When the earth shook in Peru on August 15th, Isabel Gameros first gathered together the 11 members of her family. Then she went to help her neighbors. That evening she decided to say the rosary in the middle of the rubble, “Because God knows what is best”.

I’m fine. Not a single brick fell on my head, because my house was made of adobe,” was the innocent comment of seven-year-old Rodrigo, one of Isabel’s 13 children. Her husband passed away six months before the earthquake, and she has been supporting her family with strength and courage. Isabel is also one of the rural development workers trained by the Condoray Center for the Professional Formation of Women.

“Thanks to God and to St. Josemaría we are alive and were able to get out of our house in time. We asked for help with great faith, and my daughter Diana, who was in the most dangerous area, managed to escape. Little by little the eleven children who live with me came out safe and unharmed. Little Benjamin was playing with his friend Nachito and came running to my side,” she added.

The Condoray Center is presently caring for 890 families who have suffered great losses from the earthquake.Those who want to help this crusade of solidarity can obtain information on Condoray's website (below).The force of the earthquake caused a large part of their house to collapse and the rest was so damaged that it had to be leveled. Today, in what had been the front of the house, a large piece of blue plastic protects the property. “We have only a little space, but we have our lives and none of my children was hurt. We have a lot of reasons to thank God.”

“That night,” Isabel recalls, “we stayed in the street with our neighbors saying the Rosary to our Lady of Fair Love, who is the Patroness of Cañete. We were very much united and convinced of her maternal affection. It is one of the great gifts that St. Josemaría gave us, and we are sure that she protected this blessed valley. For a number of days strong tremors followed one after another. The city was filled with dirt, houses had to be demolished, and many people were left without a home. It was a moment to give consolation, hope, and a little joy to the others.”



Isabel’s “army” was unmistakable: a cheerful group, with protective masks, shovels and wheelbarrows, from sunrise to sunset clearing the piles of rubble from their destroyed house. “People ask us, ‘What are you going to do? Why are you so calm?’ We answer that God knows best and he will not abandon us,” says Odalis, one of Isabel’s older daughters.

Hopes and Dreams

Odalis owns a small cart and she earns her living selling sandwiches and drinks to the truckers who pass by on the nearby Southern Panamerican Highway. She had been dreaming of selling fruit juice in her own home to help her family, but for now that project will have to wait.

Working together, Isabel’s family are carrying out the household tasks and each has a job in accordance with his or her age. They get together in the evenings and tell about the little happenings at school or among their playmates.

Isabel continues: “My family is simple. We have very little money, but we are very united, today more than ever. I have older children who are now working and contributing to the education of the younger ones. My husband José was a bricklayer and died last February. That left a very big emptiness in our home.”

In the Hands of God

“St. Josemaría taught me to be always cheerful, to find God in all circumstances, offering him not only the good things but also those things that can suddenly be a problem for me. Today, in these difficult moments, we love his holy will and put ourselves into his hands.”

“To live for others is what Christian solidarity demands of us. No one can be dispensed from this duty, not even the poorest. We should share the little that we have with others. I know of the case of a young woman from Mala, the daughter of very poor peasants, who sent a couple of pounds of potatoes for those who had lost everything, even though she herself needed that food. I have also been moved by the gestures of so many people who have come to the door with a bag of groceries us even though they hardly know us. Even a truck that was going by stopped to give us some blankets. Since we are a big family with a lot of children. . . .”

Serving the Villages as a Rural Development Worker

In addition to caring for her large family, Isabel is a rural development worker for Condoray, a corporate work of Opus Dei whose principal mission is the human, social, and spiritual development of the village women in the Valley of Cañete.

“At Condoray I discovered that I could help other women to improve, and at the age of 19 I became one of the rural development workers. What I learn, I transmit to the villages: I speak to each woman and teach them to love work, to be generous, cheerful, to overcome difficulties. In life there are many difficult circumstances and we can’t let ourselves be crushed by them.

A rural development worker is a person who seeks to help other women develop, trying to help them advance, acquire better habits, more education. “We help the people to solve their problems and take a step forward.” After the earthquake she went to visit families and keep them company, to help them organize themselves, and she helped as Condoray aided almost 800 people who suffered losses from the earthquake.

As the mother of a Christian family and a rural development worker, Isabel sums up her perspective on life: “During all of these years the example of St. Josemaría has been the guide for my home and my work. I have learned that one can sanctify everyday things and that with our ordinary life we should write a beautiful story of love for God.

Condoray Center for the Professional Formation of Women

The Condoray Center for the Professional Formation of Women is helping 890 families which have suffered from the earthquake. Anyone who wishes to help in this crusade of solidarity can obtain information at www.condoray.edu.pe/ayuda/ini.htm.

Source: Opus Dei
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The Prelate stresses the importance of living in close union with Jesus Christ. The norms of Christian piety practiced by persons close to Opus Dei help them to share in our Lord’s Cross.

My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!

The Church, and the Work as a living part of the Church, is called to reflect the light it constantly receives from Christ and to spread it throughout the world. Jesus taught all Christians: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Mt 5:14-16).

"By listening to Jesus’ words," says Benedict XVI, "we members of the Church cannot but become aware of the total inadequacy of our human condition, marked by sin. The Church is holy, but made up of men and women with their limitations and errors. It is Christ, Christ alone, who in giving us the Holy Spirit is able to transform our misery and constantly renew us. He is the light of the peoples, the lumen gentium, who has chosen to illumine the world through his Church (cf. Lumen gentium, no. 1). ‘How can this come about?’ we also ask ourselves with the words that the Virgin addresses to the Archangel Gabriel. And she herself, the Mother of Christ and of the Church, gives us the answer: with her example of total availability to God’s will-fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum (Lk 1:38)-Mary teaches us to be a ‘manifestation’ of the Lord, opening our hearts to the power of grace and faithfully abiding by the words of her Son, light of the world and the ultimate end of history" (Benedict XVI, Homily, January 6, 2006).

An essential condition for bringing Christ’s teaching and life to others (and in today’s world it is urgent to do so) is that we ourselves strive more diligently to get to know, deal with, and love our Lord better each day. This is the specific goal of the norms of Christian piety, traditional in the Church, that we live in Opus Dei. We have to fulfill them as well as possible, as the result of a choice of love, even though at times our heart is dry or fails to respond.

When a person comes to the Prelature, moved by the desire to know God better, we try to provide an adequate doctrinal, spiritual and apostolic formation, so that Christ’s teachings become, right from the start, not only clarity for his intellect but also light and strength for following in Jesus’ footsteps. We help people to appreciate and to frequent the sacraments (the Eucharist and confession), to pray earnestly, to deal with God as a Father and with our Lady as a mother, to offer their work to God, to be concerned about others’ spiritual and material needs, to draw closer to God those who are closer to them.

Let us struggle to improve each day in our personal conversation with God our Father, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, with our Lady. We who are nourished with the spirit of Opus Dei strive to give our life of piety a special tone, which many other people also make their own: the sense of divine filiation. We strive to imitate Christ with special attention to his years of ordinary life and work in Nazareth. We foster devotion to the Holy Spirit, intimate guest of the soul, who encourages us to identify ourselves with Christ and to love God the Father. We venerate our Lady as Mother of God and our mother, with the piety of small children who hope for everything from her maternal goodness. We strive for a personal relationship with the guardian angels, whom we consider our allies in all our apostolic tasks. And we go with complete confidence to St. Josemaría, our beloved Father, in whom we see perfectly realized the spirit that God wanted for Opus Dei.

In addition, we have to always strive to serve the Church in deed and in truth (1 Jn 3:18),not only in words. Let us pray and get others to pray for the Pope and his intentions, "pulling the cart" in the direction indicated by the Holy Father and, in each place, by the bishops in communion with the Roman Pontiff. By carrying out faithfully the mission proper to Opus Dei, we will collaborate in a very direct way in the great mission that the Master has entrusted to the Church, so that God’s will may be fulfilled: that all men be saved and brought to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4).

We have to give a clear apostolic meaning to everything we do, in the most varied situations and moments. Thus everyone, including those who by way of exception are not in a position to take care of a direct personal apostolate, will carry out a very fruitful work. But this path requires-and I repeat this on purpose-that we put great care into our dealing with God in our practices of Christian piety; that we strive to finish our work well, offering it to God each day in the Holy Mass; that we give importance to small mortifications, which he hopes to see in our conduct with a steady rhythm, "like the beating of our heart" (St. Josemaría, The Forge, no. 518).

Union with Christ on the Cross is indispensable in order to carry out this apostolic program faithfully and with optimism. One cannot follow Jesus without denying oneself (cf. Lk 9:23), without cultivating a spirit of mortification, without the habitual component of specific deeds of penance. The Holy Father pointed this out, some months ago, when he announced a year dedicated to St. Paul on the bimillennium of his birth. He stressed that the apostolic fruit of the Apostle to the Gentiles could not "be attributed to brilliant rhetoric or refined apologetic and missionary strategies. The success of his apostolate depended above all on his personal involvement in proclaiming the Gospel with total dedication to Christ; a dedication that feared neither risk, difficulty nor persecution. ‘Neither death, nor life,’ he wrote to the Romans, ‘nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom 8:38-39).

"From this we can draw a particularly important lesson for every Christian. The Church’s action is credible and effective only to the extent to which those who belong to her are prepared to pay in person for their fidelity to Christ in every circumstance. When this readiness is lacking, the crucial argument of truth on which the Church herself depends is also absent" (Benedict XVI, Homily at the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, June 28, 2007).

These considerations will help us to prepare for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the 14th of this month. St. Josemaría held up for us the great goal of placing the Cross of Christ at the summit of all human activities-with our sanctified and sanctifying work-so that Jesus might draw all men to himself (cf. Jn12:32). Let us realize well the urgency of this task: "How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine mercy, and are waiting for a ‘sign’ that will touch their minds and their hearts! Today, as then, the Evangelist reminds us that the only ‘sign’ is Jesus raised on the Cross: Jesus who died and rose is the absolutely sufficient sign. Through him we can understand the truth about life and obtain salvation. This is the principal proclamation of the Church, which remains unchanged down the ages. The Christian faith, therefore, is not an ideology but a personal encounter with the Crucified and Risen Christ. From this experience, both individual and communitarian, flows a new way of thinking and acting: an existence marked by love is born, as the saints testify" (Benedict XVI, Homily, March 26, 2006).

An important part of "showing" Christ to others in our life can be summed up (and let’s not take this as obvious) in the joyful, habitual practice of mortification and penance: voluntarily renouncing comforts and pleasures which, without being bad in themselves, could cool down or hinder our union with God. The temperate use of material goods, without letting oneself be entangled in their coils, holds a fundamental importance for our union with Christ and our apostolate.

Many years ago now, our Founder wrote that "people expect from us, God’s children in his Work, the bonus odor Christi which, supported by our temperance, enkindles them and draws them forward" (St. Josemaría, Instruction, May-1935/ September 14, 1950, no. 65).In contrast, if we do not reject the contagion of worldly goods, if we think it is impossible to carry with us the demanding environment of Christ, if we don’t know how to go against the current, we will not be able to help others find the great happiness of friendship with Jesus. A worldly environment, unfortunately, is found in most places. We have to invite the others, first by our own example, to breathe the clean air of God’s nearness. And to attain this, temperance of the heart and the senses is indispensable: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).We need to be convinced that only thus can we love this world of ours passionately.

What a great responsibility Christians have! Let us meditate once more on those words that St. Josemaría wrote in The Way:"Many great things depend-don’t forget it-on whether you and I live our lives as God wants" (St. Josemaría, The Way, no. 755).

Continue praying for the Holy Father and his intentions. Ask our Lord to make his service to the Church very fruitful: that all Catholics-shepherds and faithful-take his teachings to heart and put them into practice. And unite yourselves to my intentions as well: forgive me for insisting so much, but I really need you, each and every one of you. As our Father used to say: "Everything is done, and everything remains to be done." Therefore I ask for your whole-hearted assistance, so that I don’t hold back the apostolic challenge of announcing to all mankind that Christ is calling each and every person.

With all my affection, I bless you,

Your Father

+ Javier

Pamplona, September 1, 2007


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The Prelate stresses the importance of living in close union with Jesus Christ. The norms of Christian piety practiced by persons close to Opus Dei help them to share in our Lord’s Cross.

September 08, 2007

My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!

The Church, and the Work as a living part of the Church, is called to reflect the light it constantly receives from Christ and to spread it throughout the world. Jesus taught all Christians: You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven (Mt 5:14-16).

"By listening to Jesus’ words," says Benedict XVI, "we members of the Church cannot but become aware of the total inadequacy of our human condition, marked by sin. The Church is holy, but made up of men and women with their limitations and errors. It is Christ, Christ alone, who in giving us the Holy Spirit is able to transform our misery and constantly renew us. He is the light of the peoples, the lumen gentium, who has chosen to illumine the world through his Church (cf. Lumen gentium, no. 1). ‘How can this come about?’ we also ask ourselves with the words that the Virgin addresses to the Archangel Gabriel. And she herself, the Mother of Christ and of the Church, gives us the answer: with her example of total availability to God’s will-fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum (Lk 1:38)-Mary teaches us to be a ‘manifestation’ of the Lord, opening our hearts to the power of grace and faithfully abiding by the words of her Son, light of the world and the ultimate end of history" (Benedict XVI, Homily, January 6, 2006).

An essential condition for bringing Christ’s teaching and life to others (and in today’s world it is urgent to do so) is that we ourselves strive more diligently to get to know, deal with, and love our Lord better each day. This is the specific goal of the norms of Christian piety, traditional in the Church, that we live in Opus Dei. We have to fulfill them as well as possible, as the result of a choice of love, even though at times our heart is dry or fails to respond.

When a person comes to the Prelature, moved by the desire to know God better, we try to provide an adequate doctrinal, spiritual and apostolic formation, so that Christ’s teachings become, right from the start, not only clarity for his intellect but also light and strength for following in Jesus’ footsteps. We help people to appreciate and to frequent the sacraments (the Eucharist and confession), to pray earnestly, to deal with God as a Father and with our Lady as a mother, to offer their work to God, to be concerned about others’ spiritual and material needs, to draw closer to God those who are closer to them.

Let us struggle to improve each day in our personal conversation with God our Father, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, with our Lady. We who are nourished with the spirit of Opus Dei strive to give our life of piety a special tone, which many other people also make their own: the sense of divine filiation. We strive to imitate Christ with special attention to his years of ordinary life and work in Nazareth. We foster devotion to the Holy Spirit, intimate guest of the soul, who encourages us to identify ourselves with Christ and to love God the Father. We venerate our Lady as Mother of God and our mother, with the piety of small children who hope for everything from her maternal goodness. We strive for a personal relationship with the guardian angels, whom we consider our allies in all our apostolic tasks. And we go with complete confidence to St. Josemaría, our beloved Father, in whom we see perfectly realized the spirit that God wanted for Opus Dei.

In addition, we have to always strive to serve the Church in deed and in truth (1 Jn 3:18),not only in words. Let us pray and get others to pray for the Pope and his intentions, "pulling the cart" in the direction indicated by the Holy Father and, in each place, by the bishops in communion with the Roman Pontiff. By carrying out faithfully the mission proper to Opus Dei, we will collaborate in a very direct way in the great mission that the Master has entrusted to the Church, so that God’s will may be fulfilled: that all men be saved and brought to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 2:4).

We have to give a clear apostolic meaning to everything we do, in the most varied situations and moments. Thus everyone, including those who by way of exception are not in a position to take care of a direct personal apostolate, will carry out a very fruitful work. But this path requires-and I repeat this on purpose-that we put great care into our dealing with God in our practices of Christian piety; that we strive to finish our work well, offering it to God each day in the Holy Mass; that we give importance to small mortifications, which he hopes to see in our conduct with a steady rhythm, "like the beating of our heart" (St. Josemaría, The Forge, no. 518).

Union with Christ on the Cross is indispensable in order to carry out this apostolic program faithfully and with optimism. One cannot follow Jesus without denying oneself (cf. Lk 9:23), without cultivating a spirit of mortification, without the habitual component of specific deeds of penance. The Holy Father pointed this out, some months ago, when he announced a year dedicated to St. Paul on the bimillennium of his birth. He stressed that the apostolic fruit of the Apostle to the Gentiles could not "be attributed to brilliant rhetoric or refined apologetic and missionary strategies. The success of his apostolate depended above all on his personal involvement in proclaiming the Gospel with total dedication to Christ; a dedication that feared neither risk, difficulty nor persecution. ‘Neither death, nor life,’ he wrote to the Romans, ‘nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom 8:38-39).

"From this we can draw a particularly important lesson for every Christian. The Church’s action is credible and effective only to the extent to which those who belong to her are prepared to pay in person for their fidelity to Christ in every circumstance. When this readiness is lacking, the crucial argument of truth on which the Church herself depends is also absent" (Benedict XVI, Homily at the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls, June 28, 2007).

These considerations will help us to prepare for the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the 14th of this month. St. Josemaría held up for us the great goal of placing the Cross of Christ at the summit of all human activities-with our sanctified and sanctifying work-so that Jesus might draw all men to himself (cf. Jn12:32). Let us realize well the urgency of this task: "How many people also in our time are in search of God, in search of Jesus and of his Church, in search of divine mercy, and are waiting for a ‘sign’ that will touch their minds and their hearts! Today, as then, the Evangelist reminds us that the only ‘sign’ is Jesus raised on the Cross: Jesus who died and rose is the absolutely sufficient sign. Through him we can understand the truth about life and obtain salvation. This is the principal proclamation of the Church, which remains unchanged down the ages. The Christian faith, therefore, is not an ideology but a personal encounter with the Crucified and Risen Christ. From this experience, both individual and communitarian, flows a new way of thinking and acting: an existence marked by love is born, as the saints testify" (Benedict XVI, Homily, March 26, 2006).

An important part of "showing" Christ to others in our life can be summed up (and let’s not take this as obvious) in the joyful, habitual practice of mortification and penance: voluntarily renouncing comforts and pleasures which, without being bad in themselves, could cool down or hinder our union with God. The temperate use of material goods, without letting oneself be entangled in their coils, holds a fundamental importance for our union with Christ and our apostolate.

Many years ago now, our Founder wrote that "people expect from us, God’s children in his Work, the bonus odor Christi which, supported by our temperance, enkindles them and draws them forward" (St. Josemaría, Instruction, May-1935/ September 14, 1950, no. 65).In contrast, if we do not reject the contagion of worldly goods, if we think it is impossible to carry with us the demanding environment of Christ, if we don’t know how to go against the current, we will not be able to help others find the great happiness of friendship with Jesus. A worldly environment, unfortunately, is found in most places. We have to invite the others, first by our own example, to breathe the clean air of God’s nearness. And to attain this, temperance of the heart and the senses is indispensable: Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Mt 5:8).We need to be convinced that only thus can we love this world of ours passionately.

What a great responsibility Christians have! Let us meditate once more on those words that St. Josemaría wrote in The Way:"Many great things depend-don’t forget it-on whether you and I live our lives as God wants" (St. Josemaría, The Way, no. 755).

Continue praying for the Holy Father and his intentions. Ask our Lord to make his service to the Church very fruitful: that all Catholics-shepherds and faithful-take his teachings to heart and put them into practice. And unite yourselves to my intentions as well: forgive me for insisting so much, but I really need you, each and every one of you. As our Father used to say: "Everything is done, and everything remains to be done." Therefore I ask for your whole-hearted assistance, so that I don’t hold back the apostolic challenge of announcing to all mankind that Christ is calling each and every person.

With all my affection, I bless you,

Your Father

+ Javier

Pamplona, September 1, 2007


Click here to return to homepage

"Do not be afraid, dear friends, to prefer the 'alternative' routes pointed out by true love: a modest and sound lifestyle; sincere and pure emotional relationships; honest commitment in studies and work; deep concern for the common good." Last weekend the Pope met and spoke with 500,00 youth in Loretto.

500,000 Italian youth gathered in Loretto last weekend to help Pope Benedict XVI pepare for World Youth day, which will take place in Australia next summer.

In the sanctuary of Loretto is preserved the house where the angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessd Virgin Mary. Using this occasion, the Pope spoke to the young people about facing difficult famiuly situations, dedication to God, and humility. Here we give a selection of the Pope's words.

*****

You have come to this peaceful, authentic and joyful place of encounter for thousands of different reasons. . . .Whatever the reason that drew you here, I can tell you, although it requires courage to say it, that it was the Holy Spirit who has brought us together. Yes, that is exactly the case; the Spirit has led you here; you have come here with your doubts and certainties, with your joys and your anxieties. It is now up to all of us, to all of you, to open your hearts and offer everything to Jesus. Say to him: here I am; of course, I am not yet as you would like me to be, I cannot even manage to understand myself fully but with your help I am ready to follow you.

Dear young men and women, since Mary truly knows what it means to respond generously to the Lord's requests, let us learn from her to say our own "yes". Mary, dear young people, knows your noblest and deepest aspirations. Above all, she well knows your great desire for love, with your need to love and to be loved. By looking at her, by following her docilely, you will discover the beauty of love; not a "disposable" love that is transient and deceptive, imprisoned in a selfish and materialistic mindset, but true, deep love. In the very depths of their hearts, every young man, every young woman who are looking out on life, cherish the dream of a love that will give full meaning to their futures.

For many, this is fulfilled in the choice of marriage and in the formation of a family in which the love between a man and a woman is lived as a definitive gift, sealed by the "yes" spoken before God on their wedding day, a "yes" for their whole life. I know well that today this dream is always less easy to realize. How many failures of love surround us! How many couples bow their heads, give up and separate! How many families fall to pieces! How many young people, even among you, have witnessed the separation and divorce of their parents!

I would like to say to those in such sensitive and complex situations: the Mother of God, the Community of believers and the Pope are beside you and are praying that the crisis that marks today's families may not become an irreversible failure. May Christian families, with the support of divine Grace, stay faithful to that solemn commitment of love joyfully assumed before the priest and the Christian community on the solemn day of their marriage. In the face of so many failures these questions are often asked: Am I any better than my friends and my parents who have tried and failed? Why should I myself succeed where so many have given up? This human fear can be daunting to even the more courageous spirits but in this night that awaits us, in front of her Holy House, Mary will repeat to each one of you, dear young friends, the words that she herself heard the Angel say to her: Do not be afraid, do not fear! The Holy Spirit is with you and will never leave you. Nothing is impossible to those who trust in God.

This applies for those who are destined to married life and still more for those to whom God proposes a life of total detachment from earthly goods, to be dedicated full time to his Kingdom. Some of you have set out towards the priesthood, towards the consecrated life; some of you aspire to be missionaries, knowing how many and what risks this entails. I am thinking of the missionaries, priests, women religious and lay people, who have fallen in the trenches of love at the service of the Gospel.

Yes, there is hope today too; each one of you is important because each is known and desired by God and God has his plan for each one. It is our task to discover and respond to it, so that despite these precarious and marginalized situations, we will be able to put into practice God's plan for us.

But what is it that makes people "young" in the Gospel sense? Our Meeting, which is taking place in the shadow of a Marian Shrine, invites us to look to Our Lady. Let us therefore ask ourselves: How did Mary spend her youth? Why was it that in her the impossible became possible? She herself reveals it to us in the Canticle of the Magnificat. God "regarded the low estate of his handmaiden" (Lk 1: 48a). It was Mary's humility that God appreciated more than anything else in her….Here, we think spontaneously of the Holy House of Nazareth, which is the Shrine of humility: the humility of God who took flesh, who made himself small, and the humility of Mary who welcomed him into her womb; the humility of the Creator and the humility of the creature….The humble person is perceived as someone who gives up, someone defeated, someone who has nothing to say to the world. Instead, this is the principal way, and not only because humility is a great human virtue but because, in the first place, it represents God's own way of acting. It was the way chosen by Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant, who "being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross" (Phil 2: 8).

Dear young people, I seem to perceive in these words of God about humility an important message which is especially current for you who want to follow Christ and belong to his Church. This is the message: do not follow the way of pride but rather that of humility. Go against the tide: do not listen to the interested and persuasive voices that today are peddling on many sides models of life marked by arrogance and violence, by oppression and success at any cost, by appearances and by having at the expense of being. How many messages, which reach you especially through the mass media, are targeting you! Be alert! Be critical! Do not follow the wave produced by this powerful, persuasive action. Do not be afraid, dear friends, to prefer the "alternative" routes pointed out by true love: a modest and sound lifestyle; sincere and pure emotional relationships; honest commitment in studies and work; deep concern for the common good. Do not be afraid of seeming different and being criticized for what might seem to be losing or out of fashion; your peers but adults too, especially those who seem more distant from the mindset and values of the Gospel, are crying out to see someone who dares to live according to the fullness of humanity revealed by Jesus Christ.

From this moment, I would like to make an appointment with you young people in Sydney where, in a year's time, the next World Youth Day will be held. I know Australia is far away and for young Italians it is literally at the other end of the world.... Let us pray that the Lord who works every miracle will grant that many of you may be there. May he grant it to me, may he grant it to you.

Source: Opus Dei

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Two persons who have been helped by St. Josemaría from heaven. St. Josemaría intercedes before God for anyone who asks him for help in their family, professional, apostolic or personal needs.


Sol María Nava (Venezuela): When I was three months pregnant, I had a very serious hemorrage. I went to see the doctor, and I was very anxious. When the doctor saw how anxious I was, he asked me if I was a Catholic. I said I was, and then he gave me a card with the prayer for asking the help of the Founder of Opus Dei. He suggested that I pray it with faith. I did so every night with so much faith that one month later the hemorrage has disappeared. May 11, 2007.

J. R. (Germany): I am a pilot with a German airline. When my residence was set for Frankfurt, I asked for a change to Dusseldorf, because I had found a house there for my family: my wife and the son we were expecting. Everything seemed to be going well, and we had actually moved into the new house when suddenly, because of a personnel shortage, they denied the change in residence. I spoke first with one and then with another director, but no one seemed to understand the situation or take any interest in my problems. Not even the union would help me. The only solution left to me was to go to St. Josemaria and entrust him with the problem. And suddenly everyone made a big effort and they found a solution so that we could move as we had planned. April 10, 2007.

For over 40 years Condoray has been providing job training for women who have no resources of their own. An interview with the program's assistant director.

By Zenit (May 11, 2007)

More than 20,000 women have passed through the training programs of Condoray, a Peruvian institution that advances women -- many of them indigenous -- and gives them a greater sense of their own self-worth. For Condoray's assistant director, Ana Lucía Aguayo de Rosell, women play a fundamental role in transmitting the faith in Latin America. "You could say that in our continent the preservation of the faith depends on their piety, their personal holiness, the example they give within their families, and their dedication to the Christian education of their children."

Ms. Aguayo speaks about the work Condoray carries out in the region of Cañete.

Training 20,000 women is easy enough to say. But how have you done it?

--Ana Lucía Aguayo: Yes, it's easy to say, but it's very different actually to achieve it. Condoray was started in 1963 with the mission of providing an integral education for the women of Cañete and, through them, to contribute to the socio-economic development of the region and of the families living here.

Throughout the 44 years of its operation, Condoray has employed a model of development which revolves around women, who are also its goal. We are not simply an intermediary that tries to achieve projects of development more efficiently. Our mission is to form persons who assimilate a certain way of working along with certain human and Christian values, and then exercise a positive influence on their own families and on the entire province of Cañete.

We want the women to grow in their sense of self-worth, to learn to recognize their talents -- and their defects -- and to be able to set their own goals and work to achieve them. In this way they can become the agents of their own development.

An important factor for the success of this model is what we call Rural Promoters. These are women from the farm communities of Cañete who come to Condoray and receive the formation we offer, and then return to their communities to give that same training to the women there. Their goal is to have the whole community participate in projects that improve their education, their families and in general the level of their society. In this way we are able to carry out stable, lasting programs of development. The Rural Promoters have a multiplying effect on the work we do at Condoray by bringing it to numerous women throughout the whole area.

What do you most value about the indigenous women?

--Ana Lucía Aguayo: Let me say, first of all, that Condoray does not work only with indigenous women. Because of its location in the central coast of Peru, the students of Condoray represent a rich diversity of races which includes the indigenous, blacks, mestizos, etc.

Our experience has led us to value many traits in these women: their capacity for leadership, their tenacity, their strength and drive to achieve what they set out to do. But we should especially point out their generosity and their spirit of solidarity. When someone suffers an illness, or has financial problems, it is very normal for the neighboring women to come together immediately and organize activities (usually selling food) to get the money and the help that person needs. Or, if the mother needs to work or has to be away, they take care of the children.

We also admire their ability to undertake projects and be undaunted by difficulties once they know what they want. Another trait is their abnegation and their dedication to their families. The need to provide their daily food has, in a way, contributed to their organizing themselves very well so that they don't neglect their family obligations but rather harmonize them with the productive activities which help support their households financially.

What is the role of women in the re-evangelization of Latin America?

--Ana Lucía Aguayo: It's impossible to measure their contribution, because the future of humanity is written in the family. In the family the woman is the principal transmitter of human and Christian values. It is the woman who inculcates the faith and instills Christian virtues in her children. It is she who unites the members of the family, and this unity is a great good for the Church and society. Moreover, the family is the community that passes on a society's spiritual and cultural inheritance. It ensures that persons are strengthened in their convictions and it teaches social responsibility and solidarity.

Women, by their innate qualities, know how to accept each individual and enter into their inner world. With their femininity they bring to the Church modes of living reciprocity with others, of accepting those who are different, of undertaking projects for those who are most in need. By their moral strength and innate tenderness and by this facility for being concerned about each person, women can care for the "Domestic Church" which is the family but also the whole Church.

You could say, then, that in our continent the preservation of the faith depends on their piety, their personal holiness, the way they form families, the example they give within their families, and their dedication to the Christian education of their children. It is from authentic Christian families that there will come the virtuous, integral citizens who give light and breath to society.

Source: Opus Dei

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Archbishop Donald Wuerl celebrated the Mass for the feast day of Saint Josemaria in Washington, D.C. In his homily he declared that Saint Josemaría reminds us to rejoice in the challenge of transforming the world. Here is the text of Archbishop Wuerl's homily.

Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, S.T.D.
Archbishop of Washington

In beginning these reflections on the life, ministry and legacy of Saint Escrivá I want to turn to the homily of Pope John Paul II at the canonization of Saint Josemaría on October 6, 2002. I had the joy and privilege of being present at that extraordinary outpouring of faith as Saint Peter’s Square and the Via della Conciliazione all the way down to the Tiber was engulfed in tens and tens of thousands of the faithful, reflecting the Work of God.

This historic moment of grace followed some twenty seven years on the death of the saint who was so affectionately and respectfully referred to as “El Padre.” I remember accompanying Cardinal John Wright, then-prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy, to the headquarters of Opus Dei in Rome so that he might pay his respects. It was a long line. Even then it was clear that Saint Josemaría’s personal sanctity was well recognized and acclaimed.

Twenty seven years later, in his homily at the canonization, Pope John Paul II reminded us that “God comes close to us and we can cooperate with his plan and salvation.” He then went on to recount Saint Josemaría Escrivá’s conviction that “it is possible to elevate the world to God and to transform it from within.” Pope John Paul II affirmed “that this is the ideal the holy founder points out to you.”

In the readings chosen for this liturgy we are reminded in the Book of Genesis that God brought all things into being. In the first creation, God formed out of the clay of the earth man whom he settled in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it.

Already in the first creation, God entrusts to us, in fact turns over his own handiwork to man so that it can be made to blossom, to flower, to come to true fruition.

Only later in the unfolding of events do we come to understand that this first creation was to be surpassed by an even greater and more magnificent one – a new creation in grace. As in the case of the first creation, God would turn over to us, to human beings, the capability, the possibility of realizing the fullness of the new creation.

In his letter to the Romans, Saint Paul goes right to the heart of the mystery – the plan of salvation. We are to receive an outpouring of the Spirit that makes it possible for us to become children of God, adopted children of God, but nonetheless, children of God.

Pope Saint Leo the Great reminds us of our extraordinary dignity: “Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God’s own nature, . . . remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member.”

It is in this mystery of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we come to understand what it means to say that Christ comes to give new life. “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10). He offers us a richer life than any we could ever otherwise have, a life so radically new that we must be born again to receive it (cf. Jn 3:3-8).

Perhaps the most dramatic statement of the intensity of our new life in Christ is found in Saint Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Here echoing the words of his letter to the Romans, he tells us that when the fullness of time came, God send his Son: “So that we might receive adoption.” (Gal 4:5). By the utter graciousness of God’s goodness, God chose to take us fallen, frail creatures and raise us to a level of unique relationship with himself that reflects his unity with and love for his own son. All this was done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

What we are called to announce and to live is a whole new way of life that makes it possible for us to live in a communion with God that transforms us.

Saint Josemaría spoke of drawing close to Christ in order to experience the cross and its transforming power. He saw in each person’s call from God a vocation to draw closer to Christ, and him crucified, in order to obtain the spiritual strength to be an agent of transforming spiritual power in this world. For this reason, he highlighted so often the importance of recognizing that one is truly called by God.

God calls each of us. In one way or another the call comes. It is God who invites us to respond generously and so to find true joy in opening our hearts to God’s grace. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).

In a way, Saint Josemaría anticipated the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on our personal call to communion with God. The Council speaks of the universal call to holiness, that each of us has as our vocation in life. Ultimately we are called to union with God.

In this great Basilica on the bas-relief at the far end of the nave is a depiction of the universal call to holiness. The artist presents the Holy Spirit being poured out on us in our walk in the light of Christ and his Gospel. It is in the transforming power of the Spirit that we are capable of changing this world, elevating this creation, transforming it from within.

As we understand the call to holiness, we recognize that none of us make our way through life alone. God is with us, beckoning us, prompting us, urging us in the Holy Spirit to respond to Jesus’ gracious invitation to become his adopted brother or sister so that with our yes of faith he can so change our lives that we are worthy to be presented to the Father as part of his family.

Our vocation to follow Christ differentiates us from the world. To some extent we will always find ourselves in opposition to the “world.” Today this is particularly true when every believer is challenged to confront our culture and our times. In an ever increasingly secular and materialistic age, those who live by the Spirit are challenged to set an example that will bear testimony to the goodness of Christ and his way of life in an age that seems so uncomfortable with the things of the Spirit.

One of the insights of Saint Josemaría that I have found particularly encouraging is the recognition that all that we do, day in and day out, has its own transforming spiritual energy. Our activity to cultivate and care for this world where we are created in the image and likeness of God can have an enduring spiritual value. We do not live somehow spiritually abstracted from the first creation that is a sign of God’s love. Rather in this world, with all of its temporality, we find the means by which the Kingdom of God, the realm of grace, the dominion of the Spirit comes to be.

Each of us can take consolation in that vision that so much of what we do takes on enduring validity. The day in and day out labors that constitute the substance of our activities become not just the work of our hands, the earning of our daily bread, the manifestation of the human condition, all of which they are, but even more. Our work, our daily effort becomes the Work of God to the extent that we and what we do are united to Christ and his cross.

The Gospel chosen for today is a reminder of how our work which can seem at times to be lacking fruit can in fact be transformed into a bountiful catch. What it takes is openness to the Word. Jesus told them “Put out into the deep water, and let your nets down for a catch .”

At his command they did this and “caught a great number of fish.”

Jesus then says to Peter: “Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching men.”

The words of Christ and his Gospel present for us a challenge that allows us to believe that what we are doing in our daily lives, the activity of our livelihood, the work that is the part of the human condition, can actually be a transforming, life giving, world altering action.

Empowered by the Holy Spirit, enlightened by the word of Jesus, strengthened by his cross, we now see a far richer reality. Our lives and what we do become in the power of the Holy Spirit transforming instruments of the new creation.

As God brought into being all that is, in the first creation, so he now empowers us in a universal call to holiness, in a challenge to an all embracing response to the Spirit, to become the means of the new creation.

Today, as Pope John Paul II in his homily at the canonization of Saint Josemaría reminded us, the challenge, “Duc in Altum,” put out into the deep is extended to all of us.

With the example of Saint Josemaría before us, we can through his intercession renew the vision of a new order of grace. We can reconnect to the new creation, coming to be in and through all that Christ calls us to be.

The manifesting of the Kingdom begins with our openness to the word, our commitment in faith and our courage each day to do the work of God. In this way all that we do allows the grace of the Spirit in and through us to bring about a true manifestation of the Kingdom. In this we become the agents of the new creation.

While this is an exalted vocation, it is nonetheless that to which we are called. Today we celebrate the legacy of Saint Josemaría who not only recognized the call and lived it, but provided an inspiration for all engaged in the Work of God to rejoice in who we are and the challenge of transforming this world.

Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, S.T.D.
Archbishop of Washington

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007


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Zhanara is from Kazakhstan, but her life took a big turn when she came to Amsterdam. Here she encountered the Catholic faith and has been baptized. Her path to conversion has taught her to open up her mind and her heart.

In the city of canals, it’s already dark. At the Church of Our Lady of Amsterdam, after the sun has set, the Pascal Vigil begins.

To Zhanara, this celebration has a special meaning: she will become a daughter of God in the Catholic Church. She came closer to the faith by the grace of God; the help of a group of friends made the way easier.

Zhanara, where does your story begin?

I led the normal life of a girl in Kazakhstan. But when I finished my business studies in Almaty, my parents encouraged me to continue studying in Europe. I chose the Netherlands because I found many similarities between this country and my own country. I enrolled in a Master’s program in International Business in Rotterdam. I have now graduated and am looking for a job.

When did you become a Catholic? What attracted you in Christianity?

In Kazakhstan, a former republic of the Soviet Union, religion was restricted during my youth. I was raised without religion, but inside me I knew I believed in Jesus Christ, even though I didn’t say anything or gave any sign of it.

About a year and a half ago, I met an Italian, Marco. We became friends. Thanks to him, I came in contact with the Italian culture, whose roots are to a great extent Catholic.

Little by little I discovered how true Christians, even with defects like everyone else, radiate generosity with their way of thinking and acting, how they help each other and take a positive attitude towards life. Of course, we all have our failures. They trust - we trust, I can now say - that God will give them everything they need to be happy.

So, I came to the conclusion that I needed to deepen my knowledge of Catholic doctrine. My faith in Jesus became stronger, to the point of asking to become Catholic following the path of the sacraments.

How did you prepare for Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion?

In September 2006, I found information on the Internet about the church of Our Lady of Amsterdam. That’s how I came in contact with its rector, Fr. Ploeg. From him I received all kinds of help and encouragement. He suggested that I follow a Christian doctrine course at the Aenstal Residence, located in the middle of Amsterdam.

I also attended meditations on the gospel preached by this priest at Aenstal. I met other girls and saw in practice what it’s like being a Catholic. I was impressed by the way they helped me to know the doctrine and to practice love for God. These weekly meditations were a great inspiration for me.

My friend Marco was a constant support along my path towards Christianity, always willing to explain different aspects of the faith. Another important part of my preparation was a spiritual retreat at the Zonnenwende Conference Center. I spent four days devoted to deepening my knowledge and love of God.

Could you tell us what changed in your personal life after becoming a Christian?

Naturally, no one becomes a Catholic overnight. It’s a wonderful process - enriching and emotional - into which one must jump, opening one's heart and mind without fear.

I greatly enjoyed this time of preparation both spiritually and intellectually. It made made my desire to become Catholic even more firm. Now I belong to the “Catholic family.” I realize this is a task of a lifetime and not just some hobby that you can put down every so often.

Zhanara, how did you change in your daily life?

I have learned how to judge my activities and thoughts by God’s criteria. I try to look at them through God’s eyes. I want to struggle to be more generous and less selfish. I try to make more time for God, both in terms of prayer and in terms of being kinder towards others.

I am conscious that God is constantly close to me and that, for that reason, I can always ask for his help, especially in the moments of trouble and insecurity. In the moments of joy and happiness I give thanks to God because He gave me everything I have and for everything he will give me in the future.

No matter what happens in my life, I know that I will never be alone, because God is always with me. I just began my Christian life and I hope that I can always live according to the truth God has revealed to us. I see this as a great challenge, but one that is worthwhile taking up.

How do you see being a Christian in relation to your native country?

The life of any believer, regardless of what religion, is a new phenomenon in Kazakhstan. People look at it with curiosity and sometimes with fear. In my country there are many Russian Orthodox, but the majority of Kazaks are Muslim. This explains the fact there are so few Catholics, though the number is increasing. A few years ago, the first Catholic church opened in Almaty. And not long ago the first Centers of Opus Dei were also started.

I am convinced that the outlook for Christians in Kazakhstan is good, though there is still a long and challenging road to travel. I believe that, living as good Christians, we can be an inspiring example for those who we hope will decide to follow us.

Source: Opus Dei
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In 2002 in Warsaw, on June 26th, Irene Kalpas met Opus Dei "by chance." She was almost 90 years old.

By Irene Kalpas

By chance I found myself on Filtrova Street in Warsaw, where I had lived during the war, from September 1939 to November 1944. I was standing in front of my family home. In this house, I, with my mother, my father and my aunt (the owner), had been seized by the Nazis and then sent away to the concentration camps. My aunt died in the Ravensbrück camp and my father in Oranienburg. I returned from Oranienburg with just my mother. In the meantime, our house had been confiscated. Since that time I had never returned to Filtrova Street. I tried to avoid it because it held too many painful memories. . . .

On this 26th of June I entered Filtrova Street from the side of Nautowich Square. I walked and walked. I do not why; I still cannot explain it. And so I came to our house, 27 Filtrova Street. Standing outside I could see that everything was well kept and that the garden and the bright, pretty entrance had been restored. I said to myself, "O my God, the garage is just as it was before." And I asked myself, "How is the garden behind the house?" I put my hand on the latch of the gate, although I should say that I am not one of those people who will enter just anywhere and start looking around. I pressed down the latch and entered the garden to see if it was the same. It was as if I was doing all this without being aware of it. Then I thought, "There may be a dog," and I went back a few steps.

Then I noticed that the steps were placed in a different way and that the doorstep had also been changed. I went up the steps and there was a doorbell. I don't know why, but I pushed the bell. The door opened, and a young man with a pleasant appearance came out. I think he had glasses. I was very struck and he said, "Can I help you"? I answered that I just wanted to see the garden and he invited me to enter it. I said that in this place there had been a terrace. He looked surprised and I told him that this had been my family home where I had lived during the war. He let me enter the house and I found myself in the entrance hall. I hardly recognized anything. I went down a hallway that had led to the old living room, the room where we had been detained in 1944. The living room, however, had disappeared and now there was a chapel. In the chapel a priest was praying and he smiled when he saw me. I said good-by politely and left. I had too many things swirling around in my head.

It turns out that in that house, fifty years later, there was a center of Opus Dei. I knew nothing about Opus Dei nor about its founder. Why had I gone there? From that moment, which I was not looking for at all, I began to get to know Opus Dei. And great changes began to take place, especially in my interior life. Now I am a supernumerary of Opus Dei, and I am enormously thankful to God and to St. Josemaria that he has chosen me, an unknown person who did not deserve it.

I speak about this because I have just turned ninety and I wish to say to all older people who are sick or discouraged with life that there are no limits and no one knows when God's grace might touch us. Naturally I lived with God from the beginning, that is, from the moment of Baptism. But all my life, even with God, I was lukewarm. Now my interior life has begun to be more intense and I try to deepen it everyday. And so I thank God with my whole heart that at the end of my life he has allowed me to begin something new that is worthwhile.


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An Interview with Father John McCloskey

CHICAGO, MAY 7, 2007 (Zenit.org) - Every person a Catholic meets is a potential convert to the Church, says the author of a new book on how to share the faith.

Father C. John McCloskey, a priest of the prelature of Opus Dei and a research fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute, is known for aiding in the conversions of p residential candidate Sam Brownback, Judge Robert Bork, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, journalist Robert Novak, publisher Alfred Regnery and economist Lawrence Kudlow, to name a few.

Father McCloskey recently pooled his talents and knowledge with Russell Shaw to write "Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion and the Crisis of Faith" (Ignatius).

In this interview with ZENIT, Father McCloskey explains how evangelization and friendship go hand-in-hand, and why the Church and faithful Catholics are attractive to would-be converts.

Q: Why did you decide to write this book?

Father McCloskey: Actually, the idea came from my collaborator, the noted journalist and author Russell Shaw, who visited me while I was the director at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., and suggested the idea.

Shaw thought my experiences and those of the people whom I have assisted on their journey into the Church would be helpful to inquiring potential converts and the many priests, religious and lay faithful who are eager to share their faith in a personal manner -- above all, through a strong friendship that leads to sharing one's great joy in being a Catholic.

I had written some how-to articles on this subject, along with a good number of Church history pieces that help to put my ideas and experience in a historical context.

We are in a glorious moment of the New Evangelization, fueled by the Holy Spirit, as evidenced in the pontificates of Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI; the teachings of the Second Vatican Council are being brought to full and proper fruition.

Q: What is the difference between good and bad proselytism?

Father McCloskey: Good proselytism involves respect for the dignity of the human person and their interior freedom.

Bad proselytism involves pressure and some form of coercion completely contrary to the freedom that Christ won for us on the cross. The truth makes us free, but it must be freely accepted to be effective.

Good proselytism comes through a sincere and close friendship in which the potential convert recognizes that his friend has only his temporal and eternal happiness at heart. The person eager to share his faith as an apostle should see himself as an instrument God is using to offer this gift to his friend to be freely accepted or rejected.

This is a process that can last months, years or even decades. I know there are instant conversions. I have read about them but have never seen one. I have, however, seen some persons "convert" too quickly, and in some cases later fall away.

There is always opportunity for a comeback, though -- the seals of baptism and confirmation remain, and so does God's love for them.

A committed Catholic is always on the lookout to share his faith with others any way he can, but the most effective way is the means by which the Church grew in the early centuries -- through the power of "personal influence," to use a phrase coined by Venerable John Henry Newman. That entails a good attractive example of Christian virtue combined with a deep prayer and sacramental life.

This, along with personal one-on-one or family-to-family friendship, fueled by grace, will inevitably create a powerful evangelizing environment that can overcome any "culture of death" -- whether that of the Roman Empire or that of our consumerist and sexualized society in the West.

It doesn't happen overnight. God has all the time in the world.

Q: What can the faithful do to convert those around them?

Father McCloskey: On a human level, I would suggest the same tips that are helpful in making friends.

First of all, be an interesting person, which above all means -- to the extent possible -- soaking yourself in Western culture by reading, listening to and seeing all that is good in it.

Second, become an expert in humanity. Understand and love people the way they are, seeing both what you can learn from them and what gifts you can give them.

As the expression goes, to make friends, be a friend. A serious Catholic should have dozens of friends of varying degrees of closeness.

Also, regard every non-Catholic, without exception, as a potential convert. That is Christ's will. He died for all, not for a few, and wants everyone to be his close and intimate friend as a part of his family, the Church.

On a supernatural level, as already mentioned, the more we are immersed in God through our participation in prayer, spiritual reading, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Church, the more God can work through us to bring people to him in the Church.

Above all, we should always be praying for our friend and helping him advance at God's pace. We should always be asking ourselves, "What does he need next, and how can I provide it?"

Q: What are the key things that attract people to the Catholic Church? Is it the doctrine? or the practice? or the works of charity?

Father McCloskey: All potential converts, like everybody else, are seeking happiness both in this life and the next. Otherwise, why bother?

In the Church they find an institution that claims to be Christ's mystical body, founded by him during his time on earth, and unashamedly teaching the truth based on divine Revelation as it comes to us through Scripture and Tradition.

What a joy it has been through the years to see people discover through study and prayer Christianity, which can and must be lived in order to learn that being good does make us happy.

At the same time, converts remember very well the type of lives they were living prior to discovering the Lord and his Church; they are deeply grateful for the grace of this found treasure and have an eagerness to share it with others. The truth did make them free.

I think, above all, people are attracted to the Church by their growing knowledge and love of the person of Jesus Christ. As they grow more curious in reading the New Testament and Church history, they realize that Christ did not leave his children orphans, but rather instituted a Church -- his family, his body -- where he resides until the second coming.

The Church provides the means: its Scripture, sacraments, its authoritative teaching, the example of the saints, etc., so that a new Catholic can grow in Christ and reach his goal of holiness in heaven.

Of course, they must see others who show by their behavior, their happiness, their practice of Christian piety and virtues, and by their practice of true Christian charity as exemplified in the spiritual and corporal works of mercies, that indeed the Church provides the means to live the Christian life fully it can be done.

They see this not only in canonized saints of the ancient past and more recent past, but even more importantly in their friends -- the people who precisely have been God's instrument in introducing them to Christ's Church.

Q: Are there any facets of Benedict XVI's teaching that strike a cord with would-be converts?

Father McCloskey: What stands out immediately is his short and potent encyclical letter on God as love.

The fact that a much misunderstood and maligned German cardinal became a Pope who does not throw out anathemas but rather writes on "eros" and "agape," and speaks about the essential importance of concrete acts of charity to the poor, infirm and underprivileged -- both corporately and in personal actions of each of its members -- to the Church's mission underlines the Church's message that indeed God is love.

I also think it has been helpful to see the wonderfully seamless transition from two men with such a different personalities as John Paul the Great and Benedict XVI, arguably two of the most powerful intellects of the past century as, respectively, a philosopher and a theologian.

Remember that virtually all the converts of last 25 years never knew any Pope other than John Paul II. While the Church certainly does not depend solely on the holiness of its hierarchy, it certainly doesn't hurt.

Q: How do you see the state of other religions, in the face of increasingly complex bioethical and moral issues?

Father McCloskey: To put it simply, no other Christian church or ecclesial community really even attempts to speak authoritatively on such questions. They simply do not have the tradition -- or could we say the magisterial grace -- to be able to examine these complex issues.

Indeed, those communities closer to the Catholic Church often simply defer to its teachings, trusting in its millennial tradition and moral theology even if they do not recognize its unique claim as the one Church founded by Christ.

Only the Catholic Church institutionally provides prudent and clear teachings that guard the good and dignity of the human person from conception until a natural death.

This role is imperative, in light of the continuing rapid progress both in scientific and medical knowledge that can be utilized for good or for evil as applied to the human person, particularly in medical-moral questions involving procreation and in the origins of life.

Converts see this as sign of the divine authority of the Church using its vast experience and wisdom to facilitate clear moral choices.


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During the Mass celebrated in Rome on the feastday of St. Josemaría (June 26), the Prelate mentioned that on that very day the stable work of Opus Dei in Russia had begun. These paragraphs from Bishop Echevarría's homily speak about these new beginnings.

Today I feel a special joy in my soul that I would like to share with you. Precisely today, as we celebrate St. Josemaría's feastday, the apostolic work of Opus Dei will begin in a stable form in Russia, that immense land that extends from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean and from the Black Sea to the frozen Arctic Ocean. This fulfills a dream of St. Josemaría, who always wanted the spirit of Opus Dei to spread throughout the whole world, including the nations of Eastern Europe. You can’t imagine how much he looked forward to this moment!

Thanks be to God, the faithful of the Prelature are now working in the countries of Eastern Europe as well as in so many others. For many years the realization of this dream was stalled by a lack of freedom. In 1955, during a trip to Vienna, St. Josemaría entrusted this intention to the Mother of God, invoking her with the aspiration: Sancta Maria, Stella Orientis, filios tuos adiuva! (Holy Mary, Star of the East, help your children!) He never tired of praying for this intention, although as the years passed he was never allowed to see to see even the beginning of an answer.

Later, when the walls built by violence unexpectedly began to fall, our beloved Don Alvaro del Portillo began the apostolic expansion of Opus Dei into those countries. First of all, Poland; then the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Hungary and the Baltic countries. And in the last few years, Slovenia and Croatia. Today, finally, the moment has arrived to carry this apostolic activity to Russia as well. Let us give thanks to God and let us ask, through the intercession of our Lady and St. Josemaría, for divine help in these beginnings. . . .

To carry forward any apostolic activity we must go, first of all, to God. We must also place the necessary material means at the service of the apostolate, for the apostolic activities of Opus Dei need the collaboration of many people, their prayers and their material help. In this way, through the grace of God and the generous contribution of so many men and women from different walks of life, an ever-growing work of evangelization is being carried out throughout the world in service of the Church.


The complete homily is available (in Spanish) at www.josemariaescriva.info.


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A statue of St Josemaría Escrivá was blessed and installed in the Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi (India) on Tuesday 26 June, the feast day of the saint.

By Santificarnos.com

Archbishop Vincent Concessao was the main celebrant of the evening Mass in honor of the Founder of Opus Dei.

Quoting Pope Pius X in his homily, Archbishop Concessao told those assembled that the most pressing need of the Church is that we need more saints – and that this was the central message of St. Josemaría: all of the baptized are called to be saints – “not only saints in niches,” said the Archbishop, “but sweating in the factories, working in the offices…” carrying out professions of all kinds, that shouldn’t be seen as obstacles to holiness but rather as a means to achieve it.

“No matter what your work is,” the Archbishop said, “you are serving other people, and if you do it for love, aware of God’s plans for you, you can identify yourself with Christ in your work and draw closer to God.”

All of the baptized are called to be saints “not only saints in niches but sweating in the factories, working in the offices…”, said the Archbishop.Mr. Bernard Alick, an Indian artist painted the 1.1 meter resin statue which was made according to the original sculpture by Baldessari. Followed by the Archbishop and the other five concelebrants, Mr Alick was proud to be among those carrying the new statue in procession at the end of the Mass from the presbytery to the Baptistery Chapel of the Cathedral, where the statue has been placed.

Some participants placed a bouquet of flowers by the statue just after the installation ceremony. Leena Khalko, a housekeeper from Jharkhand, said she plans to bring fresh flowers regularly and address her petitions to God, through the intercession of St. Josemaría, at the Cathedral of Delhi.

Josemaría Escrivá died in 1975. He met some of the first Indian men and women who joined Opus Dei. Full of admiration and love for India when he was alive, St. Josemaría, ‘the saint of the ordinary’ (in words of Pope John Paul II) had this country with its people very much in his heart and prayers.

Certainly now he keeps doing the same from Heaven, always ready to intercede before God for those who ask him for help.

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Letter of Bishop Javier Echevarría to the faithful of Opus Dei. This month’s letter urges the faithful to consider the ordinary but exemplary life of the first Christians.

By Bishop Javier Echevarría

My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!

As in past years, on June 26 the liturgical celebration of the feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá was held in many places throughout the world. Devotion to our Father is a reality that is growing each day without restrictions of geography, language, race or social status. Millions of people turn to his intercession for their spiritual and material needs, and are inspired by his life and teachings to put into practice the demands of the Gospel.

His example is very timely and will always be so, with God’s grace, and will help many men and women to discover the paths that lead to the Blessed Trinity, amid all noble human realities: the family, work, social relationships, etc.

Our Lord wants us, in struggling for sanctity each day in accord with the spirit of Opus Dei, to strive to faithfully follow the paths that St. Josemaría opened by his docility to the divine will. Thus, with the witness of our interior struggle (at times victorious and other times not, but always beginning again joyfully) and with our words of encouragement, many others will be enheartened to undertake this way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian’s ordinary duties, which is the Work.

Today I want to remind you of some teachings of our Father connected with the first Christians, who received the Gospel message directly from the Apostles or from their immediate co-workers. He used to point to them as an example of how we should live in the midst of the world. Just yesterday we celebrated the liturgical memorial of the first martyrs of Rome, men and women who bore supreme witness to Christ in the Eternal City during the persecution of Nero. Upon introducing their feast in the universal calendar, the Church decided it would be celebrated on June 30, right after the solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, as though to stress their close union with the ones who had transmitted to them Christ’s holy teaching.

To explain Opus Dei’s mission, St. Josemaría often turned to those first sisters and brothers of ours in the faith. If you want a point of comparison, he would say, the easiest way to understand Opus Dei is to consider the life of the early Christians. They lived their Christian vocation seriously, seeking earnestly the holiness to which they had been called by their Baptism. Externally they did nothing to distinguish themselves from their fellow citizens. Similarly, he added, the faithful of Opus Dei are ordinary people. They work like everyone else and live in the midst of the world just as they did before they joined. There is nothing false or artificial about their behavior. They live like any other Christian citizen who wants to respond fully to the demands of his faith, because that is what they are.

In mentioning these ideas I am also moved by the desire to second the teachings of the Pope, who in his Wednesday audiences has been speaking for quite some time now about the early Fathers and writers of the Church. His words can help us to imitate the example of those who lived at the dawn of Christianity. In general, the circumstances surrounding their witness to the faith do not seem all that different from our own.

The first point that stands out is the optimism, filled with confidence and conviction (from their faith!), with which they confronted the pagan world. With the light of our Lord’s teaching, they were able to discern the positive elements in the social customs of their times, and to reject what was not in accord with the new vision of life Christ’s doctrine had given them.

The Pope points out, for example, that St. Justin (a layman and philosophy teacher in Rome), basing himself on Sacred Scripture, shows first of all the divine plan of creation and salvation that is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Logos, that is, the eternal Word, eternal Reason, creative Reason. And he stresses how that ancient Father of the Church held that every person as a rational being shares in the Logos, carrying within himself a "seed," and can perceive glimmers of the truth. Thus, the same Logos who revealed himself as a prophetic figure to the Hebrew people under the old Law also manifested himself partially, in "seeds of truth," in Greek philosophy. Now, Justin concludes, since Christianity is the historical and personal manifestation of the Logos in his totality, it follows that "whatever things were rightly said among all men are the property of us Christians."

In many countries, we who know we are God’s children find ourselves submerged in a neo-pagan society, and (let us never doubt it) we have been entrusted with the marvelous mission of redirecting it to God. The apostolic response of each and every one of us has to follow in the footsteps of those who have gone before us. Firmly grounded in Catholic teaching, we have to act without any inferiority complex in the heart of the civil society to which we belong by our own right, and-without arrogance-transform it from within acting as a leaven in the mass, for mankind’s temporal and eternal good.

So let us be optimistic and objective. Although we see deficiencies and errors, there are always many positive attitudes and good realities in the men and women we find alongside us and in the environment around us. In carrying out our apostolate, we have to discover and appreciate these riches, in order to lead those we are dealing with towards the Truth. By stressing these points of common interest, it will be easier to bring souls to God. Our greatest ally for the new evangelization of society-besides the guardian angels of those we are dealing with-is precisely the divine residue that is always found in every human being (although at times they don’t realize it), even among those who are furthest from God.

So let us be filled with optimism, and try to spread this outlook to others who perhaps are discouraged in the face of the moral and spiritual decadence that has arisen in so many places. In our personal conversations with friends and colleagues, as well as in the more or less public interventions that we might be called upon to make, we should rely on the two "wings" of faith and reason, as the Pope repeats untiringly, without separating one from the other. Thus we will counteract the relativism around us, a manifestation of a lack of faith and a lack of trust in reason.

Recalling as well our beloved John Paul II, let us put into effect his advice: "Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ! Open to his saving power the borders of states, the economic and political systems, the broad fields of culture, of civilization, of development. Do not be afraid! Christ knows what is in man’s heart. He alone knows it!" We need to make this a reality first of all in ourselves, allowing our Lord to enter our souls and to rule there; and also in those we are dealing with, accompanying them so that they reach the conviction that Jesus is their best Friend.

Therefore it is essential that we constantly improve our theological formation, that we go deeper-in accord with each one’s needs and circumstances-into the topics of public discussion related to the fundamental aspects of revelation.

In explaining the teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church, the Pope stresses another point of great importance for today’s world. He states that the great error of the ancient pagan religions consisted in not adhering to the paths traced out by divine wisdom in the depths of man’s soul. Therefore, the decline of the pagan religion was inevitable: it was a logical consequence of the detachment of religion-reduced to an artificial collection of ceremonies, conventions and customs-from the truth of being. The early Fathers and Christian writers, in contrast, made the choice of the truth of being against the myth of custom. Tertullian, the Pope recalls for us, wrote: Dominus noster Christum veritatem se, non consuetudinem, cognominavit. Christ our Lord affirmed that he was the Truth, not custom. And Benedict XVI remarked: it should be noted in this regard that the term consuetudo, used here by Tertullian in reference to the pagan religion, can be translated into modern languages with the expressions "cultural fashion," "current fads."

Today as well, the shipwreck of those who try to do without God is certain. Despite the apparent victory of relativism in some places, this way of thinking and of living will end up collapsing like a house of cards, since it is not anchored in the truth of God the Creator and in his divine Providence, which directs the paths of history.

We Christians know that we are freer than anyone, because we do not allow ourselves to be dragged about by momentary fads. The Church wants her children to be responsible and consistent Catholic citizens, so that the mind and heart of each of us are not dispersed, each going in its own direction, but consistent and firm, doing at every moment what one clearly sees has to be done, without letting oneself be dragged along, through lack of personality and of loyalty to one’s conscience, by passing tendencies or fashions: so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles (Eph 4:14).

At the beginning of this letter I mentioned that devotion to St. Josemaría is continuing to spread throughout the world. A few days ago (and these are not the only quite recent examples) a stone plaque was unveiled in Reggio Calabria commemorating the sixtieth anniversary of our Father’s visit to that city, and a street in Fiuggi was named after him. And today, July 1, a parish church in Valencia is being dedicated to St. Josemaría. This is why my letter is dated here, since I have come to this city through the invitation of my dear friend and brother in the episcopate, Archbishop García Gasco, to take part in the liturgical ceremony. Please join me in giving thanks, and let us continue working, each in one’s own place, so that this spirit of God may reach new environments and people.

It gives me great joy to tell you that since this past June 26 your brothers who are beginning the stable activity of the Work in Russia have been in Moscow. Let us accompany them closely with our prayer, during these first moments and always; and let us prepare for the future expansion.

Upon seeing all of your letters on the occasion of my birthday, I was filled with embarrassment and joy. I have thanked each and every one of you. As our Father used to say, ask Him about it, if you have any doubts.

With all my affection, I bless you,

Your Father

+ Javier

Valencia, July 1, 2007

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Residents of Bayridge in Boston recently held a 26 hour "Study Marathon" to show their solidarity with the students at Virginia Tech who experienced the tragic shootings.

On Monday, April 16th, the girls at Bayridge Residence were enjoying a holiday. In Massachusetts the second Monday of April is Patriot's Day. It is also the day of the Boston Marathon.

And since the residence happens to be on the 26.2 mile marathon route, we enjoyed watching the runners from our front door.

A few hours later, however, we learned about the tragic shootings that had occurred that morning at Virginia Tech. We were shocked, and deeply saddened.

Our house shared in the grief of the VTech community: we posted pictures from their website, prayed for the victims, wore the Hokie colors. But we felt the need to do more.

It then occurred to us to have our own marathon, a study marathon: 26.2 hours of study in honor of our fallen peers, their families and the entire VT community.

There are many girls at Bayridge who are not Catholic, and several with no religion at all. But most of these girls love living here, and they understand, in their own way, the teachings of Saint Josemaría which inspired the residence: that it would be a place for young women to grow in their ideals, living a healthy lifestyle and studying diligently.

During our study marathon I was eating lunch with one of these residents, and she asked me to explain the concept behind what we were doing. She didn't quite see how our hours of studying were helping the victims, their families, or their friends.

I told her how Saint Josemaría taught that "an hour of study … is an hour of prayer" when it is done with a supernatural motive and offered to God. "Oh," she said slowly, "so it's like you're sending them energy?" We both laughed, but I realized later just how much of our spirit she had grasped.

Another friend of mine who lives outside the residence joined us for the entire weekend. She also has no religion, but she eagerly added her hours of study to our efforts, and she loved every second of it.

The house helped her study well: she could sense that what we were doing was meaningful, and it kept her motivated and peaceful as she cranked out multiple papers for her graduate classes. She got so much out of the study marathon that she came back to study here twice more in the following week, and even brought her sister over to show her the house.

At the end of the weekend, we put together a package for the president of Virginia Tech, with pictures, a record of our hours, and a letter explaining the spirit in which the Bayridge girls had dedicated a weekend to this study marathon - offering up each hour of study as a prayer for their community.

In all, we had studied for 283.5 hours. That's a lot of prayers; but even before we knew the total, we were seeing the fruitfulness that God brings out of our work.

Source: Opus Dei
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26th June is the anniversary of Saint Josemaría's death in 1975 and is now his feastday

Below is a list of the major Masses being celebrated in the United States for the feast of St. Josemaria. A more complete list can be found at the website of the St. Josemaria Institute.

UNITED STATES

Alabama

St. Peter’s Catholic Church
219 Adams Avenue
Montgomery, Alabama 36101
(334) 262-7304
June 26, 2007
6:00 PM

Arizona

St. Daniel the Prophet
1030 N. Hayden Road
Scottsdale, Arizona
480-945-8437
http://www.sdtp.net/parish/parish_home.htm
Celebrant: Fr. Matthew Bloomer
June 30th, 2007
10:30 AM

California

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
1111 Gough Street
San Francisco, CA 94109-6686
Saturday, June 30, 2007
10 a.m.
Main Celebrant: Msgr. Thomas Bohlin, Vicar of Opus Dei for the United States
Reconciliation begins at 9:30 AM

St. Joachim Church
1964 Orange Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 574-7400
Teresa@stjoachimparish.com
Celebrant: Father Enrique Sera
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
8:30 AM

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
555 West Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2707
Saturday, June 23, 2007
10 AM
Celebrant: Bishop Oscar Solis
Cathedral parking available for $5.00 Info contact: Tilden Study Center
310-208-0941
www.tildensc.org

Founders Chapel, University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, California
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
7:00 PM
westerfam@yahoo.com
Main celebrant: Bishop Savatore, Cordilione Auxillary of San Diego
A reception including a barbeque dinner will be served after Mass.
For further information contact: Dr. Mark Murphy @ 760-803-4872

Colorado

St. Vincent De Paul Church
2375 E. Arizona Avenue
Denver, CO
Friday, June 22, 2007
7 PM
Principal Celebrant: Father James Socias
Confessions starting at 6:30 PM

Connecticut

St. Michael's
469 North Street
Greenwich, CT
Saturday, June 23, 2007
10 AM
203-869-5421
Principal Celebrant and homilist: Msgr. Javier Garcia
Confessions will be heard 1/2 hour prior to Mass

D.C.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
400 Michigan Avenue, N.E,
Washington, DC
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
7:30PM
Principal Celebrant:
His Excellency Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, S.T.D.
Archbishop of Washington

Florida

Saint Brendan Catholic Church
8725 SW 32nd Street
Miami, FL 33165
Saturday, June 23
11 a.m.
(305) 551-7956

Cathedral of Saint Augustine
35 Treasury Street
St. Augustine, FL 32084
Tuesday, June 26
11 a.m.

Christ the King Catholic Church
821 South Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, Florida 33609
www.ctk-tampa.org
Celebrating Priest: Father Blum
Concelebrating: Father Michael A. Scheip
June 26th at 7:00 pm.

Our Lady of Lourdes
1301 Center Road
Venice, FL 34292
Celebrating Priest: Rafael S. Padilla J.C.L
Concelebrating: Michael A. Scheip
managerjan@comcast.net
June 26th at 8:00 am.

Georgia

Holy Spirit Church
4465 Northside Drive
Atlanta, GA
678-393-9207
pedro_villacorta@bellsouth.net
www.hsccatl.com
Fr. Malcolm Kennedy
16 June 2007
12:00 PM

Illinois

St. Mary of the Angels Church
1850 N. Hermitage
Chicago, IL
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
7:30 PM
Principal Celebrant: Most Rev. Francis J. Kane, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
Confessions available beginning at 6:45 PM

Faith Hope and Charity
191 Linden St
Winnetka, IL 60093
847-446-7646
June 26, 2007
8am
Celebrant: Fr. Joseph Nam Dao
http://www.faithhope.org/

Maine

Holy Martyr’s Parish
266 Foreside Rd.
Falmouth, ME 04105
Thursday, June 28, 2007
6PM

Massachusetts

Corpus Christi Parish
324 Quaker Meeting House Road
East Sandwich
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
7 PM
Celebrant: Fr. George Crafts
pastor@corpuschrisiparish.org
508-888-0209
www.CorpusChristiParish.org
Confessions available beginning at 6:00 PM

Cathedral of St. Paul
15 Chatham St.
Worcester, MA
Celebrant: Bishop Robert J. McManus
Monday, June 25, 2007
7 PM

Cathedral of the Holy Cross
1400 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
7:30 p.m.
Celebrant: Most Rev. Robert F. Hennessey, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston
(617) 354-3204

Minnesota

Holy Family Catholic Church
5900 West Lake Street
St. Louis Park, MN
(952) 929-0113
June 26, 2007
7:30 PM
Celebrant: Father Charles Ferrer
http://www.hfcmn.org/

Missouri

Our Lady of Good Counsel Church
3934 Washington
Kansas City, Missouri 64222
816-561-0400
Wednesday, June 27, 7PM
Celebrant: Bishop Robert Finn, Bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph.

Saint Clement of Rome Church
1510 Bopp Road
Des Peres, MO 63131
(314) 965-0709
Celebrant: Rev. Edward Richard

Nevada

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
2300 Sunridge Heights Parkway
Henderson, NV 89052
(702) 914-2175
July 7, 2007, 11 AM
Celebrant: Msgr. James Kelly
http://www.sfahdnv.org/home.htm

New Jersey

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
One Passaic Street
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
973-763-8397
Saturday, June 23, 9:30 am
Celebrant: Msgr. Thomas Bohlin, Vicar of Opus Dei in the United States
Confessions will be heard 1/2 hour prior to Mass

New York

Church of Our Saviour
59 Park Avenue at 38th St.
New York City, New York 10016
Tuesday, June 26, 2007, 6:30 pm
Principal Celebrant and homilist: Rev. Arne Panula
Confessions will be heard 1/2 hour prior to Mass

St. John Fischer College's Harold Coleman Chapel
Rochester, NY
Tuesday, June 26, at at 4:40 PM.
Celebrant: Father Joe

Nebraska

St. Rose of Lima
405 East Elk Street
P.O. Box 443
Hooper, NE 68031
402-654-3449
Celebrant: Fr. Vitalis Anyanike
June 26th
8 am

St. Lawrence Catholic Church
910 Grant Street
Scribner, NE 68057
402-664-3283
Celebrant: Fr. Vitalis Anyanike
June 30th
8 am

North Carolina

St. Joseph's Catholic Church
2817 Poole Road
Raleigh, North Carolina 27610
(919) 231-6364
stjoseph@mindspring.com
Msgr. John Williams, Pastor
Saturday, June 23, 2007
11:00am

Oregon

St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church
2727 NE 54th Avenue
Portland,OR
Msgr. James Kelly
July 14, 2007
12:15 pm

Pennsylvania

Sacred Heart Church
310 Shady Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
412.683.8448 ext. 304
rene@warwickhouse.org
warwickhouse.org
Celebrant: Fr. Rene Schatteman
Saturday, June 23, 2007, 10:00 am

Rhode Island

Church of St. Sebastian
67 Cole Ave.
Providence, RI 02906
Thursday, June 21, 7:00 pm
Celebrant: Fr. George Crafts.
Confessions 6:15-6:45

Texas

St. John Neumann
5455 Bee Caves Rd
Austin, TX 78746
(512) 328-3220
KGarner@sjnaustin.org
http://www.sjnaustin.org/home/home.asp
Rev. Kirby Garner
June 26, 2007, 7:00 pm.

Christ the King Church
8017 Preston Road
Dallas, TX
Tuesday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Celebrant: Fr. Jack Solarski

Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral
1111 Pierce Street
Houston, TX
Saturday, June 30 , 10 a.m.
Main Celebrant: Most Rev. Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston


St Anthony Mary Claret
6150 Roft Road
San Antonio. TX 78253
210-688-9033
saclaret@swbell.net
Celebrant: Archbishop Jose H. Gomez
8:00 am, June 26, 2007
10:30 am, June 30, 2007

Virginia

St. Benedict Catholic Church
300 N. Shepherd Street
Richmond, Virginia 23221
(804) 254-8810
info@saintbenedictparish.org
www.saintbenedictparish.org
Rev. James F. Kauffmann, Pastor
Friday, June 22, 2007, 7:30pm

Washington

Holy Family Parish
9622 -20th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98106
June 26, 2007, 7pm
Celebrant: Archbishop Alexander J Brunette

Wisconsin

139 S Madison St
Green Bay, WI 54301
920-432-4348
June 26, 2007, 7:30PM
Dessert Reception for follow the Mass
Celebrant: Monsignor Roy Klister, the rector of the Cathedral

Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist
812 North Jackson Street
Milwaukee, WI
Celebrant: Most Rev. Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison
Sunday, June 24, 6 p.m.

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