Opus Dei

Olga Medina worked with Dora del Hoyo for five years. She describes what she learned from watching Dora in action, and how Dora helped her approach her own work in a new, more profound way.

Dora del Hoyo, whose canonization cause recently advanced, grew up on a farm amid a warm family atmosphere.

“Dora once said that she thought she was the happiest woman in the world,” remembers Ezia Mucciarelli, who worked with Dora for 25 years, from August of 1971 until March of 1996.

Reactions from people who knew Dora personally, or who know of her life from other channels... all of them agree on one thing: Dora was somebody who was close to others, through her friendship and in her work.

"Diligence is a virtue that especially characterized Dora," recalls Ma. Carmen Cominges, "She really knew how to maximize her time. It was typical to hear her say, 'As I have a few minutes to spare, I'm going to take advantage of them.'"

Isabel Garcia Martin knew Dora and worked with her from 1991 until Dora's passing on January 10, 2004. “In life we get to know a lot of people, and we value and remember them. But there are some people who are unforgettable because, doing things that no one notices and without calling attention to themselves, they make a deep impression on us. We ask ourselves what it is about them...and we begin to discover the heroes of the world, the ones who know how to make us happy in little things."

A trailer for the documentary of Dora del Hoyo presented by Betafilms, which offers a summary of her life, and personal testimonies from those who lived and worked with her.

The stories of Dora del Hoyo and Blessed Alvaro del Portillo - both in process of canonization - are very much connected. Both responded with fidelity to God's call to spread throughout the world the message that all of us can be saints in ordinary life, through ordinary work.

On March 14th, 1946, Dora del Hoyo became the first to join Opus Dei as an assistant numerary. She has inspired thousands of women all over the world to dedicate themselves to spreading the universal call to holiness through their professional work of caring for the home.

Dora del Hoyo Alonso, whose cause of canonization opened on June 18, 2012, dedicated her life to the work of the home. According to Dora, it was through her own family that she first learned to love caring for the home and to value working hard and well. Her example helped many to value ordinary work as a means of growing closer to God.