The Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Tagbilaran City marked its 35th founding anniversary on Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026. As the first contemplative monastery in Bohol, the community of Canoness Nuns follows the tradition of 'Ora et Labora' or 'Prayer and Work,' centering its daily life on prayer, communal work, study, reflection and recreation.
Historical Background
In a text message sent to SunStar Cebu, the first Mother Abbess, Mother Mary Monica, said the monastery belongs to the Canonesses Regular of the Lateran of St. Augustine, also known as the Canoness Nuns, a pontifical contemplative order with papal enclosure. Its mother house, the Monastero dello Spirito Santo in Rome, was established and consecrated by Pope Julius II on Nov. 3, 1504.
According to Mother Monica, the roots of the monastery in Bohol date back to 1986, when 15 Italian nuns from the Roman monastery met an American brother who encouraged the promotion of vocations for the order in the Philippines. From May 1987 to December 1990, Filipina aspirants traveled to Rome to join the congregation, prompting Church authorities to recommend opening a formation house in the Philippines due to the increasing number of vocations.
The congregation said the late Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal endorsed the community to the late Tagbilaran Bishop Felix S. Zafra, who welcomed the establishment of the monastery in Tagbilaran City.
Establishment and Construction
The site in Barangay Ubujan was reportedly found on March 3, 1990, with the help of a public utility vehicle driver while the sisters were searching for a suitable property. Groundbreaking and blessing rites were held on May 8, 1990, officiated by Bishop Zafra in the presence of various religious congregations, lay faithful and supporters.
Construction began on June 21, 1990 and was entrusted to Cebu-based engineer Joseph Yu of JY Construction. Funding came from the Generalate of the Society of the Divine Word in Rome, along with benefactors from Italy and the Philippines.
The monastery was formally blessed and consecrated to the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 1991, becoming the first house of the Canoness Nuns in the Philippines. Its chapel, dedicated to St. Joseph, was later consecrated on Aug. 15, 1991.
Canonical Erection and Mission
The congregation added that the Monastery of the Holy Spirit was canonically erected on Nov. 18, 2018, the same year Mother Monica was installed as its first Mother Abbess. The contemplative community described its mission as a life devoted to prayer, silence, contemplation and sacrifice for the Church and the salvation of humanity.
The congregation said its cloistered vocation seeks to serve as a 'living liturgy' and a witness to the joy of the Gospel in Bohol and the rest of the Philippines.
