A century of history
"For a man who lives by faith, his life will always be the story of God's mercies. At times, this story may be difficult to read, because everything may seem useless, even a failure; at other times, the Lord lets us see copious fruits and then it is natural that our hearts turn in thanksgiving".
Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations , 72
About Opus Dei
Analyzing the history of Opus Dei allows us to understand its impact on the lives of thousands of people, as well as its role in the Church and society.
The Center for the programs of study Josemaría Escrivá and the St. Josemaría Escrivá Historical Institute research the figure of its founder, the development the institution and its influence in different areas.
These programs of study allow us to contextualize its evolution, clarify perceptions and offer a rigorous vision of its meaning and bequest.
Timeline
Historiography
Josemaría Escrivá
"What is needed to achieve happiness is not a comfortable life, but a heart in love."
Josemaría Escrivá, Furrow, 795
Josemaría Escrivá was born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, a small town in northern Spain, into 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. In that city he discovered his priestly vocation.
At the age of 23 he was ordained a priest in Saragossa on March 28, 1925. 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 worked pastorally with the poor, the sick and students.
On October 2, 1928, he discovered the profound sanctifying value of daily life. Thus began the foundational process of Opus Dei.
He dedicated his life to this mission statement, 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 had a presence in the five continents.
Josemaría died in Rome on June 26, 1975 and was canonized in 2002.
Founder's successors
"The only ambition, the only desire of Opus Dei and of each of its children is to serve the Church as the Church 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 statement : to collaborate 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 Bishop Fernando Ocáriz continued at the head of Opus Dei.
In the middle of the world
"Men and women - of different nations, of different languages, of different races - who live their own professional work , married for the most part, single for many others, who participate with their fellow citizens in the serious task of making society more humane and just."
Josemaría Escrivá, Conversations , 72
On five continents
Opus Dei is made up primarily of lay women and men. There are currently more than 90,000 members on five continents. 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 alter their position in the Church or in society.
Depending on their personal circumstances, members may be supernumeraries (with a matrimonial vocation) or numeraries and aggregates (celibate), reflecting different levels of availability for apostolic and formative activities.
Coming soon
Access bibliography
The ease of access to the Josemaría Escrivá and Opus Dei Virtual Library, and its extensive file of documents, promotes the exchange of knowledge among experts and academics, and is also a rich source of information for those interested in learning about the history of the institution.
At the click of a button
The Virtual Library Josemaría Escrivá and Opus Dei was created in 1995, when the Center for the programs of study Josemaría Escrivá began to compile a 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, any Username can consult its collection. 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?