Opus Dei

Homily of Monsignor Fernando Ocáriz, in memory of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, delivered at the Basilica of Saint Eugene on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

May 12 is the feast of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo. Here is the English text of the Collect for the Mass.

Brief biography, chronology of her canonization cause, information about the miracle, Q&A with the postulator, and bibliography. Available for download in PDF and Word.

Monsignor Ocáriz encourages us to spend this Marian month continually giving thanks to God "for everything, because everything is good," as Saint Josemaria said.

"I want to thank God and Guadalupe for showing me that miracles not only happen to other people, but can also happen to me."

Homily of Pope Francis on May 7 in Skopje, the birthplace of Saint Teresa of Calcutta. "Prisoners of a virtual reality, we lost the taste and flavour of the truly real."

An article by Fr. John Wauck published in "Aleteia" about the soon to be blessed Guadalupe Ortiz. "The sharing of the faith – by word and by example – is an inevitable consequence of a Christian’s union with Jesus Christ."

A constant throughout Guadalupe's life was her passion for chemistry and scientific research. At the time she began her chemistry studies in 1933, there were very few women in universities, and almost none in the sciences. Starting in 1944, although her commitment to Opus Dei would lead her to dedicate a lot of her time and talents to imparting Christian formation, she never stopped researching chemistry and studying with scientific curiosity.

Guadalupe did not have much experience to lean on at a time where women were just beginning to embark on new adventures professionally. In this context, Guadalupe undertook the task of directing Zurbarán, the first women’s university residence of Opus Dei in the world. Guadalupe did not exactly know what she was doing, but she rolled up her sleeves and got down to work.

In 1950, Guadalupe Ortiz moved to Mexico to start Opus Dei's apostolic work there, leaving behind everything she had ever known. In five years, her heart was won over by a new land and its people.