The Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines () was a geographical and administrative subdivision of the religious Order of St. Augustine that was formally affiliated to the Order on March 7, 1575, to originally cater the needs of the growing Augustinian presence in Philippines who were serving Filipinos in more than 300 towns in the 16th century. The Province later on expanded its presence in East Asia, Africa and the Americas in the 20th century to help build and serve more communities. It was considered to be the largest province in the whole Augustinian Order, with more than 300 affiliated Augustinian friars working in The Philippines, Spain, Tanzania, India, Venezuela, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and China, according to a 2018 statistic from the Province.
The Province formally ceased to exist and was formally merged with three other Spanish Augustinian Provinces during the 186th Ordinary General Chapter of the Order of Saint Augustine in Rome on September 16, 2019, to create a unified Spanish Augustinian Province of San Juan de Sahagun, a move which aims to restore the Augustinian Order in Spain, which had been in decline prior to the decision.
The Spanish Exploration
In 1565, Adelantado Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in the Philippines at the head of an expedition sent by Viceroy Luís de Velasco of New Spain to discover islands west of the Moluccas upon the orders of Philip II of Spain. Enlisted to guide the perilous voyage was the famed navigator Andrés de Urdaneta (b. 1498 - d. June 3, Mexico, 1568), an Augustinian friar.Heimbucher, Max. "Hermits of St. Augustine." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 29 May 2021
Although a veteran of previous voyages across the Pacific, Father Urdaneta was reluctant to take part in the expedition, let alone command it. When he declined the offer to lead, the responsibility fell upon the shoulders of Legazpi.Mitchell, Mairin (1964). Friar Andrés de Urdaneta, O.S.A., London: Macdonald and Evans Already in his sixties and in poor health, Urdaneta considered himself retired as a navigator especially after having earlier turned his back on the world by joining the Augustinian Order in Mexico.
Having ascended to the Spanish throne, When King Philip II of Spain ordered his men to concentrate their efforts on the Philippines, a move that was also meant to avoid further conflict with the Portuguese, the main Spanish rival in this period of the Age of Discovery. When Philip II ordered the viceroy to "prepare a fleet of discovery" of the western islands near the Moluccas and wrote Urdaneta a letter asking him to guide the voyage, he felt compelled to obey for "the glory of God and the expansion of our faith." Urdaneta's expertise and experience proved essential to keeping them on course.Kelsey, Harry (2016). The First Circumnavigators. Yale University Press.
Augustinians: First Catholic Missionaries in the Philippines
Urdaneta and four other Augustinians, Martín de Rada (b. 1533 - d. 1578), Diego de Herrera, Pedro de Gamboa and Andrés de Aguirre, started a successful apostolate in Cebú as soon as they landed in April 1565. Legazpi founded the first Spanish settlement there in a spot where his men had stumbled upon a statue of the Child Jesus in a burnt hut. The Spaniards considered it miraculous to have found the statue, a gift from Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of the rajah of Cebu after her conversion to Catholicism in 1521. He named the place Villa del Santísimo Nombre de Jésus in honor of the Holy Child. Urdaneta founded the first churches in the Philippines, the St. Vitales Church and the Basilica del Santo Niño; he served as the first prelate of the Church in Cebu. Urdaneta was considered a "protector of the Indians" for his treatment of the Philippine natives.The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, vol. 2, (Emma Helen Blair, James Alexander Robertson, eds.) (Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1903), 33, note 5. In June 1565, he and Andrés de Aguirre returned to the monastery in Mexico City to report on their experience. In 1567 he requested to return to the Philippines and continue his missionary work but was refused by his superior because of his age. He died at the friary in Mexico City on June 3, 1568.
Formation of a New Province
When Urdaneta and Aguirre returned to Mexico, De Rada, Herrera, and Gamboa remained and quickly learned the local Cebuano language. In 1566–67, Rada made voyages to nearby islands to preach. In Manila, the Augustinians had been given a piece of land within the walled city of Intramuros to build a church and a monastery. The original San Agustin Church, built of bamboo and nipa, was completed in 1571.Torres, Jose Victor Z. (2005). Ciudad Murada: A Walk Through Historic Intramuros. Manila: Intramuros Administration & Vibal Publishing House, Inc. p.62
Provincial chapters The first provincial chapter of the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines was held at San Agustin Church on May 3, 1572, which elected Fray Martin de Rada, OSA as the province's first prior provincial. Rada denounced abuses committed by Spanish authorities against the local population and reported these to Philip ll. His vigorous advocacy for justice has earned him a place in history as the "Defender of the Natives." A key document in this matter was his Parecer del Provincial fray Martín de Rada, agustino, sobre las cosas de estas tieras ("Opinions of Provincial Father Martin de Rada, augustinian friar, about the things of this land"), dated at Manila, June 21, 1575.
Establishment of the Augustinian Province in the Philippines In 1575, under the leadership of Father Alfonso Gutierez, 24 Spanish Augustinians landed in the islands and, with the guidance of both Fathers Herrera and Rada, worked very successfully, at first as itinerant preachers. Their missionary zeal played a pivotal role in the evolution of the archipelago into today's only Catholic nation in Asia. In 1575, then Prior General of the Order, Fr. Tadeo de Perusa, issued a decree formally establishing the new Augustinian Province in the Philippines which was to be known as the Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines (Santisimo Nombre de Jesus de Filipinas). To provide a steady source of missionaries to the Philippines following the founding of the province, a seminary was created in Valladolid, Spain. Franciscans first appeared in the Philippines in 1577 and were welcomed by the Augustinians. Soon they were joined by Dominicans and Jesuits.
Discalced Augustinians in the Philippines Sent by Philip III, the first Discalced Augustinians landed in 1606. All these Orders shared in the work and challenges of the missions. Protected by Spain, they prospered, and their missionary efforts became more and more successful. In 1773 the Jesuits, however, were obliged to give up their missions in consequence of the suppression of the Society.
Headquarters San Agustín Church and Monastery served as the province's headquarters for more than 300 years. It is also where the Adelantado Miguel López de Legazpi is buried.
17th century Augustinian friars in the Philippines Casimiro Diaz provides an account of the Augustinian friars in the Philippines between 1641 and 1670 in his Conquistas. During the chapter session of 1641, Fray Gerónimo de Medrano is chosen as prior provincial. Shortly after, Archbishop Guerrero passes away, and Diaz includes a summary of his life and character. Three years later, Medrano is replaced by Fray Alonso Carvajal, while Diego Fajardo assumes the role of governor of the islands. On April 16, 1644, following the timeline prescribed by their holy rules, the provincial chapter of the province convened at the convent of San Pablo in Manila.
Father Fray Gerónimo de Medrano had led the province with great success during his second term, earning widespread regret when his tenure ended and a strong desire among many for his continued leadership. This wish was fulfilled in 1650, when he was elected for a third term. On May 9, 1650, the voting fathers convened in chapter at the convent in Manila and elected Father Fray Gerónimo de Medrano as provincial for the third time. Known for his exceptional virtue and prudence, Medrano left a lasting legacy.
After considerable effort, the Augustinians manage to send a procurator to Spain to secure additional missionaries. Casimiro Diaz recounts the events of 1651–52, focusing on the oppressive and unlawful actions of Fajardo’s confidant, Venegas, and his eventual downfall. This outcome is attributed to the bravery of Provincial Geronimo de Medrano, who formally lodged a complaint against Venegas with the governor.
Augustinian works The missionaries of the Province have given the world valuable descriptive works on Asian countries and their peoples especially in the early days. Included in this key Augustinian contribution are Father Cipriano Navarro's important work on The Inhabitants of the Philippines and a monumental work in six volumes by Father Manuel Blanco titled Flora de Filipinas (Madrid, 1877--). Both works are valuable contributions to literature and learning. World-renowned botanist Father Blanco had built a botanical garden for his plant experiments in Intramuros that became the basis for his internationally acclaimed book. Augustinian friars made researches in the languages of the Philippine Islands including Diego Bergano, and José Sequi (d. 1844), a prominent missionary of the order. Many wrote grammars and compiled dictionaries.
Evangelization of native settlements In Luzon, the Augustinians embarked upon the evangelization of native settlements and subsequently built churches in Calumpit, Malolos, Hagonoy, Bigaa, Guiguinto and Quingua in the province of Bulacan and in Lubao, Betis, Macabebe, Bacolor, San Fernando and Apalit in province of Pampanga.
Economic, Social and Cultural Labors in Asia and Beyond
Since 1565 until the present, more than 3,000 Augustinian missionaries have dedicated themselves to apostolic, social, and cultural labor in the Philippines, China and Japan. The Augustinian missions in the Philippines have provided missionaries for the East since their first establishment. In 1603 some of them entered Japan, where several were martyred, and in 1653 others reached China, where in 1701 the Order had six missionary stations. Father Rada was one of those who visited China, and he reported extensively on his findings and impressions about the country. He is considered to be the first ambassador of the Philippines to China during colonial times.
Before the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the Augustinians administered over four hundred schools and churches in the islands scattered across the archipelago. In 1904 they established the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City that eventually emerged as the largest Augustinian educational institution in the world in terms of student population and the only Augustinian university in the Asia-Pacific region. They have also served as the custodians of the Santo Niño Shrine in Cebu City, which houses the centuries-old image of the Child Jesus recovered by Legazpi's men in 1565, within the Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu.