The Saint Monica Institute of Theology formerly known as “Saint Monica Institute of Religious Studies” was established in 2004 from the vision and desire of the Fathers of the Order of the Discalced Augustinians (OAD) in the Philippines and their formation community to give a balanced theological program and an integrated Augustinian and religious formation of candidates to the priesthood and religious life in the Philippines and in Asia.

The Institute started its operation as an extension of the Graduate School of the University of San Agustin with a Memorandum of Agreement signed by Very Rev. Fr. Antonio Desideri, OAD (Superior General) and His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, DD (Archbishop of Cebu) on August 27, 2004 (Feast of Saint Monica) at Tabor Hill, Talamban, Cebu City. The extension program of Graduate school was later terminated in 2014.

During this period, the Faculty and Staff of the Institute were made up of priests from the Order of the Discalced Augustinians, the Order of Saint Augustine Fathers and from other Religious Congregations in Cebu. A pool of instructors and resource persons with qualified credentials was formed to cater to the subjects contained in the 4-year curriculum. The first year of operation had 14 students and in the second year, another 14 were added, not to mention some religious sisters attending as observers to enhance their formation to consecrated life. To date, the Institute has recorded more than 100 graduates of the General Theological Program and some with Master of Arts in Religious Studies.

While the Institute aims to cater to the needs of the present community of the Order of the Discalced Augustinian brothers in preparation for their priestly ministry, and as the Order brace for the challenges of the Church and the contemporary world, the Discalced Augustinian Fathers plan to make this Institute as a centre of theological studies and of religious life in Cebu as well as in Asia. If by now this is the vision, tomorrow it would be a contribution of the Augustinians and the Philippine province of the Discalced Augustinians to the whole Church. The Order of the Discalced Augustinian missions would then extend to education, formation and animation of religious life not only in the region of Cebu but to the neighboring countries like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar, as a light of Asia.