It is located at Calle Niño Jesús No. 2, Colonia Tlalpan, the municipality of the same name in Mexico City, and, in accordance with the vision and mission of the place, is provided Comprehensive care with quality, safety and humanism to the population that requires specialized services in psychiatry, psychosocial rehabilitation, as well as training of human resources in the matter.
In addition, the psychiatric institution seeks to be a leader in models of prevention, care, psychosocial rehabilitation, teaching and research.
“Our reason for being is focused on user attention, as well as on teaching and research”, It is detailed on the official website of the medical institution.
Who was Fray Bernardino Álvarez Herrera?
Bernardino Álvarez Herrera was born in 1514 in the town of Utrera, Seville, Spain. At age 20 he arrived in New Spain (Mexico), where he enrolled as a soldier and participated in the sport of charrería in Zacatecas. Years later he moved to Mexico City, where he was involved in scandals over card games and dueling.
He was implicated in a homicide stemming from a fight and was imprisoned along with other deportees from the Philippines on an expedition, sentenced to forced service. However, thanks to a woman who became his partner in the port of Acapulco they were able to escape, so Bernardino Álvarez escaped to Peru to work in his military profession for six years.
Thirty years later and with a great fortune, he returned to New Spain. She sent a letter to her mother asking her to travel and stay with him. However, she refused and replied that she had enough to meet his needs and that he should put his wealth into charity and give himself to God. It was when Bernardino repented of his past and was motivated to enter as a religious in the Clean Concepción hospital.
He was later recognized for his altruistic work, since he gave alms to the needy and cared for the sick. By initiating his religious dedication, he founded the Order of Saint Hippolytus of Charity.
Also, it gave birth to an institution that gave shelter to the elderly who lived on public alms and for people called “crazy”, who wandered the streets, who were sometimes mocked. He obtained a property to build the first building of the San Hipólito Hospital, which he opened in 1566.
