Opus Dei

As Notre-Dame de Paris reopens its doors this Sunday, 8 December, Antonin, a master stonemason, reflects on the profound experience of contributing to the restoration of this iconic cathedral.

Sophia shares her first impressions of the University of Piura, and what it means for students and faculty to broaden their focus from academic success to holistic growth.

Carlos Martinez: Fish Seller Carlos Martinez, raised in extreme poverty, was an active member of the Communist Youth before the Spanish Civil War. He worked in a fish shop. After converting to Catholicism and joining Opus Dei, he dedicated much of his energy to improving the lives of local Romani (gypsies) and coal miners.

Ruth Pakaluk was an extraordinarily warm and talented woman. She entered Harvard University as a pro-choice atheist. After her conversion to Catholicism, she dedicated herself to raising her family and to pro-life activism. At age 33, Ruth was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly before dying peacefully at age 41, she wrote to a friend: "I have loved the life God gave me. There is no other life I would rather have lived.”

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.

Robin is a musician, married with three children. In this interview, we ask him about his experience of evenings of recollection and the retreats he’s attended at Zonnewende (Netherlands).

Fr. Roustaveg is a Haitian priest who studied in Rome at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. In this interview, he talks about his vocation and the formation of young people in his country.

Carlos Martinez, raised in extreme poverty, was an active member of the Communist Youth before the Spanish Civil War. He worked in a fish shop. After converting to Catholicism and joining Opus Dei, he dedicated much of his energy to improving the lives of local Romani (gypsies) and coal miners.

Miguel González is a 66-year-old coffee grower whose dedication and hard work have made the quality of his coffee world-famous.

Aníbal was educated at Valle Grande, an Opus Dei initiative aimed at providing young people in Peru with the skills needed for social and professional integration. In this video, he shares his story and explains how this educational center has helped him succeed.

Anna studied nursing and is currently working in the Clinical Directorate of the Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital (Rome): “In a way, my ‘patients’ now include the doctors, nurses, and administrative staff working with me.”

Chiamaka, in her last year as undergraduate in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, shares her fond memories of the Mass in Campus in honour of St. Josemaría.

It is indeed with great might and joy that I can testify that I have witnessed and obtained financial favours through invoking Blessed Alvaro. Through his intercession, I never lack!

Álvaro Anguísola is a volunteer at the Diocese of Bilbao. When it was time for him to retire, a friend invited him to help out in his diocese with the economic and transparency areas. He agreed right away, and now he dedicates his days to collaborating with his local church in this way.

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.