Wenceslao Pedernera was an Argentinean vineyard laborer and organizer for the Catholic rural movement. Born in La Calera in 1936, he worked closely with Bishop Enrique Angelelli to support rural communities. His life was cut short in 1976 during Argentina's military dictatorship. While living in the La Rioja Province, he was targeted and killed by masked assailants at his home in Sañogasta. He is recognized by the Catholic Church as a martyr for his faith and social commitment.
Life and death
During his time in the Mendoza vineyards, Pedernera served as a dedicated worker and a leader within the Catholic rural movement. On July 25, 1976, four masked men entered his residence in Sañogasta. In the presence of his wife and three daughters, he was shot multiple times. This violent event occurred amidst the political unrest of the military dictatorship in Argentina.
Veneration
The Catholic Church honors him as a blessed martyr. Following the deaths of priests Gabriel Longueville and Carlos de Dios Murias, local religious leaders sought to include Pedernera's cause in the investigation of martyrs from that era. He was officially proclaimed blessed on April 27, 2019, in La Rioja by Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu. His feast day is observed on July 25.