The story of the Church in Surigao del Sur is four centuries old. It begins with missionary friars on the Caraga coast and continues today in parishes, chapels and small Christian communities in every town of the province.
The Recollect mission
In the early 1620s the Bishop of Cebu entrusted the evangelisation of north-eastern Mindanao to the Augustinian Recollects. Their mission in Tandag, begun in 1622, became the centre of their work along the Caraga coast. Tandag is therefore the oldest parish of the diocese, followed by Bislig (1642) and, much later, Cantilan (1791) and Lianga (1879).
A stone fort and settlement grew up at Tandag, which in 1650 became the capital of the district of Caraga. Between 1754 and 1767 raids devastated the town; the Jesuit Fr. José Ducos rebuilt the garrison and the priory. The Recollects continued to serve the missions of Caraga until 1864.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1622 | Augustinian Recollect mission begins in Tandag; San Nicolas de Tolentino becomes its patron. |
| 1642 | Mission of Bislig (Sto. Tomas de Villanueva) founded. |
| 1650 | Tandag becomes the capital of the district of Caraga. |
| 1754–1767 | Raids devastate Tandag; the town and priory are rebuilt. |
| 1864 | End of the first Recollect period in Caraga. |
| 1939 | Diocese of Surigao is established, covering both Surigao provinces. |
| 1960 | Surigao del Sur becomes a separate civil province. |
| 1978 | Diocese of Tandag is established; Bishop Ireneo Amantillo, C.Ss.R., is installed on 7 November. |
| 2001 | Bishop Nereo Odchimar becomes the second Bishop of Tandag. |
| 2017 | The Augustinian Recollects return to Caraga with the new quasi-parish of Nuestra Señora del Carmen in Dugmanon, Hinatuan. |
| 2018 | Bishop Raul Dael is installed as the third Bishop of Tandag. |
| 2023 | The diocese celebrates 400 years of Christianity in Surigao del Sur and inaugurates Unitas Radio 103.1 FM. |
The Cathedral
The old Cathedral of San Nicolas de Tolentino in Tandag stands on the site of the first mission. A new cathedral, begun under Bishop Odchimar, now serves as the mother church of the diocese.