Saint Josemaria Escriva

Feast Day: June 26

• Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the second of Jose and Dolores Escrivá's six children, was born in Barbastro, Spain on January 9th, 1902. Growing up within this Catholic family, Josemaría also attended Catholic school. Between his family and his schooling, he learned the fundamental principles of the faith, attended regular confession and communion, prayed the rosary, and gave alms.

• He started his studies for the priesthood in Saragossa and continued them in Logroño. He also started studying civil law on the advice of his father and with the approval of his seminary teachers. In 1925, he received his priestly ordination, and started serving as a pastor.

• On October 2, 1928, while on a retreat in Madrid, God revealed to Josemaría his specific mission: he was to found a Catholic organization whose goal is to aid people from all walks of life in following Christ, seeking holiness in their daily lives, and increasing their love for God and one another -- this group would be called Opus Dei. He is known for his many writings and reflections, specifically in his books The Way, The Furrow, and The Forge.

• Josemaría's spirituality and the way he lived reflect the story of how he suffered greatly throughout his whole life. He wanted so much for people of every vocation to get to Heaven and become Saints. This quote by him summarizes his thoughts: "God is calling you to serve him in and from the ordinary, material, secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university chair, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine, hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of you to discover it."

• On June 26, 1975, at the age of 73, Monsignor Escrivá passed away unexpectedly in Rome. Numerous bishops and regular Christians petitioned the Vatican to start the canonization investigative process for him.

• He was proclaimed Blessed by Pope John Paul II in front of a sizable throng in St. Peter's Square on May 17th, 1992, and on October 6th, 2002, he was officially declared a saint.