Opus Dei

From her childhood in Curitiba to her commitment to Opus Dei, Ana Cecília has travelled a path of self-discovery. Through medicine and her relationship with God, she found her purpose: to transform lives and fulfil her dream of motherhood by serving others.

Thirteen years after his wife's hemorrhagic stroke, Jorge (São Paulo, Brazil) recalls the moments of the incident and how he rediscovered the meaning of his matrimonial commitment. From 5-7 April 2025, the Church celebrates the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers.

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.

"At first, I couldn't find God in my work," says Autimio, a Brazilian dentist. He explains how, thanks to Saint Josemaría, he discovered the secret of working well: seeking to love God and others by taking care of the smallest details.

João Carlos is an architect, professor of archaeology, and comparative history researcher. "We have to have great love for people's freedom, because without freedom, it's impossible to love God," he says.

Caroline, 37 years old and originally from Osasco, comes from a family where her father is a hairdresser and her mother a maths teacher. She studied hospitality and did a specialisation course in the service sector. She says that her vocation to the Work as an assistant numerary makes her "a mother within Opus Dei," which means caring for people in every aspect of their being. "It has a spiritual impact as well, not just a material one."

Miriam, from Brazil, is 34 years old and is a gynaecologist and obstetrician. She is married and has a three-month-old son. She was an associate of Opus Dei for a time, until, after a period of reflection in which she always felt accompanied and understood, she saw that her path lay elsewhere.

Larissa, who was Protestant, had a Catholic boyfriend in Brazil. At first she thought he was going to convert (and he vice versa). There came a time when their differences seemed unsolvable. But Google helped to solve the problem.

Thanks to the impetus of cooperators of Opus Dei, a neighborhood initiative began in Brazil to help needy people during the ongoing pandemic.

Perola discovered her vocation to Opus Dei – the call to seek holiness through one's work and daily life – when she was in the university. Here she describes what a typical day in her life as a doctor in São Paulo, Brazil is like.