Vicente López de Uralde Lazcano

After his ordination and a return to Spain, Father Vicente was assigned in 1928 to the "San Felipe Neri" College in Cadiz (Cádiz), in Andalusia. It was in this institution that he would spend almost his entire apostolic life, remaining there for 62 years as a teacher, chaplain, and spiritual advisor. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), while the college was occupied by Republican militiamen, Father Vicente demonstrated great pastoral courage. He strove to protect his students from violence and managed to secure the Blessed Sacrament, risking his own life to preserve the Eucharist from profanation. In 1964, at the age of 70, he retired from teaching. Freed from his school obligations, he chose to intensify his ministry of reconciliation. He then spent up to eight hours a day in the confessional of the college oratory, becoming the preferred and sought-after confessor for thousands of the faithful of Cadiz, local priests, and bishops. His infinite patience, gentleness, and ability to listen made him an essential figure in the city. In recognition of his exceptional dedication to the sick, the poor, and the entire population, the municipality of Cadiz named him an "Adoptive Son" of the city in 1968 and awarded him the Gold Medal. He passed away peacefully in Cadiz on September 15, 1990, at the age of 96, surrounded by an immense reputation for holiness.

The reputation for holiness of Father Vicente López de Uralde Lazcano, already very vivid during his lifetime, endured after his death. In 2008, the Bishop of Cadiz and Ceuta, Msgr. Antonio Ceballos Atienza, officially opened his cause for beatification and canonization. The diocesan phase of the inquiry closed in January 2010, and the file was transmitted to Rome. The Positio on his heroic virtues was drafted and submitted to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. In March 2022, the theological consultants of the Dicastery issued a favorable vote. On January 17, 2023, the cardinals and bishops who are members of the Dicastery confirmed that the Servant of God had lived the Christian virtues to a heroic degree. On January 19, 2023, during an audience granted to Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing his heroic virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable.

Father Vicente López de Uralde Lazcano is currently recognized as Venerable by the Catholic Church. For his beatification to be pronounced, a miracle attributed to his intercession must be formally recognized by the Holy See following a rigorous medical and theological investigation. On June 7, 2023, a solemn mass of thanksgiving for his declaration of venerability was celebrated in the church of the San Felipe Neri school in Cadiz, presided over by the bishop of the diocese, Msgr. Rafael Zornoza Boy. On this occasion, the urn containing his mortal remains was blessed and placed in a niche in the school chapel, where the faithful continue to come to pray and seek his intercession.

Father Vicente's spirituality is deeply rooted in the Marianist charism, characterized by a filial devotion to the Virgin Mary and a family spirit marked by simplicity and humility. He perfectly embodies what Pope Francis calls the "saints next door": a holiness lived out in daily life, without extraordinary flashes, but transfigured by tireless pastoral charity. His spiritual legacy rests primarily on his ministry of mercy. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, he was for generations of the faithful the welcoming and consoling face of the Father. His life of intense prayer, his joyful obedience, and his evangelical poverty continue to inspire the Marianist Family and the faithful of the Diocese of Cadiz.