Saint Josemaria Escrevia

Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902, the second of six children of Jose and Dolores Escriva. The death of three younger sisters, and his father's bankruptcy, taught him the meaning of suffering at a young age and brought maturity to his outgoing and cheerful temperament. At 16 Josemaria began studying for the priesthood and was ordained and began ministry in 1925, when he was just 23. In 1927, Fr. Josemaria moved to Madrid to study for a graduate degree in law. After the death of his father, Josemaria took up the responsibility of caring for his family, while also burying himself in service to the poor, sick and children in Madrid, encouraging university students and young professionals to do the same. He emphasised the practical meaning of charity and the Christian responsibility to help out in the betterment of society.⁠

In 1928, Josemaria felt called to found Opus Dei, an institution within the Catholic Church dedicated to helping people in all walks of life to follow Christ, to seek holiness in their daily life and grow in love for God and their fellow men and women. From that moment on, he dedicated all his strength to fulfilling this mission. Despite the hardships and persecution of WWII, Opus Dei began to spread across Spain and throughout the world. This growth was not without pain; though the Work always had the approval of the local bishops, its then unfamiliar message of sanctity in the world met with some misunderstandings and suspicions which the founder bore with great patience and charity. Monsignor Escriva emphasised the universal call to holiness and the importance of laypersons in the mission of the Church. By the time of the founder's death, Opus Dei had spread to thirty nations on six continents. It now has more than 85,000 members in sixty countries.⁠