Opus Dei

Shiró is happiest spending time with people: “I need people, and feeling that they need me makes me want to give the best of myself. No man is an island... We need each other.” This openness led her to start her studies in healthcare, and later move to hospitality and catering in her country, Kenya. She also started a social initiative to help street children. All these experiences confirmed her vocation to Opus Dei as an assistant numerary.

Pedro is an architect specialising in NGOs. He is currently studying for a master's degree in Urban Economics. He will marry Ine next May. The path of his vocational discernment brought him closer to Opus Dei, an institution to which he belonged for a few years, and which he remembers with gratitude: "I don't regret being who I am today, and I am who I am today because of the whole journey I've been on," he says.

My name is Juana Lidia Quispe Maita. I am from the community of Copachilaia. From my community, you can see Lake Titicaca, which is 4000 metres above sea level, and I am an assistant numerary of Opus Dei. I am here for a while looking after my mother, who is alone. I accompany her, take care of her, and help her with whatever she needs. And from time to time I go to the city.

Mónica was born in Cochabamba, in a family that represented "the rainbow of Bolivia," since her father was from La Paz and her mother from Santa Cruz. She studied at the German School and later in Buenos Aires, where she graduated with a degree in Agricultural Engineering from UBA. Subsequently, she studied philosophy and earned a master’s degree in teaching it. She has been involved in development projects and teaching, and tells us that her specialty is "change."

I am Eva Burniol, from the Horta neighbourhood in Barcelona, and I am an assistant numerary. I am 34 years old, and I love the mountains, going for runs... It helps me unwind, it relaxes me... I really enjoy nature... I like reading, writing, going out with friends... Everything related to fashion, I don’t know, keeping up with everything. I never seem to have enough time!

Carmen is a supply chain manager at a supermarket and lives with her family in Madrid. "What I've learned from working has helped me to raise my children." She and her husband, try to instil in them an attitude of solidarity and acceptance, which is why they participate in a family volunteering programme run out of Tajamar, the school where they study: "We want our children to be open to all realities, in every sphere, to learn respect and hospitality."

Raquel Escudier, a mother of two from San Fernando (Spain), sought peace and balance. Her life took a dramatic turn when a Buddhist lama told her she needed to go to Mass every day.

"Do you realize that you're like Jesus? More like him than other children: you have an adoptive father too," Mar and Andrés tell their adopted children. Their explanation of how God changed their plans to form their family is both natural and supernatural.

Dora met her husband at the radio station where she works. They have four children, two of whom, Pedro and Afonso, are twins. Both sons decided to enter the diocesan seminary, and will be ordained deacons on November 28 in Lisbon.

What's the secret of happiness? Google gives you 501,000,000 results in 0.84 seconds. Everyone is looking for the answer. Juan has been working as a construction worker for fifty years and lives in the city of Guadalajara, Mexico. He claims to have found his answer. This is his secret.