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| Picture provided with permission from Opus Dei. |
Saint Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain on January 9, 1902. He had five siblings: one older sister named Carmen, three younger sisters who all died very young and a younger brother, Santiago. His parents, Jose and Dolores Escrivá raised their family in devoutly Catholic faith and home.
Footprints in the Snow
In 1915, Josemaría’s father’s textile business failed and he relocated the family to the town of Longroño. Here Josemaria had his first inkling that God was calling him do something. One evening when he was fifteen, he was walking home, and he saw the bare footprints of a monk in the snow. This experience moved him to feel God’s call to serve Him. Though he was not yet completely certain of God’s will, Josemaría discerned that the message would be more clear if he joined the priesthood.
Universal Call to Holiness
He was ordained in Zaragoza on March 28, 1925. He was first assigned to a rural parish and in 1927 moved to Madrid to study law. On October 2, 1928, God showed him what he wanted him to do - establish Opus Dei (the Work of God) and help ordinary Christians seek sanctity through and in their daily ordinary lives. In essence, God called him to lead others in the mission of the laity to pursue universal holiness nearly forty years before this concept was put forth by Vatican II. From that point forward, Josemaría dedicated his entire life to the foundation of the Work.
Canonization
Opus Dei received the recognition of the Holy See in 1950. Josemaría travelled throughout Europe and Latin America to nurture the growth of Opus Dei until his sudden death in Rome on June 26, 1975. His cause for canonization was opened in 1981 and he was beatified in 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Ten years later he was canonized on October 6, 2002 by Pope John Paul II who said, “Following in his footsteps, spread in society the awareness that we are called to holiness, without distinction of race, class, culture or age.”
Prolific Writer
True to his surname, which sounds like the Spanish word to write , Josemaría wrote a number of books including The Way
, Furrow
and The Forge
. Other recommended reading: Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace
, Scott Hahn.
Universal Call to Holiness
He was ordained in Zaragoza on March 28, 1925. He was first assigned to a rural parish and in 1927 moved to Madrid to study law. On October 2, 1928, God showed him what he wanted him to do - establish Opus Dei (the Work of God) and help ordinary Christians seek sanctity through and in their daily ordinary lives. In essence, God called him to lead others in the mission of the laity to pursue universal holiness nearly forty years before this concept was put forth by Vatican II. From that point forward, Josemaría dedicated his entire life to the foundation of the Work.
Canonization
Opus Dei received the recognition of the Holy See in 1950. Josemaría travelled throughout Europe and Latin America to nurture the growth of Opus Dei until his sudden death in Rome on June 26, 1975. His cause for canonization was opened in 1981 and he was beatified in 1992 by Pope John Paul II. Ten years later he was canonized on October 6, 2002 by Pope John Paul II who said, “Following in his footsteps, spread in society the awareness that we are called to holiness, without distinction of race, class, culture or age.”
Prolific Writer
True to his surname, which sounds like the Spanish word to write , Josemaría wrote a number of books including The Way
, Furrow and The Forge. Other recommended reading: Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace, Scott Hahn.
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