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During Holy Week 1949, Josemaría Escrivá preached a retreat to a group of professionals in the Molinoviejo Conference Center. Several of the first supernumeraries of Opus Dei came from this retreat. The article describes the progress of the preaching of St. Josemaría to this group. The details are partly reconstructed from the notes of some of the participants as well as the personal history of several of these pioneers.

During his lifetime, the founder of Opus Dei made two changes to his names: he united the first two into one —Josemaría— and added the toponymic “de Balaguer” to his first surname. This study analyzes the reasons for these changes and the ways in which the founder himself expressed his name.

During the Spanish Civil War, the founder of Opus Dei wrote a monthly family newsletter while he lived in Burgos. The newsletter gave brief information about the young people who had participated in the activities of the DYA Academy-Residence, in Madrid, who were scattered throughout Spain, and at the same time, served to send them a message of encouragement with the intention of keeping them vibrant in the Catholic faith. The second issues of this series presented, corresponding to the month of April 1938.

The first two volumes of the Letters of St. Josemaría Escrivá were published in 2020 and 2021. The preparation of the publication called for an exhaustive search in the General Archives of the Prelature in order to locate all possible documentation on the writing and distribution of these texts in the 1960s. The present article provides an account of this archival research.

A critical and annotated edition of a hitherto unpublished document of St. Josemaría Escrivá: the Letter dedicated to the Work of St. Gabriel, that is, the vocation and the mission of the non-celibate members of Opus Dei as well as the collaboration of the cooperators. This Letter is also referred to by its first few words Dei amore. The letter is dated January 9 1959 and was printed for the first time in January 1966.

The Roman College of Holy Mary was established by the founder of Opus Dei in 1953 to provide a better preparation for the women who would undertake tasks of formation and government in a number of different countries. From 1959 and 1962 the College was closed. The reopening took place in Castel Gandolfo in 1963, with a special feature: studies in Pedagogy. This article describes the process of the acquisition of the premises, the vision of the founder of Opus Dei, the evolution and objective of these courses in education, and the meetings of the students and lecturers with Paul VI and John Paul II.

The article explains the context of the relationship between Josemaría Escrivá and Ángel Herrera in the 1930s. It highlights the mutual appreciation that led Herrera to ask for Escrivá’s collaboration for “La Casa del Consiliario” (the centre that was created in Madrid for the formation of priests who would work for Catholic Action) and Escrivá to ask for his help for the Academia–Residencia DYA.

The article presents a historical and chronological overview of how the expressions “divine filiation” and “sense of divine filiation” have made their appearance in the writings of Josemaría Escrivá. The article concludes by dedicating the closing paragraphs to the key elements of a theological analysis.

The article presents a concise biographical study of Josemaría Escrivá, which covers the years of his childhood, adolescence and youth, from his birth (January 9, 1902) to the founding of Opus Dei (October 2, 1928). The aim of the article is to present a scholarly text that brings together the partial studies or hagiographical work already published. A review of the Opus Dei archives related to this period of the Founder’s life has also been carried out.

The incorporation of associate members into Opus Dei began in 1950, following the approval of Opus Dei as a secular institute. This study focuses on the formation of the women who had applied for admission as associates in the first half of the 1950s in Spain. These were women with a celibate commitment, who had a professional career and who did not live in Opus Dei centers. Firstly, the methods and content of this personal and collective formation are discussed, and secondly, the response of some of these women is examined.

The forties of the Twentieth Century were years of great novelties in Opus Dei. A few tens of members united without an ecclesiastical approval became two thousand associates at the end of the decade with a final approval for Opus Dei by the Holy See as a secular institute. Josemaría Escrivá adapted the governance to the different canonical situations of the Work, appointed the men and women of Opus Dei for the central and local councils, and explained the main characteristics of the governance in Opus Dei.

The women of Opus Dei began to develop their apostolate from 1942, once the first center was established in Jorge Manrique Street. Considering the position that women occupied in Spanish society in the 1940s, these young women set out on the adventure of spreading and bringing to life a new message of the universal call to holiness, while facing misunderstandings and many difficulties. Although they did not carry out remarkable activities, they were pioneering women who paved the way for other women with a new horizon of sanctification. This article analyses the growth of their activities and the consolidation of a new apostolate that laid the foundations for expansion throughout the rest of the world.

This article seeks to identify the key ideas of the formation received by the members of Opus Dei who survived the Spanish Civil War and who brought about the great expansion that followed throughout the country.

This article describes the path of that section of the Juridical Itinerary of Opus Dei that made it possible for incardinated priests to exist in the institution: firstly, with the establishment of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, as a society of common life without vows, and later, after the promulgation of Provida Mater Ecclesia, as a secular institute. The first groups of priestly ordinations of Opus Dei in the 1940s, with the exception of the very first one, are discussed below. Finally, a brief explanation is given of the steps taken to enable diocesan priests to belong to the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross.

The relationship between the founder of Opus Dei and his collaborators with the Spanish bishops between the end of the Spanish Civil War in April 1939 and the first trip of Escrivá to Rome in June 1946 is explored. The issues discussed with the prelates, and their attitude toward the institution are studied. Also, we are interested in analyzing how many bishops, in what way and for what reasons supported Opus Dei. A map of the episcopal connections of Escrivá between 1931 and 1939 is drawn first, to better understand the article core.

Federico Tedeschini (1873-1959), nuncio in Spain (1921- 1936) and cardinal of the Catholic Church (1933-1959), served as a substitute for the Secretariat of State between 1914 and 1921. He was one of the curial ecclesiastics who met the first members of the Work who arrived in Rome in 1942. When St. Josemaría Escrivá arrived in Rome in 1946, his cordial relationship from the very beginning with Federico Tedeschini, intensified when the prelate was named cardinal protector of the Work in 1951 In this article, in addition to making available unpublished correspondence between the two, we seek to delve deeper into the role Tedeschini played in the life of Opus Dei, especially in the years in which he served as cardinal-protector.

Between February 1949 and the fall of 1957, Opus Dei in the United States went from a small group of five pioneers, based in Chicago, to one hundred and fifty members with centers in six cities in the Midwest and on the East Coast. This article focuses on the apostolic work of the men of Opus Dei and endeavors to establish the timeline, geography, and the demographics of this period. The article also seeks to address some of the institutional dimensions of these beginnings. Three stages are observed: the beginnings (1949-1953), the first maturity (1953-1955), and the growth that gave way to the division into two Regions (1955-1957).

During the Spanish Civil War, St. Josemaría wrote a series of thirteen copies of “Noticias” in Burgos, the city where he lived from January 1938 until the end of the conflict. “Noticias” was a kind of family newsletter, monthly, sent to people who participated in the activities of the Academy – Residence DYA, in Madrid, with whom he could get back in touch after December 1937, when he left the republican zone of Spain. The first of this series is presented, corresponding to the month of March 1938.

Since they first met in 1942, Josemaría Escrivá and Manuel Fernández Conde, who was Bishop of Cordoba (1959-1970), enjoyed a warm friendship. This friendship was reflected by an uninterrupted exchange of letters, especially on the occasion of birthdays, Saint’s days and other anniversaries. The correspondence between the two is detailed in this article.

Among the priests whom St. Josemaría got to know and with whom he had dealings, some played a special role in his spiritual direction. Some served as confessors, others counseled him in his interior life; while another group who had a special spiritual affinity with him, had conversations or exchanged priestly experiences, which were highly valued by the founder of Opus Dei. These priests are the subject of this study, a study which is limited in time by 25 June 1944 when Blessed Álvaro del Portillo commenced to take care of his spiritual life. This study has been structured into three periods from childhood in Barbastro until post-war Madrid. The commencement of each time period is marked by the inclusion of some brief insights into St. Josemaría’s life at that time.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá kept a library with nearly 2,500 volumes in his working quarters in Rome. He began to put it together in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, after leaving the Republican controlled zone of Spain. The collection continued to grow later on in Madrid, and it was eventually moved to Rome in 1953. There it was stored in its definitive location, with volumes constantly added to it until 1975.

At the end of the Spanish Civil War, Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei, had to recommence the apostolate with women starting out with just two young women who had decided to follow him in 1937 and 1938 respectively. In the space of a few years a small group of girls from Madrid, Valencia and León was formed. They also committed themselves to live and spread the message transmitted by the founder. The present article investigates the development of this apostolic task by examining the letters, diaries and testimonies of the people involved.

A study on the first year of the university residence located in Jenner Street, promoted by Josemaría Escrivá and directed by men of Opus Dei in Madrid. Among other matters, reference is made to how the residence functioned, who the residents were, the human and Christian formation that was imparted, the importance of study, the cultural activities that were offered to residents and non-residents, and so on. The objective is to show the spirit that animated Jenner in the historical context of Opus Dei’s development after the Spanish Civil War.

In 1947, Josemaría Escrivá was able to bring about a long-awaited aspect of the founding of Opus Dei: the admission of married members or those wishing to form a family. The crucial step occurred in September 1948, when − after having obtained recognition from the Holy See in that regard − he organized a gathering in which fifteen people participated. That’s where the first supernumeraries came from. This article focuses on the events of these days, in which St. Josemaría explained many details of the life of the supernumeraries. This reconstruction was made possible thanks to the notes and testimonies of some of the participants.

Ramona Sanjurjo Aranaz was born into a well-known family from Vigo (Galicia, Spain). She joined Opus Dei as a Supernumerary in 1948. She always lived in Vigo where she took care of her family and participated in the growth of the apostolate of Opus Dei in Galicia and Portugal. The article is mainly based on the letters she wrote from the time she first came across Opus Dei until the establishment of a center in Vigo. These letters show her way of life and her apostolate.

Publication and commentary of the letters to Saint Josemaría of Salvador Canals during his first year as a priest, between November 1948 and October 1949.

A documentary account of some aspects of the beginnings of Opus Dei in Ireland, up to the establishment of its first corporate apostolate, Nullamore University Residence, Dublin. The article covers the years 1947 to 1954 and outlines the life and apostolate of the members of Opus Dei during the period, the first joint annual formational courses between England and Ireland, as well as the first women members (the ‘Miracle of Ireland’). The resolution of some ecclesiastical and parental misapprehensions in Dublin is dealt with in some depth. Initial progress and then disappointment with developments in Cork, as well as preparations for the first English edition of The Way published in Cork, are dealt with. Other topics include apostolic visits to Galway, devotion to Isidoro Zorzano, the search for and setting up of a Residence and the official opening of Nullamore. The primary sources are written accounts of the period, diaries of centres, documents from the archives of the Prelature and some secondary works, which provide historical and cultural contexts.

On May 22nd, 1974, Josemaría Escrivá arrived in Brazil, where he began his trip to several Latin American countries. The article describes the preparations and background of the two largest meetings which took place on 1st and 2nd June 1974. At the same time, the content of his message in this country is analyzed based on the content of those meetings.

This brief article offers a comprehensive overview of the sequence of events of Josemaría Escrivá’s trip to Latin America in 1974 and 1975. The objective is to present the numerous catechetical encounters that took place as well as his visits to bishops.

The founder of Opus Dei was in Chile from June 28th to July 9th, 1974. This stay was part of a trip to various Latin American countries. One of the objectives of his visit was to confirm the faithful in the catholic faith; the other objective was to promote the development of Opus Dei’s apostolic activities in that country. The main features of St Josemaría’s stay in Chile are presented briefly in the context of the political and ecclesiastical situation of the country, the schedule and content of the meetings with various groups of people.

This article deals with the activity of the Minerva publishing house between 1943 and 1946. This project was the initiative of several women of Opus Dei together with some other women who had no relation with the Work but who nevertheless wanted to be involved in the undertaking. The aim was to foster the reading of classical and modern books presented in an attractive way. Although only three publications were printed, it can be considered as the first of many apostolic initiatives in the field of public opinion, initiatives which were promoted afterwards by other members of Opus Dei together with people who shared similar ideals.

The active and passive correspondence (with introduction and commentary) of José Orlandis and Salvador Canals with the members of Opus Dei in Madrid is presented. This documentation is not only a portrayal of the commencement of the Work in the Eternal City but is also an illustration of the way in which the spirit of Opus Dei influences the different aspects of personal life (professional, spiritual) from its beginnings to the present day. In addition, the witness of the lives of these young academics –who in one way or another interacted with several ecclesiastics during their stay in Rome– served to make known the reality of Opus Dei in the Holy See. These meetings resulted in the private audience granted to them by Pius XII. This was the first time members of Opus Dei spoke with the Pope about the Work.

Ricardo Fernández Vallespín was the director of the DYA Academy and Residence, the first corporate apostolate of Opus Dei fostered by St. Josemaría in 1933. Fernández Vallespín took part in the development of the Work in Spain in the nineteen forties. In 1950 he commenced the apostolic work of Opus Dei in Argentina, and helped in the beginnings in other South American countries. Fernandez Vallespín lived his calling to Opus Dei through his professional work as an architect, through his pastoral service as a priest and through the acceptance of a long illness.

Biographical sketch of one of the first members of Opus Dei. Architecture student, met the founder of Opus Dei in the academic year 1934-1935. Endowed with great sympathy and sensitivity, collaborated with Saint Josemaría in the handling and installation of the first university residences in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. Ordained a priest in 1946, he began the apostolic work in Mexico and Central America. Called to Rome by the founder worked in the central government of Opus Dei from 1958 to 1966. He eventually returned to Mexico where, after launching many educational, charitable and academic work, died in 1995.

Francisco Botella Raduán (1915-1987) met St. Josemaría in 1935 and was one of the first members of Opus Dei. The purpose of this article is to present his life giving special attention to the years when he spent more time with the Founder (1935-1950). His own extensive memories have been of great help. The article has an autobiographical style. The fact that Botella recounts Escriva’s life in parallel with his own life facilitates this style. This narrative method introduces the personality of the Founder into the interior world of Francisco Botella, and gives a broader meaning to the different events of his history –studies, family, friendships, academic work, and priesthood.

Publication and Commentary of the Letters written by Josemaría Escrivá to Juan Jiménez Vargas between December 1937 and March 1939, during the Spanish Civil War.

Faculty of Law in Zaragoza (Saragossa) at the beginning of the XX century. St Josemaría’s professors at the Faculty of Law. Programmes (or syllabuses) of the law subjects. St Josemaría, law student: the reason for a university choice. St Josemaría’s preparatory studies. The beginning of Licentiate studies in Law. Continuation of the law degree. St. Josemaría’s classmates. His status as a priest and law student. Law professor at the Amado Institute. St. Josemaría’s relationship with his professors.

Publication and commentary of three circular letters for members of Opus Dei, written by Josemaría Escrivá in Burgos, between 1938 and 1939, during the Spanish Civil War.

St. Josemaría, around 1951-1953, chose the Cure of Ars as intercessor for Opus Dei’s relations with diocesan bishops. The articles studies the causes and circumstances of this nomination, and also presents the relation that the founder of Opus Dei had with St. Jean-Marie Vianney throughout his life.

This article presents biographical data relating to the first 13 years of the life of Josemaría Escrivá which were spent in Barbastro. The author puts the events in their historical context and describes the influence of this period on Josemaría’s life and on Opus Dei. Moreover, a “status quaestionis” of the subject is presented, accompanied by a bibliography and topics which need to be explored further.

At the end of the Spanish Civil War, St. Josemaría Escrivá recommenced the Opus Dei apostolates. Right away he began to journey to different cities throughout the peninsula, to make the Work known and spread the message of the sanctification of work. This article is based on the reports of the first four trips to Barcelona in 1939 and 1940.

The main theme of this article is the award of thirteen doctorates honoris causa by the University of Navarra during the years when St. Josemaría Escrivá was Chancellor. An analysis of the origins of the award of this academic grade is followed by an outline of the establishment and growth of the University of Navarra. And finally the ceremonial of the investiture act is explained. The study is concluded by a biographical profile of each of the thirteen doctors, the reason of the conferment of degrees, together with some brief details about the meetings that St. Josemaría held on the occasion of his trips to Pamplona to preside over these academic acts.

Publication of the diary written by St. Josemaría Escrivá and Ricardo Fernán- dez Vallespín about the first journey to Valencia (Spain), from April the 20th to the 23rd, 1936, to begin the apostolic expansion of Opus Dei outside of Madrid. The historical context of this journey is described and information is given on the people who took part, the aims of the journey and difficulties encountered.

A study of the historical context of Spain in the 1930’s and the circumstances surrounding the foundational moment in which St. Josemaria saw that there was also room for women in Opus Dei. A description is given of the activity carried out by Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer to give formation to the first women who came in contact with the apostolates of the Work, and some bio- graphical details are given.

On April 17-23, 1938, at the height of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), Josemaría Escrivá travelled from the Castillian city of Burgos, where he was residing, to Cordoba to meet a student who was then enlisted in the army. St. Josemaría passed by Seville both on the outward and the return journeys. We have tried to describe the historical background of his stay in these Spanish cities with the help of documentary sources which are a first-hand account of the conditions encountered by those who made these train trips in Spain in a war time environment.

This article presents documents which give information about St. Josemaría’s preaching between August 1938 and June 1946, the date of his first trip to Rome. During this period he dedicated most of his energy to the consolidation and development of Opus Dei. However, he also found time for preaching. In addition, he carried out an intense pastoral activity with people from all walks of life. One hundred and fifty documents, with varied content, have been identified with specific information on these activities: from those which give no more than the bare fact of spiritual exercises or retreats to those which record extensive notes taken during these activities.

This article offers new information about the childhood of St. Josemaría. Some historical data is presented about the College of the Pious Schools of Barbastro, information is also provided about the circumstances surrounding St. Josemaria ́s education in the school. So,the topics are the life of piety in the school, the Christian Initiation of St. Josemaría, the curricula in grade school and high school, teachers and classmates.

The article describes the project of creating an international Center of Studies for women of Opus Dei which Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer promoted and set in motion in 1953. After explaining briefly the present day situation of the Center, the article includes a study of the difficulties which the Founder encountered in carrying out the project. Information is given about the Campus, the early programs of study and the identity of the first students. Finally a brief overview is given of what might have been the day to day life of that First Class.