Montevideo, Uruguay (Thursday, 27.08.2015, Gaudium Press) The process of canonization of the first bishop of Montevideo, Uruguay, His Excellency Jacinto Vera (1813-1881), is moving forward. He has been declared Venerable by Pope Francis last May.

Venerable Jacinto Vera, first bishop of Uruguay

The presentation of the document, called the “Positio” will take place in the “Bauza” hall at the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU) and will be conducted by a panel composed of His Excellency Alberto Sanguinetti, Bishop of Canelones and author of the ‘Positio.’; Professor Fernando Ordonez, from the University of the Republic; Professor Gabriel Gonzalez Merlano, from the Catholic University; Father Daniel Bazzano, from the Faculty of Theology of Uruguay “Msgr. Mariano Soler” and the Professor Agapo Palomeque from the Department of Canelones.

The “Positio” is one of the main steps of the process of canonization. The Postulator of the Cause produces a document gathering the testimonies of the witnesses, the main aspects of the life of the candidate, his virtues and his writings, his letters, his homilies among others.

This document has more than 2000 pages and took nearly 15 years of hard work.

The act of canonization is reserved to the Holy See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that the person proposed for canonization lived and died in such an exemplary and holy way that he or she is worthy to be recognized as a saint. The Church’s official recognition of sanctity implies that the persons are now in heavenly glory, that they may be publicly invoked and mentioned officially in the liturgy of the Church.

The Venerable Jacinto Vera is considered the Father of the Church in Uruguay. He was the one who restructured the clergy in the country, he motivated the participation of the laity in the life of the Church and he founded a local Catholic press. In addition he encouraged the presence of male and female religious orders.

He was born on July 3, 1813 on a ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean when his parents were on the way from the Canary Islands with the intention to immigrate to Uruguay. He was baptized in the city of Florianopolis, in the State of Santa Catarina, in the south of Brazil. Once the family was established in Uruguay he made his First Communion in the Chapel of Our Lady of Carmel in Toledo, in the province of Canelones. In 1832 he received his calling to the priesthood.

He did his studies with the Jesuits in Buenos Aires from 1836-1841. He was ordained in May 28, 1841 by Bishop Mariano Medrano. On October 4, 1859 he was appointed Apostolic Vicar and in July 16, 1865 he was made Bishop of Melgara. In July 13, 1878, he was appointed as first bishop of Montevideo.

He worked hardly for the return of the Jesuits to the country and he requested the presence of the Salesian Fathers, who arrived in the country in December 1876, and for this purpose Bishop Vera corresponded directly with St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation.

As Bishop of Montevideo he blessed the first stone of the Theological Seminary of the city, which opened in 1880. He died on May 6, 1881 preaching a mission in Pan de Azucar.

Source Catholic Conference of Bishop of Uruguay