The strong racial discrimination that plagued the Catholic Church during the Spanish Era made it almost impossible for native Filipinos to be accepted in the different religious orders. The case of Fray Ignacio de Manesay de Sta. Teresa, OSA, was quite exceptional. He was ordained by Archbishop Diego Camacho and was even made a private secretary. Later, he joined the Augustinian Order and was even appointed as the first Indio sangley mestizo missionary to China. The women were more aggressive. Having been refused admittance to the existing convents, they founded their own local religious institutes. Some Caviteñas joined these congregations and even occupied high positions. Mother Hipolita Cotelo, a Caviteña, became prioress of the Beaterio de la Compania (RVM) in Intramuros between 1845 and 1850. Mother Hipolita was classified as an Indian by race. Mother Aniceta de la Santissima Trinidad (nee Aniceta de la Cruz), was mother prioress of Beaterio de San Sebastian (the present-day Augustinian Recollect) from 1845-1857. She was from Imus, Cavite. Mother Prudencia del Pilar (nee Prudencia Custudio y Faustino) of San Roque, Cavite, also became prioress from 1893-1922 of the same Beaterio.

There were also Caviteñas who worked in foreign missions. Two Caviteñas joined the Dominican Beaterio de Sta. Catalina. In 1858, when China declared religious freedom for her people, the Dominican Missionaries of Beaterio de Santa Catalina asked for volunteers for the new mission territory. Two brave Caviteñas dared cross the China Sea and volunteered to work in China. Sor Regina dela Immaculado Corazon de Maria (nee Regina Granada Samson) of Sta. Cruz de Malabon who professed in 1865 was sent to China. There she worked at the Asylum in Foachow (1881-1882). She helped in the foundation of the Asilo de Santa Infancia de Kambeo in 1890. She died in 1905. Sor Josefa de San Andres (nee Andrea Adam Reyes) of San Roque, Cavite professed in 1876. She went to China and founded the Asilo de Santa Catalina de Anpoa in 1889. Then she inaugurated and became the first superior of the Holy Childhood Asylum of Takoa in Formosa (Taiwan) on July 2, 1904. She died on August 25, 1905.

On the eve of the Philippine Revolution, two Caviteñas once again crossed the seas to join the Canossian Missionaries of Charity in Hong Kong. Mother Librada Colmenar of San Francisco de Malabon and Mother Ana Bautista of Imus, Cavite, were acclaimed for their work especially with the sick. They devoted their lives caring for the sick and bringing Jesus to their wards. By the time of Communist takeover of China, there were some Caviteña Catholic missionaries working in the Mainland. During the suppression of religion, foreign missionaries were expelled as in the case of Sor Cecilia Salgado of Mendez, Cavite, who worked as an Augustinian Recollect missionary in China for many years.