The Recollects in Cebu
Cebuano historian, Dionisio A. Sy, in his book, “A Short History of Cebu 1500-1800s” and “The Anti-Spanish Revolution in Cebu” (2008 edition, originally published in 1979) discussed the history of the arrival of the missionaries. This is what Sy said of them:
“The Recollects or Discalced Augustinians received ecclesiastical approval for the formation of their congregation in 1621. The first members were actually Augustinians who separated from the latter congregation due to differences over some observances in their religious life.
“In 1622, the bishop of Cebu, Fray Pedro de Arce, requested the Recollects to establish a convent in Cebu. The local city government concurred with the bishop’s decision “although the city was not sufficiently large for such a convent.” At that time, Cebu already had the convent of the Jesuits, the Augustinian convent and church, the cathedral church, the church of the Parian and the church of San Nicolas.
“The Recollects came to Cebu in 1622, Bishop Arce gave them a chapel between the native (San Nicolas) and Spanish towns (Santisimo Nombre), and called the convent Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion.
“During the 17th century, however, the Recollects, did not yet engage in parish work here in Cebu province. Their convent mainly served as central station for the Recollects working in Mindanao (Butuan-Surigao del Sur area) and in the island of Maripipi in Southern Leyte, their convent, in effect, was a hermitage (Ermita).
“Although residents in the neighborhood of the Recollects convent could hear Mass in their chapel, the convent itself had no ministry or parish under its care. Thus, it was unable to earn income from stipends charged for administering church services (the practice of church stipends for Baptism, Masses, burial services, and others is still practiced today in the Catholic Church in the Philippines). The Recollect convent was sustained financially by the congregation itself, by government stipends and donations from citizens.”
Dionisio A. Sy (who worked in the Cebu City government for decades) was the grandson of Benito Luison Zoleta of Tubay, Agusan de Norte, and Irene Zamora of Anda, Bohol, and the child of Guillermo Bernaldez Sy of Duero, Bohol, and Antonia Amora of Anda, Bohol. His book had a mimeographed edition in 1979 and was serialized in 1978 in the now-defunct Republic News.
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