Priors and Rectors of Sto. Niño Church/Basilica since 1565

Priors and Rectors of Sto. Niño Church/Basilica since 1565

This roster of Priors and/or Rectors is based on a c. 1926 manuscript kept at the archives of the Basilica. This corrects, clarifies and
completes the published list at the Coffee table book Pit Señor! (pages 171-173, Appendix B: Rectors of the Church and Custodians of
the Holy Image of Santo Niño) published by the University of San Agustin Publishing House in 2007. The c. 1926 list is entitled “Lista de
los Priores que han regido el convento del Sto. Niño de Cebu de la Provincia del Smo. Nombre de Jesus” Fr. Ric Anthony Reyes, OSA.

 

Year Rector/Prior
1565 Rev. Fr. Diego de Herrera, OSA →
1572 Fray Martin de Rada, OSA
1575 Fray Alonso Jimenez, OSA
1582 Fray Cristobal Tarique, OSA
1584 Fray Bartolome Alcantara, OSA
1593 Fray Miguel de Siguenza, OSA
1596 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fray Pedro de Arce, OSA (1st Term; became Bishop of Cebu in 1604)
1599 Fray Juan de Villalobos, OSA
1603 Fray Pedro Aguirre, OSA
1605 Fray Gabriel Pernia, OSA
1606 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fr. Miguel Garcia Serrano, OSA (became Bishop of Nueva Segovia, 1617, Manila, 1619)
1607 Fray Alonso Baraona, OSA
1607 Fray Francisco Bonifacio, OSA
1608 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fray Pedro de Arce, OSA (2nd term)
1611 Fray Agustin de los Rios, OSA
1613 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fray Hernando Guerrero, OSA (became Bishop of Nueva Segovia in 1628)
1613 Fray Alonso Ortiz Calderon, OSA
1614 Fray Eustaquio Ortiz, OSA
1619 Fray Lucas de San Agustin, OSA
1620 Fray Juan de Trezo, OSA
1626 Fray Juan de Medina, OSA
1629 Fray Lorenzo de Figueroa, OSA
1630 Fray Diego de Ordas, OSA (Vice Prior)
1632 Fray Juan de Silva, OSA
1638 Fray Juan Suarez, OSA
1641 Fray Francisco de Avila, OSA
1644 Fray Geronimo Paredes, OSA
1645 Fray Francisco Villalon, OSA
1646 Fray Gonzalo de Palma, OSA
1647 Fray Andres Verdugo, OSA
1650 Fray Antonio Carrion, OSA
1656 Fray Nuño Pereyra, OSA
1657 Fray Juan de Borja, OSA
1659 Fray Geronimo de la Serna, OSA
1662 Fray Jose Duque, OSA
1665 Fray Geronimo de la Serna, OSA
1668 Fray Jose Duque, OSA
1671 Fray Juan Ponce, OSA
1672 Fray Juan Caballero, OSA (Vice Prior)
1674 Fray Juan Bover, OSA
1677 Fray Bartolome Garcia, OSA
1680 Fray Miguel Rubio, OSA
1681 Fray Juan Ponce, OSA (2nd Term; Vice Prior)
1683 Fray Juan Bover, OSA (2nd Term)
1686 Fray Julian Zapata, OSA
1689 Fray Juan Bautista de Olarte, OSA
1690 Fray Francisco Toledo, OSA
1693 Fray Nicolas Barrette, OSA
1698 Fray Jose Gil, OSA
1701 Fray Juan de San Nicolas, OSA
1704 Fray Martin Fuente, OSA
1707 Fray Martin Fuente, OSA (2nd Term)
1710 Fray Martin Fuente, OSA (3rd Term)
1713 Fray Martin Fuente, OSA (4th Term)
1713 Fray Nicolas de la Cuadra, OSA
1716 Fray Manuel Gonzalez, OSA
1719 Fray Pedro Sijalde, OSA
1725 Fray Juan Serrano, OSA
1728 Fray Manuel de Castro, OSA
1731 Fray Jose Bosqued, OSA
1732 Fray Jose Trevino, OSA
1735 Fray Juan Albarran, OSA
1738 Fray Miquel Suarez, OSA
1740 Fray Pedro Sanchez, OSA
1744 Fray Jacinto Pico, OSA
1748 Fray Andres Puertas, OSA (1st Term)
1750 Fray Andres Puertas, OSA (2nd Term)
1753 Fray Andres Puertas, OSA (3rd Term)
1756 Fray Ignacio Clapera, OSA
1759 Fray Jacinto Pico, OSA
1762 Fray Luis Torreblanca, OSA
1765 Fray Andres Puertas, OSA (4th Term)
1769 Fray Andres Puertas, OSA (5th Term)
1777 Fray Luis Torreblanca, OSA (2nd Term)
1780 Fray Francisco Espina, OSA
1782 Fray Antonio Pardo, OSA
1786 Fray Bonifacio Gascon, OSA
1790 Fray Bonifacio Gascon, OSA (2nd Term)
1794 Fray Bonifacio Gascon, OSA (3rd Term)
1798 Fray Martin Iglesias, OSA
1802 Fray Ambriosio Otero, OSA
1806 Fray Bonifacio Gascon, OSA (4th Term)
1814 Fray Mateo Perez, OSA
1815 Fray Juan Chacel, OSA
1818 Fray Ambriosio Otero, OSA (2nd Term)
1825 Fray Julian Bermejo, OSA
1829 Fray Julian Bermejo, OSA
1833 Fray Bernardo Giganto, OSA
1839 Fray Bernardo Giganto, OSA (2nd Term)
1841 Fray Julian Bermejo, OSA (3rd Term)
1846 Fray Domingo Sanchez, OSA
1852 Fray Prospero Puerto, OSA
1854 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fray Casimiro Herrero, OSA (Vice Prior; became Bishop of Nueva Caceres in 1880)
1857 Fray Juan Alonso, OSA
1861 Fray Juan Lopez, OSA
1865 Fray Juan Magaz, OSA
1867 Fray Antonio Manglano, OSA
1869 El Iltmo. Sr. D. Fray Arsenio del Campo, OSA (became Bishop of Nueva Caceres in 1887)
1873 Fray Gabriel Gonzalez, OSA
1877 Fray Meliton Talegon, OSA
1881 Fray Meliton Talegon, OSA (2nd Term)
1885 Fray Mauricio Alvarez, OSA
1889 Fray Mateo Diez, OSA
1893 Fray Manuel Ibeas, OSA
1897 Fray Jorge Romanillos, OSA
1900 Fray Jacinto Albarran, OSA
1905 Fray Manuel Fernandez, OSA
1907 Fray Miguel de Celis, OSA (Vice Prior)
1909 Fray Juan Fernandez, OSA
1913 Fray Valerio Rodrigo, OSA
1917 Fray Luciano Fernandez, OSA (Vice Prior)
1918 Fray Valerio Rodrigo, OSA (2nd Term)
1922 Fray Pedro Medina, OSA
1926 Fray Pedro Medina, OSA (2nd Term)
1929 Fray Manuel Canseco, OSA
1935 Fray Juan Mendiluce, OSA
1938 Fray Pablo Alava, OSA
1946 Fray Juan Mendiluce, OSA (2nd Term)
1949 Fray Mariano Sapiña, OSA
1952 Fray Pablo Alava, OSA (2nd Term)
1955 Fray Mariano Sapiña, OSA (2nd Term)
1958 Fray Restituto Suarez, OSA
1964 Fray Casimiro Garcia, OSA (also referred now as the Rector of the new Basilica)
At the declaration of the Church of San Agustin as Basilica Menor del Sto. Niño de Cebu in 1965, there are Rectors who are not necessarily Priors of the Convento del Sto. Niño. Hence, the names marked with * given below are assigned as rectors which are not at the same time serving as Priors of the Convent/Augustinian Community of Sto. Niño de Cebu.
1967 Fray Gregorio Liquete, OSA
1970 Fray Sulpicio Enderes, OSA (First Filipino Rector)
1973 Fray Ambrosio Galindez, OSA
1974 Fray Restituto Suarez, OSA (2nd Term)
1978 Fray Medardo Durmiendo, OSA
The “Lista” manuscript ends in 1978 and was not anymore updated. It is presumed that the list was forgotten to be updated by the Secretario; moreover, it could be a result of the plans of the separation of the Filipino Augustinians to create the new Augustinian Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu-Philippines which would eventually be realized by 1983 until its inauguration in 1984. Fray Ambrosio Galindez, OSA was the last assigned in the Convento under the Spanish Province of Most Holy Name of Jesus and presumably the first to be assigned under the new Filipino Province of Cebu. Moreover, take note that it should be Fray Sulpicio Enderes, OSA as the first Filipino Augustinian friar to be assigned as a Prior of the Convento in 1970.
1982 Fray Ambrosio Galindez, OSA (2nd Term)
1988 Fray Apolinario Mejorada, OSA
1992 Fray Rosalio Paderog, OSA
1994 Fray Bernardo Coleco, OSA
1996 Fray Bernardino Ricafrente, OSA
1998 Fray Edgardo Lazo, OSA
2000 Fray Jerome Elias Mesina, OSA
2004 Fray Andrew Batayola, OSA
2008 Fray Rodolfo Bugna, OSA*
2012 Fray Jonas Mejares, OSA
2016 Fray Pacifico Nohara, OSA
2021 Fray Nelson Zerda, OSA
2024 Fray Andres Rivera Jr., OSA

 

 

 

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