The parish priests of the Diocese of Cebu (1880s)

The Diocese of Cebu in the 1700s had jurisdiction over all the islands and provinces of the Visayas and Mindanao, even reaching to the Marianas Islands.

The parishes were administered by missionaries coming from the orders of the Augustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits, Recollects, and the secular clergy.

The list is taken from the book of Fr. Felipe Redondo in 1886:

Feliciano Torres, Secular Clergy, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Erected as a parish under the patronage of Santa Rosa de Santa Maria by diocesan decree of August 10, 1858, through royal decree of April 25, 1855. Its mother parish was Bantayan.

Fr. Eusebio Ibanez, Franciscan, Dagami, Leyte,

It was founded by the Jesuits who administered it up to 1845 and turned over it to the Franciscan Fathers. It is under the patronage of St. Joseph.

Fr. Mateo Diez, Augustinian, Dalaguete, Cebu

Its creation dates to 1711. It is under the patronage of San Guillermo, Duque de Aquitania (St. William of Aquitaine). It noted that its church had an organ.

Fr. Fidel Moreno, Recollect, Danao, Cebu.

In the book of Fr. Redondo quoting Cavada, it said that it was created in 1742, however the parish priest says it was established in 1671. It is under the patronage of St. Thomas de Villanueva.

Fr. Antonio Onach, Jesuit, Dapitan, Misamis Dapitan is presently a component city of the Province of Zamboanga del Norte which has Dipolog City as its capital. The first to start administering the “Subanos” (meaning river people, the natives of the area) in the coast of Dapitan was Fr. Juan Lopez, then Fr. Fabricio Sarsail, then Fr. Francisco de Otazo; they were followed by various other priests who, in Cebu and in Bohol had been in their rounds. In 1629, Sr. Pedro de Arce, the Bishop of Cebu, gave the Jesuits the charge of this ministry. Fr. Pedro Gutierrez traveled around these coasts to evangelize in the rivers of Quipit, Micas, Talinga, and others; it was in 1631 when a residencia was formed. Fr. Gutierrez was its rector. It was Bishop Arce who named him as the Vicario Foraneo of Dapitan on April 12, 1630 and Vicario of the Armed Forces for Mindanao on March 8, 1635 and December 12, 1637. A background of Fr. Gutierrez said that he was born in Colima of the Bishopric of Mechoacan in 1593, he studied at the Jesuit school in Villadolid in 1611 then entered the Society of Jesus in Mexico. He came to the Philippines in 1622. One of his assignments was in Cebu. It noted that Fr. Gutierrez introduced the religion in the dominions of the king of Mindanao. He left Fr. Melchor de Vera in charge of Dapitan while he evangelized in the greater part of Mindanao, in fact he won the esteem of the Queen of Jolo.

(To be continued)