Vicente Bernedo

In 1598, while residing at the Atocha convent in Madrid, Father Vicente requested to join the Dominican mission in the province of San Juan Bautista of Peru. Upon arriving in South America, he was first appointed reader (professor) of logic and theology at the convent of Santa Fe de Bogota (Colombia). In 1600, he was sent to Quito (Ecuador) to teach, before traveling on foot to the convent of the Rosary in Lima (Peru). In 1601, he arrived in Potosí (in present-day Bolivia, then attached to the jurisdiction of Charcas within the Viceroyalty of Peru). He settled at the convent of Santo Domingo, living initially in a rudimentary cell near the temple tower. From 1603 to 1606, he held the position of "doctrinero" (parish priest and catechist) of the indigenous parish of San Pedro in Potosí. Father Vicente quickly distinguished himself as a great itinerant evangelizer throughout the Bolivian Altiplano. He traveled through vast territories, notably the regions of Chichas and Lípez, as well as numerous mining centers (Porco, Santa Isabel, Atocha, Caiza, Tatasi, San Vicente, Oploca, Mataca, Oroncota, Tomina, and Vitichi). To carry out his mission among the local populations, he learned the Quechua language. He also founded confraternities of the Rosary and the Name of Jesus.

The life of Father Vicente Bernedo was marked by rigorous asceticism and deep piety. He practiced frequent fasting, wore hair shirts, slept on a simple wooden board, and engaged in severe penances. His reputation for holiness was such during his lifetime that the inhabitants of Potosí would crowd the streets to kiss his hands and pay him homage, which drove him to remain withdrawn in his cell for long hours to flee from honors. He passed away on August 19, 1619, in Potosí, at the age of 57. His funeral gathered an immense crowd, from all social classes, who already considered him a saint. Sixteen months after his death, during the transfer of his remains to a chapel in the temple of Santo Domingo, his body was discovered perfectly incorrupt.

The informative process regarding the life, virtues, and miracles of the Servant of God was officially opened on October 26, 1662, by the Archbishop of La Plata (Charcas), Msgr. Gaspar de Villarroel. Although this first phase concluded in December 1664, the cause suffered long delays and interruptions over the centuries. On January 22, 1991, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby conferring upon him the title of Venerable. In 2019, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his death, the Diocese of Potosí celebrated a jubilee year to revive popular devotion and actively relaunch the process for his beatification.

Nicknamed the "Apostle of Charcas" or the "Apostle of the Altiplano," the Venerable Vicente Bernedo left an indelible mark on Bolivia. His spirituality united intense mystical contemplation with tireless pastoral action among the most destitute. In a region dominated by mining and social injustice, he became the defender of the indigenous miners (the mitayos), which earned him the affectionate title of "saint of the miners." Several unexplained healings and miracles are attributed to him by popular devotion, both during his lifetime and after his death. His legacy remains alive in Potosí, where several educational and religious institutions bear his name. His mortal remains still rest in the temple of Santo Domingo de Potosí, where they continue to be the object of fervent veneration by the faithful and pilgrims.