Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro

History

During the Spanish era there was only the Province of Misamis which included the present Provinces of Misamis Oriental and Misamis Occidental, and was handled by the civil government from Cebu. The Recollect Missionaries came down from Cebu and started a mission in the province. Civil government of its own started only in 1901. And because one part of it was separated from the main by Iligan Bay, the government decided to divide the province into two. Misamis Oriental is the bigger portion. Today the Diocesan Cathedral is one of the 12 Cathedrals that was founded by the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines.

Before 1865, the whole of Mindanao island and Sulu were part of the Diocese of Cebu. In 1865 the western half of Mindanao came under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Jaro in Panay. Then Pope Leo XIII established the Diocese of Zamboanga, separating it from Jaro and making it the first diocese in Mindanao. But it was Pope Pius X who executed this in 1910. Thus from 1910 Cagayan de Oro City became part of the Diocese of Zamboanga.

On January 20, 1933, Pope Pius XI created a second diocese in Mindanao, that of Cagayan de Oro City, separating it from Zamboanga City and giving it jurisdiction over the then Provinces of Surigao, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Bukidnon and part of the Province of Lanao. Together with Zamboanga it became a suffragan of the new Ecclesiastical Province of Cebu.

In 1939 the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Surigao comprising the Provinces of Surigao and Agusan; and in 1951 was divided again with the creation of the Diocese of Ozamiz comprising the Provinces of Lanao and Misamis Occidental.

On June 29, 1951, Pope Pius XI elevated Cagayan de Oro City to an archdiocese, coinciding with that of Jaro. The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro became the first archdiocese in Mindanao, thereby separating Mindanao from the Ecclesiastical Province of Cebu. It had as its suffragans all the dioceses and prelatures then in Mindanao island: Surigao, Cotabato, Sulu, Davao, Ozamiz, and Zamboanga which had been its mother diocese. It became an archdiocese seven years ahead of its mother diocese.

Later, the Apostolic Prefecture of Sulu, the Prelature Nullius of Marbel, the Prelature Nullius of Tagum, the Diocese of Butuan, the Prelature Nullius of Malaybalay, the Prelature Nullius of Iligan and the Diocese of Tandag became suffragans of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro.

Eventually four other archdioceses were established in Mindanao island: Zamboanga in 1958, Davao in 1970, Cotabato in 1979 and Ozamiz in 1983. Thus there are at present five ecclesiastical provinces in Mindanao.

The first bishop and archbishop of Cagayan de Oro was the James Hayes, S.J., D.D., who established the Ateneo de Cagayan (now known as Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan) and among others. He was succeeded by Patrick Cronin, S.S.C., D.D. in 1971. Bishop Cronin established the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary. The third bishop was Jesus B. Tuquib, D.D., S.T.D., who was installed as Archbishop with right of succession on May 31, 1984, and became the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro on January 5, 1988. Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J., D.D. was installed as Archbishop on March 4, 2006.

There are 46 diocesan priests manning the 46 parishes within the jurisdiction of the archdiocese, helped by 2 Jesuit and 5 Columban priests. Six others are doing non-parochial work and 3 others are in retirement. The rest of the Jesuits are in Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan or in the major seminary, and the rest of the Columbans, apart from the 5 involved in parish work, are in their procure house doing various apostolates such as hospital work and other activities. There are 18 religious institutes of women, one of which is a contemplative institute, the Carmelite nuns.

The archdiocese has its own diocesan college seminary, the San Jose de Mindanao Seminary that opened in 1955. It was constructed by Archbishop Hayes, was first administered by the Jesuits, then by Columban priests, and now by the diocesan clergy.

Also, within the archdiocese is a theology seminary - the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, which is mainly for seminarians of the Ecclesiastical Metro Cagayan de Oro. This was started by Archbishop Cronin and finished by Archbishop Tuquib. It opened in 1985.

Suffragan dioceses

Parishes and chaplaincies

The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro covers the province of Misamis Oriental, the island-province of Camiguin, and the municipality of Malitbog in the province of Bukidnon. At present, the archdiocese is made up of 45 parishes and 8 chaplaincies, i.e., communities on the way of becoming full-pledged parishes (40 parishes and 8 chaplaincies in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon and 5 parishes in Camiguin).

The Chinese Catholics especially in the city proper also have their own parish, the San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Community.

Priests in the Archdiocese: Diocesan and religious

As of 2013 there were 88 diocesan priests incardinated to the archdiocese. Most of them are in the parishes but there are also others without a parish, either in the seminary or carrying out diocesan or apostolate tasks. Some are outside the archdiocese either on study-leave, on mission, working in other dioceses, or on leave from the ministry, and some are retired.

Most of the diocesan priests have become members of a society of diocesan priests founded by Bishop Teofilo Camomot: the Society of St. John Vianney (SSJV). Some religious priests who are now taking care of 3 parishes help the priests in the parishes.

As of 2013 there were 9 male religious congregations in the Archdiocese:

Institute of Consecrates Life For Women

As of 2013 there were in the archdiocese, one institute of contemplative life (Carmelite nuns), and 17 religious institutes of active life:

Pious Associations

These are the groups of women on the way of becoming religious institutes of diocesan right:

The MSHF and the TMM are outgrowths of the original group founded by Archbishop Camomot and brought by him to Cagayan de Oro City: the Daughters of St. Teresa or DST, which later moved to Cebu. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary or FMM used to have a house here. And there is one lay association, the Teresiana.

The religious sisters are in various fields of apostolate (like running or administering schools, campus ministry, parish work, catechetics, family life, hospital work, running orphanages, taking care of young ladies, and others).

Seminaries

There are two seminaries in the Archdiocese: a college seminary and a theology seminary.

The college seminary, named, San Jose de Mindanao Seminary, is mainly for the seminarians of the Archdiocese, although it continues to receive seminarians from other ecclesiastical jurisdictions. It has a pre-college year and four years of college. The seminarians used to study within the seminary but due to lack of personnel and other reasons, they now take their courses in Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, which is owned and run by the Jesuit Fathers. This college seminary was founded by Archbishop Hayes and opened in 1956.

St. John Vianney Theological Seminary caters mainly to the seminarians of the Ecclesiastical Metro Cagayan de Oro, although it also accepts seminarians from other ecclesiastical jurisdictions. It has a Spiritual Pastoral Formation Year and four years of Theology. In consortium with Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, it now offers a master's degree in Pastoral Theology. It is run mainly by the Jesuit Fathers though there are now many diocesan priests teaching in the seminary. The construction of the seminary was begun by Archbishop Cronin and finished by Archbishop Tuquib.

The Archdiocese's seminaries have to refuse entry to many applicants due to lack of space.

While older priests are products of either the UST Central Seminary (Manila), San Jose Seminary (Manila), San Carlos Seminary (Makati), or REMASE (Davao), most of the younger clergy were educated at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

Lay religious organizations, movements, and covenant communities

While the archdiocese has many and varied traditional lay organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, Catholic Women's League, Legion of Mary, Apostleship of Prayer, Cursillos de Cristiandad, and many others, it also has many lay groups and what they call now the covenant communities. Thus, they have, for example, the Christian Family Movement, the Charismatic Movement (in all its many expressions and forms), the Neocatechumenal Way, the many so-called covenant communities, like the Couples for Christ and its many outreaches to widows and children, the Kahayag sa Dios (also with its many outreaches), the World Apostolate of Fatima—A Public International Association of the Faithful of Pontifical Right—Cagayan de Oro Archdiocesan Division where one of its apostolic work is the formation of the Block Rosary Apostolate for Community Evangelization. The mission of the World Apostolate of Fatima is the "New Evangelization" advocated by Pope John Paul II, through the promotion of the Message of Fatima.

University, colleges and schools

There is one Catholic university (Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan, run by the Jesuits), and six colleges (Lourdes College, St. Rita’s, Christ the King, and St. Mary’s, run by the RVM Sisters; and Fatima College in Mambajao, run by the Religious Sisters of Mercy). Most of the Catholic educational institutions were either founded by Archbishop Hayes himself or founded during his time.

There are 18 catholic high schools, most of which are run by Sisters. A group of Sisters, the Hijas de Jesus, administers the only Chinese Catholic school in Cagayan de Oro, the Kong Hua School.

Retreat centers

As of 2013 there were five retreat centers or houses where people can go for recollections, days of prayer or solitude, or retreats. The latest of these is the Cardinal Hoffner’s House of Prayer owned by the Archdiocese.

Hospitals and rehabilitation centers

For physically, psychologically, psychiatrically or emotionally sick people, the archdiocese has: one hospital (Maria Reyna Xavier University Hospital, founded by Archbishop Hayes and currently owned by a partnership between the archdiocese, the Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres, and Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan); and four rehabilitation centers, the best-known of which is the House of Hope of the Archdiocese for the mentally sick.