A century of history
"The life of a man who lives by Faith will always be the story of the mercies of God. At some moments the story may perhaps be difficult to read, because everything can seem useless and even a failure. But at other times our Lord lets one see how the fruit abounds and then it is natural for one's soul to break out in thanksgiving".
Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations, 72
About Opus Dei
Studying Opus Dei’s history helps us understand its impact on thousands of people’s lives, as well as its role in the Church and society.
The St. Josemaría Escrivá Study Center and the St. Josemaría Escrivá Historical Institute research its founder, the institution’s development, and its influence in various fields.
These studies enable us to provide context for its evolution, clarify perceptions, and offer a rigorous perspective of its significance and legacy.
Timeline
Historiography
Josemaría Escrivá
"To be happy, what you need is not an easy life but a heart which is in love."
Josemaría Escrivá, Furrow, 795
Josemaría Escrivá was born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, a small town in northern Spain, to a Christian family. He lost three of his sisters in infancy, and later (when he was 13 years old) his father's bankruptcy forced the family to move to Logroño. He discovered his priestly vocation in that city.
He was ordained a priest in Saragossa on March 28, 1925, at the age of 23. Josemaría combined his priestly work with programs of study in law, always motivated by a deep desire to help others. In Madrid, in the midst of the social and political turmoil of the 1930s, he did pastoral work with the poor, the sick and students.
On October 2, 1928, he discovered the profound sanctifying value of daily life. Thus began Opus Dei’s foundational process.
He dedicated his life to this mission, even in difficult times such as the Spanish Civil War. In 1946 he moved to Rome. There he established the headquarters of Opus Dei and promoted its international expansion. Little by little, the Work’s presence grew to all five continents.
Josemaría died in Rome on June 26, 1975. He was canonized in 2002.
Successors
"The only ambition, the only desire of Opus Dei and of each of its daughters and sons is to serve the Church as she wants to be served."
Josemaría Escrivá, Letter, May 31, 1943
Government and family
Josemaría Escrivá described Opus Dei as "a small part of the Church" and "a family with a supernatural bond," made up of people who share the same vocation and Christian mission of collaborating in spreading the Gospel.
From the beginning, the members of the Work saw him as the spiritual father of that family. Both he and his successors are called “Father”.
After his death in 1975, Blessed Álvaro del Portillo (+ 1994), Bishop Javier Echevarría (+ 2016) and Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz succeeded him as head of Opus Dei.
Around the world
"Men and women - from different nations, of different languages, of different races - who live their own professional work , most of them married, many others single, who participate with their fellow citizens in the serious task of making society more humane and just".
Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations , 119
On five continents
Opus Dei is made up primarily of lay women and men. There are currently more than 90,000 members around the world. Of these, just over 2,000 are priests.
All share the same vocation: to seek God in their daily lives and to sanctify their daily realities. Their membership in the institution does not change their position in the Church or society.
Depending on their personal circumstances, members may be supernumeraries (with a vocation to marrige) or numeraries or associates (with a vocation to apostolic celibacy), with different levels of availability for apostolic and formational activities.
Coming soon
Access bibliography
Easy access to the Virtual Library of Josemaría Escrivá and Opus Dei, along with their extensive collection of documents, fosters knowledge exchange among experts and academics while serving as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the institution’s history.
At the click of a button
The Virtual Library of Josemaría Escrivá and Opus Dei was created in 1995, when the Josemaría Escrivá Study Center began to compile bibliography on the history of Opus Dei and its founder. Initially, the collection was reserved for researchers and academics. Over the years this valuable database has become an open access bibliographic treasure.
Since 2006, the collection has been open to all users. Currently, the digital archive has more than 15,000 bibliographic records and more than 8,400 PDFs, which can be downloaded and consulted in open access.
What does it offer?