The Province of St. Nicholas of Tolentine was created in the first General chapter - celebrated in Madrid towards the end of November 1621. From the word go it has acquired a very characteristic profile. While in the other Provinces the monastic aspect prevailed; in that of St. Nicholas the missionary spirit reigned. Until 1824, when the novitiate-college of Alfaro was opened (moving five years later to Monteagudo), it had never had, neither an authentic novitiate, nor an authentic theology house. Almost all of its members were recruited from among the Religious of the three Spanish Provinces.


Its history is confused with that of the Recollect presence in the Philippines. For two years the Philippine islands were its only field of operations with the exception of some small appendages in Japan (1623-1632) and Guam (1768-1906). In the 19th century the crisis of the Spanish Provinces obliged the Province of St. Nicholas to open its own seminaries in Spain, but their work continued to be restricted to the archipelago of Magallanas. Not until the 20th century did the Philippines begin to share its monopoly with other nations: first with Panama (1898-1910), Venezuela (1898-1948), Brazil (1899-1907), and Spain (1899); later with China (1907) and England (1932); and ultimately with Peru (1939-1948), Mexico (1941), Taiwan (1963) and Costa Rica (1963). In these 400 or so years, more than 2,000 Recollects have worked in the Philippines. They were especially numerous during the second half of the 19th century.

The historic trajectory of the Province has known much comings and goings. It has experienced the joyous and speedy progress of times of abundance, and the slow and heavy uphill struggle of crisis and dejection. In all this we can distinguish four stages.

The number of Recollects present in The Philippines [1806-1998]
1610	16	1878	209
1655	50	1897	330
1691	70	1906	77
1750	115	1936	95
1774	92	1958	71
1798	95	1962	84
1847	111	1998	122