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:
Jose Canudas, Jesuit, Bunauan, Surigao.
Talacogon and Bunauan was erected as a parish on June 25, 1851 under the patronage of the Immaculate Concepcion of Our Lady. It has two towns, 20 leagues distant from each other. Talacogon was described as situated by the Agusan River, 20 leagues south of Butuan and Bunauan, near the lagoon of Linao and Simulao River, a tributary of the Agusan. The priest resides in Talacogon as there were more souls to be attended to.
Fr. Vicente Gutierrez, Franciscan, Burauen, Leyte.
The parish was erected under the patronage of the Immaculate Concepcion, its oldest entries date back to June 3, 1804, which was administered by Fr. Pedro Gomez, a Calced Augustinian whose congregation had received it from the Jesuits by royal decree dated February 27, 1767. Interestingly the footnote of the English translation of the book of Fr. Redondo gives a background of Fr. Gomez. It said that the priest was born in Zamora in 1770 and made his profession at the Colegio de Valladolid in 1790; he came to these islands in the mission of March 11, 1797; he was assigned to Leyte where he died in Dulag. This is so as Burauen was a visita of Dulag until 1844 when it separated from its mother parish.
Saturnino Urios, Butuan, Surigao.
Butuan used to be part of the 3rd District of Surigao in Mindanao. Butuan was created under the patronage of St. Joseph in 1622. It was administered by the Augustinian Recollects until 1879, then by the Society of Jesus. It used to have an annex, the town of Tubay on the shore, at the mouth of the river of the Laguna de Mainit, to the north 12 miles away; Cabadbaran a dependent; and Nasipit, a visita.
Lucas Soto, Secular Clergy, Cabalian, Leyte.
Cabalian was erected as a parish by Diocesan decree on January 13, 1861 under the patronage of St. John the Baptist, through superior approval on September 15, 1860, it separated from its mother parish Malitbog. It had a visita named as “Himatagon”, which had a church made of light materials. It also has in the island of Panaon an annex town known as Liloan, two hours of navigation from Cabalian, which had a church and a convent. (To be continued)