St. Josemaría and Opus Dei: Serving the Church

Opus Dei gives its faithful the formation needed to carry out—each in their own place in the Church and in the world—a wide-ranging apostolic activity, spreading the ideal of the universal call to holiness. Similarly, the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross offers its members and the clergy who take part in its activities the spiritual means to sustain and improve their interior life, doctrinal and pastoral formation, and fraternal union among priests. That is the association’s mission: a priestly work full of understanding, love, a spirit of service to the Church and to each diocese, and particular assistance to diocesan presbyterates for whom our Lord wanted Opus Dei to feel a special concern.

This spiritual assistance fosters priestly virtues such as pastoral charity, with self-giving and zeal for souls (cf. Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, nos. 14-17; St. John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis, nos. 15, 20-24), piety, knowledge, interest in diocesan apostolates, love and veneration for the Ordinary, concern for vocations and for the seminary. In a particular way, it vivifies the practice of a deep fraternity with other priests, which leads to actively promoting a maximum of unity in the whole diocesan presbyterate.

Also with his preaching, St. Josemaría strove to awaken in all Christians their responsibility for helping increase vocations to the priesthood. The effort to promote vocations belongs to all the people of God, especially bishops and priests. Therefore, it is given primary importance in forming the members of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross, taking into account the indications of the diocesan Ordinaries. The first step is prayer: Pray, therefore, that the Lord send laborers into the harvest (Mt 9:38).