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After crossing the door at Viale Bruno Buozzi 75 and going down a flight of stairs, one enters a vestibule in which there is an image of Mary, Mother of Fair Love.
In the atrium of the church is the baptismal font where Saint Josemaría was baptised on 13 January 1902. It was donated by the bishop and the chapter of the cathedral of Barbastro, his home town.
The altar of the church is located under a small baldachin, following the custom of many Roman churches. The church is presided over by an image of the Virgin, the work of Manuel Caballero, which was placed there on 18 December 1959. The faithful can pray before the tomb of St. Josemaría, located under the altar.
► Brochure (PDF) with practical information about the prelatic church of Opus Dei, Our Lady of Peace, in English, French, Spanish, and Italian,
► Take a closer look at Our Lady of Peace: panoramic photo from the nave and panoramic photo from the choir.
► Readings and prayers for daily Mass in different languages.
Queen of Peace, pray for us!
St. Josemaría celebrated the first Mass in Our Lady of Peace on 31 December 1959. Since the erection of Opus Dei as a personal prelature, it has been the prelatic church. The church gets its name — and the image that presides over it — from St. Josemaría's devotion to our Lady.
In his words: “Holy Mary is the Queen of peace, and thus the Church invokes her. So when your soul or your family are troubled, or things go wrong at work, in society or between nations, cry out to her without ceasing. Call to her by this title: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis — Queen of peace, pray for us. Have you at least tried it when you have lost your calm?… —You will be surprised at its immediate effect” (Furrow, no. 874).
In the crypt of the prelatic church
Bishops Álvaro del Portillo, beatified in 2014, and Javier Echevarría, St Josemaría's first and second successor at the head of Opus Dei, respectively, are buried in a small crypt beneath the prelatic church, which can be reached by a flight of stairs.
St. Josemaría was initially buried in this crypt on 27 June 1975. On the marble slab was placed, under the seal of Opus Dei, the inscription “EL PADRE” (“The Father”), which remains to this day. After the beatification in 1992, the founder's body was moved to the prelatic church and placed under the altar, where it is today.
People from all over the world come to the founder of Opus Dei to ask God for graces of all kinds. Many who come to the prelatic church to continue to pray or to give thanks for the graces received through his intercession.
Buried in the same crypt are Carmen Escrivá, St. Josemaría's sister; Dora del Hoyo, the first woman to ask for admission to Opus Dei as an assistant numerary, whose cause for beatification began in June 2012; and Rosalía Lopéz (1925, Busnela, Spain to 2024, Rome, Italy).
There is a chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and several confessionals close to the crypt. St. Josemaría preached about the need to frequent the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist — gifts of God to his children and sources of peace and everlasting joy — with untiring zeal.
Useful information about Our Lady of Peace, prelatic church of Opus Dei
Address: Viale Bruno Buozzi, 75 — 00197 Roma, Italia (Google Maps)
Phone: (+39) 06 808 961
Schedule
- Open from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm daily.
- Masses: daily at 8:30 am and 12:00 noon.
- The 8:30 am Mass is not celebrated on 25 December or 1 January.
Confessions: from 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm (available in Italian, English, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese).
If a group wishes to give advance notice of their arrival or if a priest wishes to celebrate Mass, please telephone or write to masses@villatevere.org.
Readings and prayers for daily Mass in different languages: