Opus Dei

A recollection is time spent in silence with God, talking to Him and “recollecting” who we are before Him. This is a package of resources for a recollection in your own home, including a downloadable PDF.

Msgr. José Andrés Carvajal was born in Murcia (Spain) in 1970. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 1999. He has been Central Secretary Vicar of the Prelature of Opus Dei since April 2025.

Fr. Javier del Castillo, an American priest, was born in Mexico in 1975 and grew up in various cities in Mexico and the United States. He was ordained a priest in Rome in 2005. He has been the Vicar General of the Prelature of Opus Dei since April 2025.

This infographic provides a visual representation of the way Opus Dei is governed centrally and in each of the countries in which it is present. It also includes some current data about the number of people in Opus Dei and distribution by continent.

M. Julia Prats was born in Terrassa (Spain) in 1964. She is an industrial engineer, with a doctorate in Business Administration, and a professor specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. She has been Central Secretary of Opus Dei since April 2025.

In May 1935, Josemaría Escrivá and Ricardo Fernández Vallespín made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Sonsoles in Ávila, and the custom of the May pilgrimage was born in Opus Dei. In this episode, historian Alfredo Méndiz comments on some details from a text written after their experience.

April 29 is the feast day of Saint Catherine of Siena. The story of how Saint Josemaria decided to name her an intercessor of Opus Dei. Adapted from an article published in "Studia et Documenta," vol. 8 (2014).

Six days before his death, the Pope wrote a letter to the young people of UNIV. In this video, they thank him for 12 years of closeness. This year, nearly 3,000 students gathered in Rome for Holy Week in the Jubilee year. The 57th edition of UNIV also included a series of cultural events reflecting on this year’s theme: “Citizens of Our World.”

St. Josemaría was very devoted to our Lady of Montserrat, and it was on her feast, 27 April, in the year 1954, that he was cured of diabetes, after a dramatic attack in which he almost died.

The 2017 Ordinary General Congress approved a number of conclusions, outlined in the Prelate’s letter on February 14 that year, which set the course for the governance of Opus Dei over the following eight years. This page highlights some of the initiatives carried out during that time, impacting all the circumscriptions.