Opus Dei

When Jacinta moved from Trinidad to Boston for college, she knew what dreams she had for her life. In this video, she describes the long process of discovering God's dreams for her and deciding to become a numerary assistant in Opus Dei.

In this episode of Fragments of History, historian Constantino Ánchel traces the history of the first associate of Opus Dei and describes how the vocation to the Work as an associate spread through various Spanish cities over the next few years.

A priest from an island—the eighth of the Canary Islands—with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. He is currently the parish priest in Arrecife (Lanzarote), where he oversees two parishes and strives to spread the Gospel everywhere with a smile.

Juan wasn't a believer when he started dating Lourdes. However, their affection, as well as the respect and admiration he had for her Christian upbringing, gradually drew him closer to God. In this video, they share their testimony of joys and difficulties.

After Cloti and Antonio had been married for some time, Cloti, who works at an optical store with many clients, was often asked the same question: "Don’t you have children?"

Cecilia was born into a Catholic family in Ontario, Canada. The faith she received in her childhood is, to some extent, from her great-grandfather (the English intellectual Malcolm Muggeridge) and his tireless search for truth. The legacy Malcolm and his wife Kitty left their family was this spirit of inquiry and dedication. In her vocation to Opus Dei as an assistant numerary, Cecilia seeks to make people loved and valued through her professional work and to bring them closer to God.

“My name is Manuel Lozano Salamanca. I have a slight disability from birth on the left side of my body, due to cerebral palsy. I’m the eldest of three siblings, and I had to set an example… I had to be, well, not just normal, but a step beyond." Thus begins the story of a fighter.

Malina learned to get along with Muslims, atheists and Christians in her own family. "My family is an example of the mix of cultures and religions that exist in my country, Malaysia," she says. Her father is an atheist, her mother is Catholic, and her sisters converted to Islam. She decided to be baptised at the age of 16. That was the beginning of a search that would eventually lead her to Opus Dei as an assistant numerary.

Juan Eusebio works in the fields of Mérida. He and his wife take in Saharawi children from refugee camps.

João Carlos is an architect, professor of archaeology, and comparative history researcher. "We have to have great love for people's freedom, because without freedom, it's impossible to love God," he says.