CLERICI, BERNARDO. - Franciscan friar, missionary in Bolivia, b. in Pompejana on 5 Jan. 1825, d. in Tumpasa on 1 June 1907. CLERICI entered the Observant Franciscan Province of Bologna on 30 July 1843, professed on 30 July 1844, and was ordained priest in 1848. In 1853 he departed for the missions of the missionary college of La Paz in Bolivia. In September 1854 he was assigned to the mission of San José de Uchupiamonas, where he remained for 53 years.
He worked extensively for the preservation and growth of Christianity, so that his memory has remained alive among the peoples of the region, especially among those near Uchupiamonas who belonged to tribes speaking very different languages. To overcome this difficulty, CLERICI created a common language based on Quichua, drew up its grammar, and translated the catechism and various sermons into II. Over time, this language became refined and came into common use among the mission’s population.