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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