June 26: St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

The Saint of everyday life

He is known as “the Saint of everyday life” because he taught that even the simplest actions of daily life can lead to holiness. This is Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, founder of the movement Opus Dei. Born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, Spain, he received a strong Christian upbringing.

In 1915, his family moved to Logroño for work-related reasons. It was there that Josemaría first felt God’s call, after seeing the barefoot footprints of a religious brother in the snow. He didn’t immediately understand what God wanted of him, but he decided to become a priest to find out. He studied at the seminary in Zaragoza and, following his father’s advice, also enrolled privately at the university to study law.

In 1924, his father died, and Josemaría became the head of the family. The following year, on March 28, 1925, he was ordained a priest and began working in a parish and later in Zaragoza. In 1927, he moved to Madrid to pursue a doctorate in law. There, on October 2, 1928, he experienced an interior vision in which he understood the mission God was entrusting to him: to found Opus Dei, an organization that would help people seek holiness in everyday life.

He never stopped exercising his priestly ministry, especially among the sick and the poor of Madrid. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, Josemaría was forced into hiding due to religious persecution. He continued to celebrate Mass and hear confessions in secret. He eventually managed to escape to France by crossing the Pyrenees, later settling in Burgos.

After the war ended, he returned to Madrid in 1939, completed his law studies, and gave numerous spiritual retreats for priests, religious, and laypeople.

In 1946, he moved to Rome, where he earned a doctorate in theology. He was appointed a consultant to several Congregations, joined the Pontifical Academy of Theology, and was named Prelate of Honor of His Holiness. He took an active part in the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), maintaining close contact with many bishops.

He traveled throughout Europe and, between 1970 and 1975, visited Latin America, Spain, and Guatemala to support the growth of Opus Dei, meeting thousands of people for catechetical gatherings.

He died in Rome on June 26, 1975, and was buried in the prelature’s church of Santa Maria della Pace. He was canonized a Saint by Pope John Paul II on October 6, 2002.