there were IP’s – Terurays who lived too at the orphanage. They were groomed to become good Christian parents.

        c. Beaterio of Santo Domingo:  Another beaterio or congregation was founded in 1696. It was the Beaterio of Santo Domingo; its membership was limited to Spanish women only, unlike the Beatas de la Compania, which accepted Indios and mestizas to the congregation.

Later Arrivals of Congregations or Organized beginning 1883 and their Apostolate:

a.   Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolacion (OSA): Earlier in 1882, Cholera

epidemic visited the Philippines and many died. Through the request of Fr. Salvador Font, OSA, the Commissary General of the Augustinian Spanish Friars in Madrid, enjoined the Sisters to cross the seas to Manila to take care of the orphans left by the cholera.

They arrived in Manila on 6 April 1883. The nuns were Mo. Rita Barcelo, OSA [founded in the Philippines, Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolacion]; and Mo. Consuelo Barcelo, OSA.

During the Philippine Revolution in 1898, the Spanish Augustinian Sisters were advised by their counterparts to go home to Spain, but they refused. With ten (10) other Filipino nuns in their community, they managed to survive against all odds. They sought refuge at the House of the Daughters of Charity in Paco, Manila.

They were able to have their own house in Quiapo, and established their school, Colegio de la Consolacion in 1902 at San Miguel, Manila.

In May 1991, the Augustinian Sisters arrived in Cagayan de Oro to oversee an Institute of Catechetics. They take charge in the formation of catechists for City Central School, Consolacion Elementary School, and MOGCHS.

On July 11, 1999, they launched the BEC at the Parish of Mt. Carmel in coordination with the catechists of the Parish. Their mission house is at Oro Vista Village, Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City. Previously, the place was called as Sta. Monica Formation Center, now it is known as La Consolcion Formation Center.

The Most Reverend Jesus Tuquib, Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro invited them to work in the diocese. The first community of sisters to come to Cagayan de Oro were Sr. Gliceria Caajoles, Sr. Nilda Echeveria, [younger sister of Fr. Nicolas Echeveria, OSA of Balingasag, Misamis Oriental]; and Sr. Maria Garcia. 

       b. Religious of the Assumption: The congregation was founded in April 1839 in France by Marie Eugenie Milleret. She was only 22 years old when she founded this group.

In 1892 the French-based Religious of the Assumption arrived in the Philppines. They had founded a Teacher’s Training School [Superior Normal School for Women Teachers], but because of the political instability of the government due to the Philippine Revolution in 1898, the school was closed and the sisters went home to France.

However in 1904, the Assumption Sisters returned and opened an elementary and a secondary school instead of operating the Teacher’s Training School.

They arrived in Cagayan de Oro City in 1983 through the invitation of the President of Ateneo de Cagayan, Xavier University, Fr. Ernesto O. Javier, S.J. They have been tasked to take active involvement in Campus Ministries at Xavier University.

So, it is not unusual for parents to know from their sons or daughters in the high school one day that they have to attend their Confirmation because such is one of the campus ministry works of the institution, which the Sisters look into it with much focus and concern.

        c. Daughters of St. Paul: The use of social communication media is the strategy used by this congregation to spread their works of evangelization, as they too, is a missionary group, like the rests of the congregation.    

On June 15, 1915, the Daughters of St. Paul was founded in Alba, Italy by Fr. James Alberione. The first Sisters came to the Philippines on October 13, 1938. However, it was on November 11, 1957 when the congregation expanded their apostolate work in the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, and Archbishop James T. G. Hayes, D.D. welcomed them.

At first, they rented a house near Lourdes College which served also as a bookstore aside from being a convent. It housed them temporarily because a convent and a bookstore was undergoing construction beside a vacant lot at the Fatima Chapel along Del Mar St. [known Apolinar Velez St.], which the archdiocese gave them. With the completion of the house, the Sisters from then on became the custodian of the chapel that is strategically located at the heart of the city where schools, offices, and residences abound.

The Sisters who came first to Cagayan de Oro City were Sr. Melania Revarotto and Postulant Ania Gomis. They were later on joined by Sr. Ma. Letizia Ganalon.

Through the years, the congregation has been active in bringing the Gospel to the faithful in social communication media. Despite, it was produced in Metro Manila and in English language; the Sisters aired their evangelical program every Sunday morning beginning 1969 in Cagayan de Oro City. By 1979, the program was on the dialect and produced locally in collaboration with Archdiocese. Radio stations in Cagayan de Oro broadcast it.

Later in 1981, they began to use TV as a medium of evangelization. Today, the Daughters of St. Paul telecast live the Holy Eucharist at the Fatima Chapel every Sunday. They take charge the monthly newsletter named Lamdag, an official publication of the Archdiocese.  It is here where the forte of St. Paul Sisters are better tried, the editing and its layout are crucial parts of the publication, along with the gathering of news and articles, the latter are too competent in these respects making every issue of the newsletter each month a masterpiece of devotion and hard work.

The Daughters of St. Paul are in evangelical work in 50 countries. Their activities may be similar with us here.

        d. Good Shepherd Sisters: The congregation was founded by St. Mary Euphrasia in France. They came to the Philippines in 1912 and in 1987 had opened their community in Cagayan de Oro through the invitation of Archbishop Cronin. The community in Cagayan is part of the twenty-three RGS communities in the country.

Their apostolate is centered on women-young girls, mothers, and students who because of extreme poverty had been victims of oppression and sexual exploitation. A thorough field study had enabled them to get closer with commercial sex workers, street kids, and rape victims.

These existing situations had moved the congregation to rescue and rehabilitate them through thorough counseling and further accommodate them in shelter care services. At the Metropolitan Cathedral Formation Center, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd extend their guidance and counseling, and initiate some socio-economic projects for these sectors.

Another congregation which the RGS Foundress organized is the Contemplative of the Good Shepherd. These Contemplative Sisters is a community of silence, solitude, and prayers. 

        e. Daughters of Jesus [F.I.]: On May 12, 1996, the Foundress of the Congregation was beatified by the Pope as Blessed Candida Maria de Jesus. She founded this group on December 8, 1871 in Salamanca, Spain.

In June 1932 they arrived in the Philippines and had their first school named Immaculada Concepcion in Pototan, Iloilo. It was on April 29, 1987 when they arrived in Cagayan de Oro City during Archbishop Cronin’s time. They came to manage Kong Hua School because the school officials in Cagayan de Oro requested them. So, five Sisters came namely: Sr. Teresa Yuen, F.I., Sr. Normita S. Anier, Sr. Pacita M. Legaspi, Sr. Teodora D. Antonio, and Sr. Calixta P. Parreño.

By the time they managed Kong Hua School, the school would have a new outlook. In track record, they always excel in academic particular in Mathematics and a little bit low in Theology. Now that the F.I. Sisters are there, there would be a dramatic improvement on things where they were quite a little bit behind.

In May 1992, the F.I. Sisters established a community in Catarman, Camiguin. They worked there for the development of livelihood skills of marginalized families and the youth. They aim to transform those families to at least be economically uplifted and productive.

        f. Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM): The founder of this congregation originates in Dublin, Ireland; it was founded on December 12, 1831 by Catherine McAuley. Today, the Religious Sisters of Mercy can be found in nineteen (19) countries.

They arrived in the Philippines in 1966. It was however in May 1986 when they arrived to Cagayan de Oro upon the request of the Archbishop to assume administration of the Sacred Heart Academy in Bugo, Cagayan de Oro City, which the Columban Fathers managed from 1973 when they assumed it from the Remo’s of Bugo. From Remo Institute of Technology, the Columbans renamed it as Sacred Heart Academy, the only Catholic Secondary school in that barangay, or in the northeast part of the city. Due to pressing and challenging missionary action in their homeland, the Columbans were recalled to Ireland. So, the RSM, an Irish congregation too in origin took over the management of the school with Sr. M. Assumpta Hayes, RSM as the First Directress.   

In recent times, Sacred Heart Academy is not only a secondary school; it as well caters a Pre-school and a Grade School.  The RSM aside from Education has the following ministries, namely: Health Care, Pastoral Work, Social Services; and Community Organization. In the archdiocese, they have a community in Camp Philipps, MFortich, Bukidnon, and two in Camiguin, in the Parishes of Mahinog and Mambajao.

Morover, the late Pope John Paul II in 1990 declared the RSM Founder as Venerable. The process of sainthood is tedious, but it is good that at least she is now already in that echelon.

        g. Carmelite Missionaries: It was on April 25, 1982 during the time of Archbishop Cronin when the Carmelite Missionaries arrived in Cagayan de Oro City. There were five sisters that formed the community namely: Sisters Sofie Ledesma, Cecilia Javier, Xenia Salle, Dolores Danas and Lourdes Dizon; and they rented a house at Capitol Subdivision, Osmeña St., Cagayan de Oro City.

Two years later, their occupancy contract expired and fortunately the then President of XU offered to the sisters the use of vacant dormitories used previously by GOCC scholars [Cocofed]. Three dormitories were used for retreats and recollections of students.

The sisters were involved in pastoral, catechetical and education ministries; and by 1986 they moved to Sta. Cruz, Lapasan to be nearer to their apostolate areas.

In 1999, their Inter-Asian Juniorate based in Quezon City was transferred to Cagayan de Oro. The necessity of the transfer was attributed for reasons of solitude and silence for the nuns who would have their final vows to have a place so conducive and peaceful to reflect and pray. The place is not at Sta. Cruz I-Lapasan, but is within the compound of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns in Camaman-an Hills.

In line with the message and apostolic works of their Founder Blessed Francisco Palau, OCD, who lived in the 19^th century in chaotic Spain, which by then was in the verge of civil wars and unwell conditions for religious men, the sisters work on as their apostolate the formation of catechists, medical services, pastoral works, campus ministry, and in guidance and counseling.

       h. Canossian Sisters: When the Canossian Sisters arrived in Cagayan de Oro on May 29, 1983, they were too blessed not to rent anymore a house for the Parish of Sto. Niño offered them a little convent in Cogon. The first group of sisters was Sr. Sonia Sangel, Fdcc; Sr. Regina de Munari; Sr. Carmelita Cosio, and Sr. Lydia Rubin.

Being already there, they worked in the Parish and at the same time taught catechism at Liceo de Cagayan, a non-sectarian school that later was made into a university, in fact the second university to be recognized by the government in Cagayan de Oro City.

The late Archbishop Cronin in 1984 turned over to the Canossian, the House of Friendship. It is an archdiocesan based center that provides assistance to the poor with respect to taking care of abandoned children including adults; hospitalization of the poor; referral of medical cases to Charitable Institutions like the German Doctors, and so on.

In similar year, when Archbishop Tuquib was enthroned as the new Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro vice Archbishop Cronin, who was sick and needing much rest or retirement from the ministry. The new Bishop requested the Sisters to administer St. Joseph High School in El Salvador, now a city.

Not long thereafter, in 1990 the sisters were able to establish their own house or convent at Kolambug, Lapasan.

         i. Sisters of the Company of Mary: St. Jeanne de Lestonnac founded this congregation in Bordeax, France in 1607.

In 1982, the pioneering sisters from Japan and Spain arrived in Mindanao. They established their community in Malangas, Zamboanga del Sur and was actively involved in a community based Health Program of the parish. From there, they expanded their apostolate to the archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro. In 1985, they came to Cagayan de Oro and the following year, they started working in campus ministry at Xavier University.

However, perhaps their deep and full time involvement in Cagayan de Oro may sadly be one of the reasons why the Malangas House was closed. In order to compensate the loss of Malangas, they looked for alternative ways to continue their apostolate nearby. As such, they offered pastoral accompaniment with the Parish of San Roque in Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental.

Similarly, they too worked at sitio Tambo, a depressed area in Barangay Macasanding in Cagayan de Oro. The usual way to reach out through catechism, formation of BEC, assistance of Holy Eucharist celebration, and so were employed by the Sisters. It was in Macasandig, where they successfully established their Educational Center named as Niña Maria Learning Center. Such was a Children Learning Center; and not only that they too sponsored Scholarships, Tutorial Classes for children and adults; and facilitated or provided Skills Training to the urban poors, to mention a few.

In 1999, another community was opened in Iligan City. In Cagayan de Oro as of 2001, they had six Sisters while four Sisters were assigned at Iligan City. These sisters hailed from five different countries. The congregation is certainly a nice melting pot of inculturation, different cultures are there united in one for service to the Lord. Now, they are here in the frontiers of Northern Mindanao.

        j. Our Lady’s Missionaries: It is also a foreign congregation founded in Alexandria, Canada in 1949. They arrived in the Philippines in November 1966 and occupied the side of Pacific Ocean in Southern Leyte, where they were seriously focused on Social Works, Catechetics, and Parish-based Health Programs.

On July 1, 1985, they arrived in the archdiocese and made Gingoog City as their base. A year later with certainty after discernment and dialogues with Archbishop Cronin, two Sisters moved to Binuangan, Misamis Oriental on July 8, 1986.

In 1992, the congregation moved to Carmen, Cagayan de Oro as they had started their early apostolate in there despite they lived there on non-permanent status. Not much longer, a house was established near the Cathedral. However, the house in Gingoog City was closed in 1992 and later on Binuangan followed in 1993.

The congregation Formation House was set up in Macabalan, Cagayan de Oro in December 1993; and by 1996 they were able to produce the first OLM from the archdiocese. By 2000, the congregation was able to procure a house in Carmen and it is the first house they owned in the country. They are involved in apostolate for the urban poor, street children, students, youth and prisoners, and those who have problems in hearing or impaired in hearing, and so on.

        k. Daughters of Our Lady of Divine Love: Fr. Umberto Terenzi founded the congregation. The congregation’s humble beginnings started in 1934 when five pious girls lived in a common life at an ancient castle, Castle di Leva. Under the spiritual direction of Fr. Terenzi, the Rector and Parish Priest at the Sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of the Divine Love; the young women made their apostolate works in the camp of the abandoned and the isolated.

At first the Sisters had temporary vows and it must be always renewed. On 25 March 1942, the congregation received its first canonical approval from Rome, so the first Daughters of Divine Love made their first profession. Early on 5 August 1959 or seventeen years later, they were recognized as a Congregation of Diocesan Right. After two years and occurring on the similar date when they became a group with Diocesan Right, a new decree arrived declaring the Congregation of Pontifical Right.

On December 8, 1979, Pope John Paul II issued the “Decreto di Lode.”

Their apostolate is centered on hospital homes for the aged, oratories, youth, nurseries, elementary schools and catechism. Actively they worked in the Parish of San Isidro in Gusa, Cagayan de Oro City; and they are as well can be seen in Asia in India aside from here, in Europe in their homeland in Italy, and in Latin America: Colombia, Brazil and Peru.[xi]

        l. Cagayan de Oro Carmel: The congregation was established in Cagayan de Oro on October 1967. Despite, it was in 1967 when they actually settled here, there were exploratory trips made by the Carmel Sisters of Jaro in 1965 to 1966 in Cagayan de Oro with the end in view of founding another house in the archdiocese.  

In fact, historically when the Diocese of Cagayan was on its early beginnings, in 1937, the Prioress of Jaro Carmel, Rev. Mother Mary of Christ wrote to Bishop James Hayes, D.D. signifying that early their intentions in serving Cagayan de Oro City or the diocese. But the good Bishop accordingly told the Sisters that he had to build first the seminary, the San Jose Minor Seminary in Camaman-an Hills. So perhaps the Carmel could wait for some later time.

Through the passing of time, many Carmel Houses were established such as those in Bacolod in 1946; Davao, 1947; Cebu, 1949; Zamboanga, 1956; Jolo, 1961; and Ozamiz, 1962.

Four years ago or in 2008, the Cabanatuan Carmel had established a foundation in Maramag, Bukidnon. Poor in spirit and extremely poor in temporal aspects as the sisters are cloistered in a house predominantly made of bamboos, but such is seemingly still alright for them so long as they can serve God pleasingly in a unique way through their strict observance of their rule in perpetuity of contemplative life.

Every Carmel House is autonomously independent from other Carmel houses, although they follow similar rule. The Prioress heads the house, and the foundation’s development would depend much on the tack, diligence of every sister in addition with charities from the community of faithful in the locality. 

       m. Missionary Congregation of Mary (MCM): When Malaybalay became a Prelature in 1969 with Fr. Francisco Claver, SJ[xii] as the First Bishop, there were three women congregations that had been working thereat with the missionary and diocesan priests. These were the Sisters of the St. Joseph of Newark (CSJ), Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM), and the Daughters of St. Theresa (DST).

DST was founded in 1960 by Bishop Teofilo Camomot, Coadjutor Bishop of Cagayan de Oro and once a Parish Priest of Balingasag in 1960 when the Jesuits turn-over the parishes to the diocese. This congregation had more sisters in Bukidnon, so many of them were assigned in the parishes and they proved to be able partners in evangelization and apostolate.

The good bishop of Malaybalay had a free hand of the sisters with regards to their spiritual formation and growth.

In November 1969, however, the DST Council and Bishop Camomot after thorough discernment decided to transfer the whole congregation to Cebu City. Indeed, DST left Bukidnon and in fact today had their Central House in Carcar, Cebu; but a handful of sisters (DST) opted to stay behind and continue their apostolate with the newly created Prelature. So, they separated honorably with the DST on January 1, 1970 to form a new diocesan religious congregation, where the Bishop and Sister President of the CSJ of a Catholic College fully supported this off-shot group of sisters. For their temporary house, an old convent was offered to them by CSJ; and not much longer a Sister from ICM congregation came through the request of Bishop Claver to the ICM Provincial House, to assist in the formation of the new diocesan group.

New tests and challenges came, in 1972; their first Mission House was opened in Alanib. The MCM was tasked to administer an Orphanage, which a diocesan priest started thereat. Two sisters went there to obey the call of the mission. The following year, the Mission of Linabo was opened; the congregation began accepting new young women to become nuns.

Today, the MCM can be found in Wao, Lanao de Sur; Damulog; Dagumbaan; Dangcagan; Kibawe; Zamboanguita; Talakag; and Maramag. The Central House is strategically located across the Bishop’s Residence in Malaybalay City.

The MCM continues to move on, thinking and planning in opening new mission houses not only in Bukidnon, but even beyond.

       n. Theresian Missionaries of Mary (TMM): Three Sisters from the congregation of the Daughters of St. Teresa (DST) started this group which today is known as the Theresian Missionary of Mary. This group is semi-contemplative religious congregation that was established through the immense paternal support of Archbishop Cronin.

Formerly, their congregation was known as MST [probably Missionaries of St. Theresa]; it was however changed later on as what it is called now. The titular change was initiated by the Sisters themselves with the consent of Archbishop Cronin, as well.

In 1994, two novices were admitted and allowed to have their religious profession by Archbishop Tuquieb, who replaced Archbishop Cronin. Another two young novices on November 21, 1998 were permitted to make their religious profession.

With the blessings of God, the TMM in 2001 had five (5) professed sisters, three novices, two postulants and a number of aspirants. Probably, their number now has increased after a span of quite a time.

Along with the spiritual growth, they, too, had grown in temporal respects; they were able to acquire a lot almost a hectare in size in Bolisong, El Salvador City where they had built a formation house.

The congregation since then has been guided by different Spiritual Directors; it moves and grows with God’s strangest way, where impossible things could always be possible if He wills it. 

       o. Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family (MSHF): [In 1960, there were two Congregations of Sisters in Balingasag, the old one was the RVM while       those that arrived in that year, was the congregation Balingasag knew as the “Carmelites”.

The Carmelite Sisters wore brown habits, rosary beads hung around their waists; and veils covered their heads. Fronting the municipal park or gazebo, there stood once an old wooden-house owned by the Moreno’s and donated to the RVM sisters. The Sisters used it as a convent; the ground floor served as classrooms while the second floor was the Sister’s rooms.

Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in the 1960 was under the pastoral administration of Msgr. Teofilo Camomot, D.D.[xiii] He organized a group of five middle-aged women, former members of different congregations into a new group which had been known as the Tertiary of the Blessed Eucharist.

Their first community was in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, for perhaps they followed their Founder at the Parish of Sta. Rita. An old wooden house fronting the gazebo or park that was formerly owned by the spinsters Moreno Sisters and donated to the RVM served as their convent. Despite, the congregation’s focus was on catechetics, they however were managing the Grade School Department of Sta. Rita High School, where the rest of us were their pupils until they left Balingasag when we finished our Third Grade under Sr. Ma. Carmelina.

Though we could not rightly recall, it is believed that either in 1961 or 1962, and while we were in the Second Grade when the Vocation Month was significantly pushed by the Parish. The Grade School of Sta. Rita High School under the Carmelite Sisters organized a contingent of “Children Priests and, Sisters and Nuns” depicting various congregation. We were in our sacerdotal surplices or habits and had to memorize a line or two and say it timidly in public at the different schools of Balingasag and the nearby parish of Lagonglong during vocation campaign months. We were “children priests” what a guy!

As little children, we fitted in an old Volkswagen, which we believingly called as “MIVA” because it was the simplest word that we could read than “Volkswagen”; and we know now that “MIVA” is a European Organization that donated the vehicle. Unfortunately, after the long vacation break and we would be entering Grade Four, our school closed and we transferred to the Central School. What we missed much were the “coco siopao”, chico, tambis, caimito, canistel, and lanzones which were there and always bearing fruits, maybe just for the naughty boys, like us.

We certainly missed all those happy youthful days, but another phase in life has to come.]

After the dissolution of the Sister’s Community in Balingasag, we knew from stories that the Sisters went to Wao. In fact, they went there because Fr. James Cawley, S.J. invited them in Wao and some sisters were in the parishes of Bukidnon.

Through the passing of time, they had expanded well in those places; and they reached Bacolod City and other areas of the Visayan Islands.

The congregation grew steadily and from well-defined growth, new diocesan congregations sprung out from such nucleus; and among this is the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Family. They are based in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

In 1980 or even much earlier than this, 4 sisters or nuns lived in poor but in radiance community life, obedience, and prayers. They probably had emulated the rule while they were in the Tertiary of the Blessed Eucharist. On May 9, 1980, an ecclesiastic decree from Archbishop Cronin, D.D. was issued confirming and recognizing them as a Diocesan Congregation in the archdiocese.

With a name and hearts filled with missionary zeal, the congregation was allowed to accept candidates for aspirancy. The MSHF in their new name; with Fr. Rey Monsanto as Director and Fr. Oscar Millar, S.J. as Spiritual Director openly sailed as a missionary group.

In 1981, a Formation House was built in Nazareth as there were two young women who became aspirants; and other candidates followed later. In four (4) years’ time, the two young women who entered in 1981 were temporarily professed. The slow but consistent increase in membership, meant only one thing, there must be some expansion of the congregation apostolate. Their apostolate involves the following works: Catechetics, Family Life, BEC, Home Visitations, and facilitate Recollection and Retreats.

Presently, their Central House is in Nazareth, Cagayan de Oro and within the parish grounds. Formerly they had their Formation House in Nazareth, but today it is already in the Seminary Hill in Camaman-an. They have houses in Balingasag, Kinoguitan, Tagoloan and Bugo.

        p. Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart: The Ursuline Missionaries of the Sacred Heart may have been here earlier than 1986, but we are not privileged to know when and what we knew is that they were permitted by Archbishop Cronin to open a Formation House in the archdiocese in 1986.

Construction of the Formation House began and by July 31, 1986 on the Feast of St. Ignatius de Loyola, it was blessed by Bishop Christian Noel, D.D. the Auxiliary Bishop of Cagayan de Oro. So, the sisters began accepting young ladies for aspirancy.

Everyone in the community is busy, including the aspirants. Their apostolate is on Campus Ministry in Cagayan de Oro College and in Sacred Heart of Jesus Montessori; and aside from these, they too conduct classes for local children in Bulua during Sundays. They also facilitate Recollections and Retreats.

Ceaseless blessings made the sisters so grateful always to God and to those who unfailingly supported them through the years.

       q. Siervas de Nuestra Señora de la Paz: South of Cebu City and fronting the Cebu Strait is the town of Carcar. From the mountainous Barangay of Guadalupe in sitio Anislagan, a group of young pious women who lived in secular life used to pray together and regularly; and teach catechism to children as well as adults in this remote place. The group was founded by Bro. Exequiel Barangan, who too like his group of four women, was a pious man and devoted to the service of the church.

Their amiable apostolate work started in May 1935 yet and despite there was a World War beginning 1941, their work though hampered by that was however not foregone. After the war, they had found a nice place in Nam, part still of Carcar; and they expanded or their apostolate from Catechism to Health Care services. They attended to the care of the sick, the dying, and those who are invalid. They went from house to house doing such works and they too were preaching, teaching catechism and preparing unwed couples in lived-in relationships for marriage.

By now their numbers increased so beginning 1954, they started to live in regular community and observed community life. Many had known their impressive apostolate works, so the people called them as “misioneras”; but for the official identity they called themselves as “Sociedad de Nuestra Señora de la Paz”. Their works had indeed given them fame and local church leaders began to know them; one of these was the Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu, Bishop Nicholas; who introduced the group to His Eminence Julio Cardinal Rosales.

The church evaluated the group and after sometime or having been convinced that they had passed the tests set for a period of time, Julio Cardinal Rosales accepted their group, which by now numbered already to twenty eight women, who practiced poverty, chastity and obedience; as a religious institute as “Siervas de Nuestra Señora de la Paz.”  With such recognition, their religious formation was closely supervised under the guidance of a regular Sister Formator and Directress from the RVM.

After several years of servitude to the church in the apostolate they lovingly preferred, the Siervas applied for recognition as a Religious Congregation in Rome. In 1987, His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who replaced Cardinal Rosales (who died in 1981), received a letter from Rome dated 30 November 1987, accepting the Siervas as a Religious Congregation. In the following year, the canonical establishment of the congregation took place at Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. Highlighting this occasion was the Perpetual Profession who became their first Superior General, as successor of the Founder who died in 1981.

Today, the congregation reaches far north, as far as the Diocese of Laoag, Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia [Vigan], to the neighboring Dioceses of Dumaguete, Talibon [Bohol] and Calbayog [Leyte], to Mindanao in the Archdiocese of Cotabato and certainly in their home province in Cebu.

They arrived in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on May 12, 1992. In 2001, another community was established in Gingoog City. They continued the apostolate their forebears started – teach catechism, helping the archbishop’s house and seminaries even in menial household chores and take care of the sick and the dying – [this time their concern are the old and retired priests who stayed at St. Patrick’s Retirement House in the Seminary Hill.]

From its early humble beginnings in the hills of Carcar, the Siervas has now gone to all frontiers just to proclaim the Gospel of Peace and promote the Kingdom of God.

        r. Angelic Sisters of St. Paul: The Angelic Sisters is as old as their counterparts, the Clerics Regular of St. Paul or popularly known as the Barnabite Fathers, because the former congregation was founded too by St. Anthony Mary Zachariah sometime in 1535. [xiv]                      

In March 1986, the Angelic Sisters established their mission in the Philippines. They have houses in Europe-Italy, Belgium and Albania; Balkan-in Kosovo; Africa-Congo; USA; Iberian Peninsula-Portugal and Spain; and in South America-Brazil and Chile. They arrived in the Philippines earlier than the Barnabites since the latter arrived in 1989 only.

Their early apostolate was in the Diocese of Antipolo, and they were active in education. In September 1996 or some ten years later, the congregation expanded; from Marikina City they opened a new community in La Paz, Makati City.

Today, they have another community in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro at Medina, Misamis Oriental for the then Archbishop Jesus Tuquib [now Bishop Emeritus] advised them to have their apostolate on said town. Henceforth, Sr. Merola and Sr. Joan Bachinicha enthusiastically established their community thereat in 1998.

The Angelic Sisters are actively involved in the parish activities of Medina. They took charge of the Youth Ministry, Catechetics, and Vocation Promotions.

With the establishment of a Barnabite Mission in the south, wherein their counterparts the Barnabite Fathers are tasked by the Bishop of Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro with the evangelization and spiritual upliftment of the survivors of “Typhoon Sendong” victims, who are relocated in sitio Calaanan in Cagayan de Oro City, it would be a great challenge too for the Angelic Sisters on how to extend their apostolate to these areas.

On October 8, 2012, two Sisters came to Cagayan de Oro through the invitation of Bishop Antonio Ledesma and had their apostolate in sitio Calaanan to aid the Barnabite Fathers at the relocation area.

As of this writing, many families are not yet transferred to permanent homes. They continued to live in amakan shanties and plywood bunkhouses, waiting for their names to be drawn from the lottery for their transfer to permanent houses.

What complicate much is that the food packs or rations from government to the survivors who are living in the amakan and bunkhouses had been stopped on 31 December 2012, even the services of Camp Managers were terminated.

Starve and with no permanent houses where they can call it their own, these helpless people battle day to day survival. Their hardships are reflected well in the skinny and malnourished children that notwithstanding the circumstances still used to play to while away their hunger. They begged and would continuing begging until that hunger would never be experienced again by them. The Bishop is much concern on these; from time to time he convened the Sendong Task Force composed of Government Agencies, NGO’s and the Archdiocese t

        s. Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres: During World War II, Bishop James Hayes was imprisoned by his captors and thus was    seriously ill. With the indulgence also of his captors though he was an American, but also a Bishop of Cagayan de Oro, he was submitted for treatment which landed into his confinement at a hospital in Manila named Hospital Español de Santiago.

In this hospital the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres worked and it was here he came to know them and their apostolate.

Liberation time came, Bishop Hayes returned to Cagayan de Oro and not much longer he was made as the Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro, following the issuance of a Papal Bull issued by Rome elevating the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro into an Archdiocese in 1954.

Perhaps, Bishop Hayes had not forgotten his sad experiences during the War when he was terribly sick and hospitalized, and his great concern was the sick poor people of his diocese. So, he invited the Chartres in 1957 to come and work for health care. The Sisters were responsive and eager to do their apostolate. At first an Out-Patient Clinic was established, civic, religious and generous individuals contributed to build the clinic.  

They were doing well, plenty of patients came, and the Clinic was just too small so they improved it after sometime making it into a 20 bed capacity hospital, which in the present times is classified as a primary hospital. From those simple beginnings, the Maria Reyna Hospital started and rose to prominence as one of the best in health care services.

Presently, on top, the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres still manages the hospital; however they are in consortium with Xavier University. Such union, of course, is for the interest of service and with such development, the Sisters shall continue to think of the concerns they have had when they first came to Cagayan de Oro in 1957 through the invitation of late Bishop Hayes, to take care of the sick and poor people in his diocese.

        t. Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM): When the Jesuits returned to the Philippines in 1859 after their expulsions in 1786 from the dominions of the Bourbons, their assignment was solely for the evangelization of whole Mindanao. Specifically, they had to penetrate the hinters of Mindanao to evangelize all the indigenous people.

But for the Jesuits, they planned to start the evangelization on the northern area of Mindanao, a place where Christianity had already deeply rooted; and then penetrate later southward through Bukidnon and ultimately to the heartlands of Mindanao. Though this was a practical strategy for the Jesuits, the colonial government in Manila did not consent because the order was to begin the evangelization in the southern part of Mindanao in the Cotabato’s.

It had to be there in order to consolidate the gains of the Spanish Army against the Muslims who were just defeated in Jolo earlier before 1859. Thus, the first batch of Spanish Jesuits in their second coming to the Philippines sailed from Manila and landed in Pollock, Cotabato. From there, the Jesuits established a residence on the northern bank of Rio Grande in what is today Cotabato City. Another mission residence was on the southern part of the Rio Grande River in a place called Tamontaka. The Rio Grande de Mindanao debouches its water to Llama Bay through two exits, one in the northernmost part near Cotabato City and the other one in Tamontaka.

At the Jesuit Settlement in Tamontaka, it was here where the sisters of the Religious of Virgin Mary or formerly known as the Beatas de la Compaña de Jesus had made a name of their unwavering apostolate relative to the care of ransomed Christian children from their Slave Masters. They took care of the ransomed children [girls] while the boys were taken cared by the Jesuits. These children were reared as God-loving and ultimately when the right time came, they would marry their counterparts in the settlement and will found Christian families. They would be given land and shall be good Christian and farmers. This is what they envisioned, that is why in other writings the Tamontaka Mission was in other way referred to as the Tamontaka Experiment. In general sense, it was a reduction area like those in Guaranis, Paraguay where the Jesuits had their missions, too.  And what it made different from the Paraguay reduction areas is that at Tamontaka the farmer settlers owned parcels of land while in the former, farmer settlers worked only on a communal farm.

With its uniqueness and effectiveness, the Tamontaka Settlement operated for over thirty years. It halted only because of the Revolution of 1898, when Spanish sovereignty was challenged by the Katipunan. Despite the revolution or even if sovereignty was achieved by the Filipinos, a new colonial rule came and it was now the Americans who ruled the Philippines by virtue of the Treaty of Paris 1898. So by February 4, 1899, the Filipino-American War began. For the Filipinos, it was a war for independence and for the Americans it was a war or rebellion carried on by common criminals and bandits.

The American occupation in the Philippines had changed too the ministers of the Roman Catholic Church. In Mindanao alone, the Spanish Jesuits were later on replaced by the American Jesuits in the 1920’s. The Jesuits from the Province of Maryland and New York came to the Philippines for their mission.

In Balingasag: When Fr. Gregorio Parache, SJ[xv] returned to Balingasag for his second missionary assignment after having been here from 1877 to 1884, the first group of Religious Congregation of Sisters to arrive Balingasag was the Beatas de la Compania de Jesus or the Religious of the Virgin Mary today. They arrived in Balingasag sometime in October 1901, and this was a significant event that happened during the return of Fr. Parache to Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish.

The RVM community was composed of five sisters namely: Sma. Marciana de Leon, Sma. Dominga de Jesus, Sma. Andrea Alba, Sma. Leonarda Rivera, and Sma. Lopez. They came to Balingasag to open a Catholic school for women. Their coming had created an immediate problem on where to house the sisters because their coming was an unexpected one and there was no arrangement or preparation of billeting beforehand. Fortunately, the problem was resolved because the Moreno sisters [Romana, Romualda, Ysidora, Martina and Eustaquia] voluntarily offered their ancestral house fronting the plaza gazebo as the Sisters’ temporary convent. From furnitures, kitchen wares and utensils, draperies or practically what the house had were lent by the Moreno’s to the Sisters. The second floor of this big wooden house was the Sisters’ dormitory while the ground floor was fitted into classrooms; and the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus and Escuela Catolica de Balingasag was opened. From those two original names, it was christened again as Colegio de San Jose.[xvi]

Classes began, the people supported the school and students flocked to have that Christian education; and they hailed not only from Balingasag, but from nearby places like Jasaan, Salay, Kinoguitan and Talisayan. For three straight years, the school under the supervision of the Sisters, who themselves were the teachers operated smoothly. Nonetheless, a problem came one day when they received a memorandum or letter from their Superior General in Manila Sma. Efigenia Alvarez that if the town could not provide or construct a permanent building for the school, operations shall be closed for simple reasons that there is no permanent building.

After sometime the Moreno Sisters were convinced by their immediate relatives and close friends that necessarily they had to let go their property so the RVM’s shall stay in town otherwise they would close the school and settle in other places, having no permanent building of their own here as mandated by the congregation rules. So, they sold their ancestral land, which occupied the entire block and fronting the gazebo where the Sisters had temporarily resided and classes were held in a token amount of P1,000.00.

Colegio de San Jose continued its mission in imparting Catholic Education to the women of Balingasag and its vicinities. Sad only to say that after some thirty years of teaching traditions the congregation ultimately left Balingasag on July 3, 1930.[xvii] Earlier before their departure, the first Catholic Elementary School was founded by American Jesuit Missionary Priest, Fr. William V. Corliss, SJ who was assigned here in 1927 to 1930. It was indeed the birth of Sta. Rita High School, which from the beginning until today is a sectarian institution and a co-ed in status.

[The old building of the Colegio de San Jose was not used. It remains idle since the time the Sisters left and not until in 1959 when the Carmelite Sisters came; and again was reverted from being idle to a convent of the sisters, where its ground floor was likewise used as classrooms for the elementary pupils later on 1960 to 1963.]

During the time of Commonwealth Government, the school gained government recognition in March 1931 with Mr. Alfredo Regalado as the first Elementary Principal. The Great War broke out in 1941; it was closed and later on reopened in 1946 by Fr. Clement Risacher, SJ who was here in 1937 yet up to 1949. It must be noted however that during the reopening of Sta. Rita Parochial School, the RVM were already here again in Balingasag because Sma. Dolores Vega, RVM from the prominent Vega Family in town was assigned in her hometown and assisted in the administrative management and supervision of the school, which at this time was still a parochial school under the American Jesuits.

In 1949, Sta. Rita School produced its first batch of high school graduates; on similar year it received Government Recognition for its High School Department.

As a prelude maybe to the turn-over of the different areas of Jesuit Missions in Mindanao to the diocesan clergy or its secularization of the dioceses, in 1958 Sta. Rita High School was turned over to the RVM. From then on Sta. Rita High School continues to serve the mission – the spread of Catholic Education in Balingasag.

In 1966 under Sma. Mercedes de Jesus, the School Directress, a four-storey concrete building was constructed. After more than a year of construction, it was completed and classes for school year 1967-68 were transferred to the new building. In similar year, collegiate classes began with Sma. Mercedes de Jesus as the first Directress. Professor Exequiel G. Valmores from Christ the King College (SVD School) was the Dean of College of St. Rita’s College, while Briccio Valmores was the College Registrar.  

After fifty (50) years of faithful servitude to the community, its charter was renewed and the institution was renamed as Sta. Rita’s College of Balingasag today. 

Aside from the Catholic Church which is a focal point of the Christian life of the people in town and so, could be considered an icon, SRCB is one another gem for the people of Balingasag [aside from the Peoples’ Palace,] worthy of praise, for its advancement in infrastructure – for having a wide concrete four-storey building and a gymnasium.

Other Early Mission Areas of the RVM’s in Misamis Oriental: When the Jesuits took the mission of Misamis Oriental from the Order of the Augustinian Recollects or Recollects, their lone residence in the eastern side of today’s province was in Balingasag, aside from Tagnipa (El Salvador City) on the western side.

The Jesuit Mission in Balingasag in 1877 was headed by Fr. Gregorio Parache with his Assistant, Fr. Salvador Ferrer[xviii] and other missionaries like Fathers Juan Ricart,[xix] Jose Canudas,[xx] Antonio Chambo,[xxi] Gabino Mugica, and so on. These priests took charge of the missions in the eastern side starting at Tagoloan up to Linugos, the present day town of Magsaysay.    

After sometime, another residence was established in 1888, it was in Tagoloan. Strategically, Tagoloan was made into a residence because it had to cater from that point the missionary exploration and evangelization of Bukidnon. Before that all planning and preparation were done in Balingasag. The first house superior who likewise acted as the Local Mission Superior was Fr. Juan Bautista Heras, SJ. He came to Misamis Oriental from Caraga or Surigao with Fr. Barrado. Fr. Gregorio Parache who was the first Local Mission Superior in the east side was transferred to Caraga. In short, this reshuffling was between two great Mission Superiors. 

The Recollects had penetrated the Bukidnon area up to Linabo and Bugcaon, present barangays of Malaybalay City, nonetheless; these vast areas were seldom covered or visited frequently by them because of scarcity of missionaries. During the time of the Jesuits, they too encountered similar problems, lack of manpower. However later on, a big convento was constructed by them in Linabo, or some kilometers away from the great river confluence at Sevilla, which today is known as Mailag; and later a full-time Jesuit missionary priest was also assigned thereat.

So, missionary trips or evangelization of Bukidnon came along from a much shorter route[xxii] from Tagoloan rather than from Balingasag, which previously had been that way. However for the Jesuits, Bukidnon was just a part of the story rooted in sweat and tears of the Mission of Balingasag.[xxiii]

Talisayan: Balingasag was enthroned into a parish on November 3, 1849; and 39 years later another parish was opened on December 25, 1888 by virtue of a Royal Order No. 252, it was Talisayan. The first parish priest was Fr. Ramon Llord, SJ.[xxiv]  The order was read after the Gospel during the High Mass by Fr. Juan Terricabras[xxv] who stayed for a while in Talisayan because Fr. Llord did not know the dialect well yet, so he was there to help. Brother Coadjutor Valentin Gros was also assigned thereat.

So, from then on, it was the priest of Talisayan who served the spiritual needs of the people of Medina and Gingoog to the east and Kinoguitan in the west. 

In support of the missionary priest in Talisayan, the RVM’s arrived a year later after a formal request was made by the prominent people of the pueblo in 1901. The sisters assisted in the catechism and basic early education such as on writing, reading, and arithmetic, which they conducted at the ground floor of their wooden convent. Aside from other pastoral works, the conduct of early education was really an important work the sisters in Talisayan had imparted to the youth in the early non-formal formation yet. Maybe not only the youth had benefited on this, but also even the older ones, writing and reading in early times were  indeed a great luxury.

In 1926 Bishop James T.G. Hayes, who during those time was not a bishop but ordinary parish priest, founded the parochial school in Talisayan, children formally were enrolled to classes; and the sisters had been teachers or assisted in supervision of the school.

In 1957 however, the Columban Fathers took charge of the parish. Indeed,  they were asked by Bishop James G. Hayes in the 1950’s to take charge of the parishes stretching from Kinoguitan to Magsaysay and the whole of Camiguin Island. The management of the school was with the Columban. Thereafter, the Columban Fathers transferred the school administration to the RVM in 1963. Catering the general secondary program, it applied in 1965 permit for collegiate status and operated until 1971 when the school management decided to phase out the college.

The RVM School in Talisayan was formerly named as Mount Carmel School, and today it is called St. Mary’s Academy.

Jasaan: From Talisayan let us move to the west about 60 or more kilometers, the RVM arrived in Jasaan, which is just 16 kilometers away from Balingasag to the southwest. They arrived in 1909 while Fr. Juan Bautista Heras, SJ was the Missionary Priest.[xxvi] It was Fr. Heras too who constructed the old church of Barangay Bobontugan, and the latter had been a parish for a long time.

In Jasaan the RVM sisters like their counterparts in Talisayan worked also in the parochial school “Escuela Paroquia de Jasaan”, which Fr. Heras opened. However in 1928, the parochial school was granted permit to open a complete primary course. During the World War, the school was closed and reopened in liberation time.

From its early start as a non-formal school until it was recognized by the government as a primary or elementary school, the RVM sisters were there side by side with the missionary priests in the tutelage of the school children. By 1956, the management of the school was turned over to the RVM and they had their first High School graduation in 1957; and its name was changed to Mary Immaculate Academy. However, in 1999, it was changed again to St. Mary’s Academy.

Tagoloan: The Jesuit residence in Tagoloan was only established in 1887, after Fr. Juan B. Heras transferred from Caraga to Balingasag Mission, making Tagoloan the staging point of all missionary trips to the hinters of Bukidnon.

Despite, it was already a parish sometime in 1744 yet, which the Augustinian Recollects from Cagayan de Misamis established; it may have no permanent priest beginning 1877 not until Fr. Heras arrived in 1887, where he took position as the Local Mission Superior of the Balingasag Mission. So before 1887, it was a visita of Balingasag like Talisayan, Gingoog and Linugos [Magsaysay].

As of this writing, there are no records available that could lead us to consider that the RVM Sisters were in Tagoloan earlier. In 1929, the American Jesuits took position of the parish from the Spanish Jesuits; and Fr. Daniel Sullivan became the first American Jesuit Parish Priest. With two other brothers forming the community [Brother Edward Bauerlein and John Adams], a parochial school was built and it was named as St. Mary’s Catholic School.

In 1959 the Diocesan clergy took over the administration of the parish, so with the school. Seemingly, it was also during this time when the school was turned-over to the RVM.

Gingoog City: Insofar as Fr. Jose Canudas, a Jesuit missionary assigned at the Balingasag Mission in 1877 or during the early period of the coming of the Society of Jesus to Eastern Misamis Oriental, he said in his letter to Fr. Alejandro Naval written on 10 December 1878 in Balingasag [Cartas 2:180-187][xxvii]:

“Leaving Butuan at 7:00 in the morning, we reached Gingoog, the first barrio of    Balingasag, at 9:00 in the evening, although we had good rowers. As soon as the people learned of the arrival of priests of Balingasag, they fired their cannons, lighted torches, and, led by the principalia, went out to receive us at the mooring place. The music band played as they accompanied us to the priest’s house. We settled down and ate supper.”

“. . . Their last farewell was with much feeling. The people of that village strongly desire that a priest go and make his residence there.”

 From this, we know that there was already a convento and if there had been a convento, quite naturally there would have been a church; and indeed there had been one as Fr. Canudas said, “Gingoog has eight or nine cabecerias, a good church with a good tower and tabique pampango, and is quite spacious.[xxviii] But the thing is, they do not have a priest and wait only from the priest or priests of Balingasag to come similar with the other visitas in the areas of the early Balingasag Mission. 

It was only in 1896 when Jesuit missionaries lived permanently at the convento of Gingoog. The first priest to reside thereat was Fr. Ramon Pamies,[xxix] who was previously assigned in El Salvador [Tagnipa], but prior to his assignment in Tagnipa, he was the missionary priest of Butuan.[xxx] However, their stays in Gingoog did not last long, for as early as January 2, 1899, the Jesuit Gingoog residence was abandoned due to the second uprising of the Philippine Revolution. Fr. Pamies with Bro. Jose Vilanova left for Balingasag while Fr. Miguel Guardiet left and stayed in Talisayan because the principalia could not guarantee their safety. So they left.

Earlier and Succeeding Developments: Earlier on 20 December 1898, the Spanish Governor of Misamis [Oriental and Occidental presently] resigned from his post and the agents of Aguinaldo took over. By 13 January 1899, the priests of Tagoloan and Jasaan were arrested by the Revolutionary Government;t and sailed from Jasaan and navigated the Cagayan River.[xxxi] The priests from Balingasag, Talisayan, Sumilao and Linabo Missions followed a few days later as captives too. All in all there were 17 Jesuit prisoners in Cagayan.

However, not much later through the intercession of Fr. Pedro Torra, SJ [Rector of the Normal School] who arrived in Cagayan from Manila on January 25, the priests were released and some of them boarded the boat the Rector rode for Manila. Meanwhile, those who were left was given order by the Revolutionary Government to return to their places of assignment and get available church funds, and remit them to the government.[xxxii] On the other hand, the Jesuit Superior [now it was Fr. Heras who was appointed vice Fr. Peruga] instructed his brothers to sale everything including their houses if time permits.

On their return to their respective parishes, they were no longer authorized to act as ministers of faith unless the Local Revolutionary Council shall do recognize them. In short, they were forbidden to say masses unless of course authorized. Nonetheless, no orders can impede the priests from saying masses.

While this was the scene outside Cagayan de Misamis, the priests were not able to continue their missionary works; their liberties were only temporary because by 14 February 1899, Don Simon Gonzalez named as the General of Mindanao arrested them again inasmuch as Philippine Revolution erupted and this time it was too widespread like wildfire. Their second imprisonment was harsher compared with their captivity a month earlier wherein they were released some 12 days later when their Superior arrived Cagayan from Manila.

By February 27, 1899, all the priests from the afflicted residence were united in prison again in Cagayan de Misamis. There were six priests however for the Brothers, there were only three who came back, the one who was assigned with Fr. Martin in Sumilao and Linabo Missions, Bro. Vilanova died of sickness in Sumilao. For more than a year, Don Pio Roa, the President of the War Board served as their jailer. Don Pio raised their daily allowance to P0.30. In short, he treated them well, but still they were prisoners of the Revolutionary Government.

However on 2 March 1900, the Jesuits [7 priests to include Fr. Galmes, the Local Superior of Dapitan and 3 brothers] were released from prison. The Revolutionary Government hastily decided to set them free because the American Expeditionary Forces were coming and threatened Cagayan de Misamis of invasion. Some priests and brothers sailed from Balingasag to Camiguin for Cebu via Bohol. Others proceeded to Iligan for  Misamis [Ozamiz] and boarded on boat for Manila.

The Jesuits left Balingasag Mission [from Linugos to Tagoloan including Sumilao and Linabo in Bukidnon] because of unstable political situations. But they were back in their missions sometime in 1901. For Balingasag alone, Fr. Espana was in Balingasag in March 1901 until April 1901. Fr. Gregorio Parache took charge of the parish from 1901 to 1910.[xxxiii]

Conclusion:

From escuelas or catechetical centers during the Spanish time, where children were taught of prayers-catechism and also the 3R’s,  these early escuelas were reformatted into formal institutions of learning during the administration of the American Jesuits sometime in the mid-closing part of the 1920’s.

The first escuelas or parochial schools were ran by the Spanish Jesuits [Province of Aragaon] were taken over by the American Jesuits by virtue of the colonization of the Philippines by the Americans. After about three decades in administration and tutelage, the American Jesuits of the Province of Maryland and New York turn-over the parochial schools in the eastern side to the RVM beginning the mid part of the 1950’s. Not much longer, the mission areas were turned over to the Diocesan in the late 1950’s.

From that genealogy, perhaps it is modest to say that the present schools run by Congregations of Sisters evolved that way. Whether their apostolates are through education, social works and so on; or not by that circumstance but by other ways; just the same they are always important in their respective as missionaries. All these congregations mentioned or not, are there upfront in the thick vineyard forming an army of women clad in white, grey or brown habits with veils and rosary beads; and ever onward going into battles day by day to spread the Good News to every home in the charisma for which they are known. The multitude of sisters’ congregation in the archdiocese now means only one thing; the harvest in the vineyard is really so good.  

 Indeed, missionary works really had not ceased the day when the Apostles, their disciples and other Christian witnesses or converts had begun to spread the Gospels to the four corners of the world beginning in the year 33 AD.

Onward Christian soldiers marching into war with the Cross of Jesus …

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Writers Note: He is so sorry if he omitted other congregations which are already present in the archdiocese in 2001. The limited resource and research work materials are factors to reckon with. The principal source of this story is based from a souvenir scrapbook the archdiocese had released in 2001 in connection with its Golden Jubilee Celebration having been made as such in 1951. Other secondary materials are taken from history books such as from Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ “Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao” and from the work of John P. Dolan, a translation of the original German language to English, the monumental work of Professor August Franzen, a respected German scholar in the modern times, entitled “A History of the Church”.

Some sources are taken from the works of Fr. John N. Schumacher, SJ, (from Readings of Philippine Church History), Fr. RV de la Rosa, OP (from his work The Beginnings of the Fililpino Dominicans), from the late Fr. MA Bernad, SJ (The Great Island, A Study of Exploration and

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NOTES

[i] For this article, we are referring to the Religious Congregation particularly the Sisters in the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

[ii] As described by Athanasius the Great, Anthony was born around 251 in Kome {Middle Egypt]. __ See John P. Dolan, a History of the Church p. 98.

[iii] Ibid, pp. 97-98.

[iv] Ibid., 98.

[v]  In the beginning Severus [193-211] tolerated Christianity, however not much later made conversion to   Christianity punishable, and started the violent persecution that surged in North Africa, Egypt, and the Near East. __ See JP Dolan, History of the Church, p.51.

[vi] Ibid., p.58.

[vii] Fr. RV de la Rosa, OP, Beginnings of the Filipino Dominicans, pp.59-66.

[viii] These groups are:  CM in 1862; OFMCap 1886; OSB 1896; CSSR 1905; MHM 1906; CICM 1907; MSC 1908; SVD 1908; FSC 1911; OSJ 1915; MM 1924; SSC 1929; SSP 1935; PME 1937; OMI 1939; CFM 1947; OCD 1947; CSSR 1947; FMS 1948; MS 1948; SDB 1951; OFM 1952; OCD 1954; SFM 1955; OFM 1956; SSS 1957; OCarm 1958; CP 1958; SC 1959; PIME 1968; OSC 1975; RCJ 1976; and in 1989, the CRSP.  __ See Fr. JN Schumacher, SJ. Readings in Philippine Church History, p. 402.

                [ix] The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume XXII, 1625-29, by Various.

[x] Recogida is more or less similar to beata, a woman living in recollection and prayer. __ See Fr. John N. Schumacher, SJ. Readings in Philippine Church History, p. 168.

[xi] Jaro was made into a Diocese in 1859 with Mariano Quarteros as the first Bishop. The western part of Mindanao starting from Davao, the Cotabatos up to Sulu became part of the new Diocese of Jaro, while the rest of the provinces of the island belong still to the Diocese of Cebu. __ Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ. Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Vol. IV, The Dapitan-Balingasag Mission.

[xii] Aside from outward frailties as priest, others may not know that Bishop Francisco Claver during his youthful days was a member of the Jesuit Mount Apo Expedition in 1949. Their group was the first Jesuit Expedition among the series of Jesuit expeditions to summit Mt. Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines in Davao-Cotabato Areas. __ See Fr. Miguel A. Bernad, S.J. The Great Island. A Study of Exploration and Evangelization of Mindanao.

[xiii]  Local initiated moves have been started by the Daughters of St. Teresa (DST) for the sainthood of the late Most. Reverend Bishop Teofilo Camomot, D.D. their Founder, who died on vehicular accident after busily saying Holy Masses in the churches of Cebu, where he was assigned. The DST sincerely requests anyone who has experienced extra-ordinary blessings and favors from the late Bishop to please report such blissful experience to their Central Mother House in Carcar, Cebu. (Information taken from the flyers given by DST.)

[xiv] The Barnabite Fathers was founded by St. Anthony Mary Zachariah in Milan, Italy in 1534.

[xv] Fr. Gregorio Parache was the first Spanish Jesuit missionary priest to be assigned in Balingasag from 1877-1887. Balingasag was the first Jesuit Residence in the eastern side of Misamis de Cagayan or today’s Misamis Oriental. The other Jesuit Residence was in Tagnipa or nowadays El Salvador Cilty in Misamis Oriental. Fr. Parache left Balingasag in 1887 and Fr. Juan Heras, SJ came over from Caraga to take his position as Local Superior of the Mission. It was indeed classified as reshuffling of Local Superiors, because Fr. Heras was the Local Superior in the Mission of Caraga and Fr. Parache took his place too. Fr. Parache, SJ was assigned in Cateel, Boston, Bagangga, Lingig and along the southern coast of today’s province of Davao Oriental. (Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Volume IV: Dapitan-Balingasag Mission, UP-CIDS). In 1901, he was again assigned to Balingasag and not much longer he was back to Caraga where he died in Cateel in 1913.

[xvi] G.F. Vega, Historical Glimpses of Balingasag.

[xvii] Ibid.

[xviii] Fr. Salvador Ferrer was born in Igualada, Barcelona, Spain on 25 September 1847, entered the Society of Jesus on 14 September 1866, and came to the Philippines in 1876. He was assigned to the northern and northeastern Mindanao missions. He died in Manila on 9 April 1895. (Fr.JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters)

[xix] Fr. Juan Ricart was born in Vich, Spain on 30 September 1838, entered the Jesuits on 28 September 1861, and came to the Philippines in 1865 and taught five years at the Ateneo Municipal in Manila. Thereafter he went home to Spain for his priestly ordination. After his ordination, he was assigned in Balingasag in 1879, and three years later, he became Superior of the Philippines Jesuit Mission. Six years later or after his term as Superior of the Phil. Jesuit Mission, he was appointed Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Province of Aragon. He went home to Spain in 1896 and was the Rector the Jesuit Seminary in Manresa and Professor of the Jesuits in their final year of formation. On 12 November 1916, he died in Barcelona. (Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters)

[xx] Fr. Jose Canudas was born in Sta. Maria de Olivan, Barcelona, Spain on 18 May 184, entered the Jesuits on 7 October 1864, and came to the Philippines in 1868. He was ordained priest in 1874 in Spain and came back to the Philippines where he was assigned in Balingasag in 1878 and other northeastern Mindanao missions. In 1890 he went back sick to Spain, but returned to the Philippines. He died in Linabo, Bukidnon [barangay of Malaybalay City] on 26 October 1897. (Fr.JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters)

[xxi] Fr. Antonio Chambo was born on 16 January 1846 in Valencia, Spain, entered the Jesuits on 13 October 1869, and arrived to the Philippines in 1876. He spent his missionary life in the north central and northeastern Mindanao missions. He died in Hinatuan, Surigao in 12 March 1891. (Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters)

[xxii] From their residence in Tagoloan missionaries travel either on horse or on foot to the visitas around the village of Sta. Ana, crosses the Tagoloan River for Tangkulan [present times Manolo Fortich], Sangcanan and inwards, or through Maluco, Balao, Sumilao, Impasug-ong, Kalasungay, Oroquieta or Malaybalay, Bugcaon, Alanib, Linabo, Sevilla, and later on penetrated to Balogbogan [Valencia] and Maramag.

[xxiii] Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, SJ, a renowned Jesuit Historian and presently heads the History Department of the Ateneo de Manila University has translated it from Spanish the original Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao and annotated it. A bigger part of Volume IV of this scholarly work pertains to Balingasag Mission. (Annotation mine.) 

[xxiv] His last assignment was in the Mission of Linabo sometime in 1892. His successor was Fr. Martin, SJ. The former left for Spain and no trace of him had been known by the Society.

[xxv] Fr. Juan Terricabras was born in Sta. Eulalia de Riuprimer, Barcelona, Spain on 6 July 1843. He entered the Jesuits on 30 August 1963, and was in the Philippines in 1875. He was assigned in the northern and northeastern Mindanao missions. On 6 April 1893 he died in Butuan City. (Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ. Jesuit Missionary Letters)

[xxvi] Fr. Juan B. Heras, SJ was the Local Mission Superior of the Balingasag Mission [Tagoloan-Magsaysay] and the Missions of Sumilao and Linabo [Bukidnon] during the imprisonment of the missionary priests of these areas in Cagayan de Oro City on February 1900 to March 1901, replacing Fr. Raymundo Peruga who was formerly assigned in Tagoloan. Together with the priests of Balingasag Mission-Sumilao and Linabo, the missionary priest of Dipolog [in Zamboanga del Norte] was likewise imprisoned in Cagayan de Oro City. Their imprisonment lasted for more than a year, as they had been set free by the Filipino Revolutionary Officials because the American Expeditionary Forces from Manila was coming to Cagayan de Misamis via Iligan. After the priests were set free, many of them returned to Manila, and Fr. Heras stayed and continued his missionary works in Jasaan. From that day on, his last assignment was in Jasaan before he was recalled to Manila in 1911 where he died. ___ Fr. J.S. Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Volume IV.

[xxvii] Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Vol. IV pp. 225-226.

[xxviii] Ibid., 226.

[xxix] Fr. Ramon Pamies was born in Borjas del Campo, Tarragona, Spain on 17 January 1831. He entered the Jesuits on 26 December 1866, and came to the Philippines in 1868. He spent his missionary career in the northern and northeastern Mindanao Missions until his return to Spain during the Philippine Revolution. He died on 31 March 1914 in Tortosa, Spain.

[xxx] Fr. Pamies built the brick church in El Salvador in 1891, in fact it was the first Jesuit brick church in Misamis Oriental then followed by Balingasag in 1892. El Salvador was given off by the Jesuits to the Recollects because there was a new division of Misamis Oriental between these two missionary groups. Starting Cagayan de Oro City and including all the pueblos going to Iligan belonged to the Recollects. The Jesuits had Agusan a barangay of Cagayan de Oro to their charge. It explains why Fr. Pamies who was assigned in El Salvador was transferred to Gingoog as the first Parish Priest of the place. __ See Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Vol. IV.

[xxxi] Fr. Raimundo Peruga, SJ was the Local Mission Superior of the Balingasag Mission, but was based in Tagoloan. He was in Jasaan trying to have a consultative meeting with Fr. Juan Heras [Jasaan] and Fr. Francisco Chorro [Balingasag]. Unfortunately when he arrived in Jasaan, soldiers from the Revolutionary Government arrived by boat from Cagayan and arrested Fr. Heras, Bro. Angles and himself because there was already an arrest warrant from the Provincial Revolutionary Council.

[xxxii] Six priests and four brothers remained and they returned to the missions. Fr. Heras and Bro. Tricas were assigned in Jasaan; Fr. Vila with Bro. Guila to Balingasag; Fathers Falomir and Guardiet to Talisayan; Fr. Martin and Bro. Vilanova, to Sumilao and Linabo in Bukidnon; Fr. Peruga and Bro. Beamonte were assigned to Tagoloan. __ See Fr. JS Arcilla, SJ, Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao Vol. IV, the Balingasag Mission, p. 674.

[xxxiii] Atty. G.F. Vega, Historical Glimpses of Balingasag.

OOO