Opus Dei

The Genesis account tells us that Jacob spent an entire night wrestling with God. It was a physical struggle that ended with a dislocated femur… and God’s blessing. Alonso’s battle was even longer but no less hard or intense. And, just like Jacob, God won – which means that they both won.

How do you sanctify work when you're fired from your job? That was one of the questions Sidnei asked when he lost his position after the restructuring of the multinational company he worked for. He discovered that he could approach this period in another way, as a new way to serve.

After Cloti and Antonio had been married for some time, Cloti, who works at an optical store with many clients, was often asked the same question: "Don’t you have children?"

Juan Eusebio works in the fields of Mérida. He and his wife take in Saharawi children from refugee camps.

A priest from an island—the eighth of the Canary Islands—with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants. He is currently the parish priest in Arrecife (Lanzarote), where he oversees two parishes and strives to spread the Gospel everywhere with a smile.

Anaca is an assistant numerary of Opus Dei. Her mission is to bring people together, creating a sense of family so that each person forms part of a symphony of harmony and happiness.

Marina is an assistant numerary of Opus Dei. She is involved in several social projects to help children in hospitals, distribute food to families in need, and care for elderly people. Her vocation gives unity to all these activities and motivates her to give in concrete ways, sharing God's affection with others.

"Sisu" is a Finnish word that translates to perseverance, courage or determination. Ilona is a good example of this concept: born in a country where Catholics are a minority, she dreams of changing the world through her work as an academic. "I tackle polarisation from a statistical perspective, with data. Not everything is black and white," she says.

Laura, a doctor in Barcelona, was a numerary member of Opus Dei for 25 years. In 2020, after a long process of reflection, she decided to leave the Work. "The overall experience was positive, without a doubt; I don't consider those years to have been wasted at all," she says, highlighting the formation she received, the people she met, and the way she learned to live the virtues naturally.

Kele studied to be a gastronomy assistant and nutritionist. When she met Opus Dei, she says, "it was a real discovery, because I didn't know that, quite naturally, I could bring God into my things," even "outings I'd go on with friends."