In the middle of 1936, the Spanish Civil War began. Madrid turned into a battlefield, and a strong religious persecution started. The life of Josemaria – being a priest – was in great danger. For a while, he even pretended to be ill to hide in a psychiatric center. In November 1937, he and a group of young members of Opus Dei left Madrid, escaping through the Pyrenees. It was a tough journey, marked by fear and hardships, but also by a special blessing from the Virgin Mary.

Once in Burgos, Josemaria was able to resume his priestly duties. From there, he sent letters to the young members of Opus Dei scattered across the country (some even on the battlefronts) and completed the writing that would soon be published as “The Way.”

In the summer of 1936, the conflict began between the Republican faction (which was governing Spain at the time) and the Nationalist faction (the rebels). Josemaria and other young members of Opus Dei were taken by surprise by the outbreak of war in Madrid. The confusion was evident, with militia groups and rebels running through the streets, and everyone was gripped by fear.

That week in July was distressing. There was very little information about the situation in the rest of the country, and the uncertainty led to a flood of false news. Simultaneously, a severe religious persecution began: priests and religious figures were imprisoned or executed; churches and convents were burned. Josemaria hid in his mother’s and siblings’ house for a few days.

The start of the Spanish Civil War demanded extraordinary maturity from the young members of Opus Dei, who were between 18 and 35 years old. Juan Jiménez, a 23-year-old doctor, took it upon himself to protect Josemaria’s life. He knew that the young priest could no longer stay in his mother’s house, as it endangered his family.

Juan, along with a friend named Joaquín, arranged for Josemaria to enter a psychiatric sanatorium. Pretending to have a mental illness (he talked to himself and claimed to be Mr. Marañón), the founder moved to the sanatorium in early October. From there, he learned with difficulty about the situation of other young members of the Work; knowing that Juan, Álvaro, and José María Hernández (also known as "Chiqui") had been imprisoned caused him great suffering.

In March, after five months in the psychiatric hospital, Josemaria left the sanatorium to move – accompanied by his 18-year-old brother Santiago – to the Honduran Consulate. The lack of food had changed his appearance so much that when his mother visited him, she only recognized him by his voice.

In the following days, four other young members of Opus Dei also sought asylum at the consulate: Álvaro and Juan (who had managed to get out of prison), Eduardo Alastrué, and José María González. However, an idea was taking root in everyone’s minds: to move to the area of Spain occupied by the Nationalist faction, where Josemaria’s life as a priest would be less in danger.

They planned the project for several months; in the end, eight people decided to join the expedition: Josemaria and José María González, both 35 years old; Tomás Alvira, 31; Manuel Sainz, 29; Juan Jiménez and Miguel Fisac, 24; and Pedro Casciaro and Paco Botella, 22.

The group met in Barcelona. From there, six of them went to the village of Peramola; Manuel and Tomás left two days later to avoid suspicion. Josemaria, Juan, Paco, Pedro, José María, and Miguel spent the night of November 22 in the rectory of Pallerols, a small building in the community of Rialp, which had a simple church completely destroyed inside. Josemaria entered the church, looking for an image or figure to rescue. Finding nothing, he returned to the others. They slept in a small upstairs space, on straw.

That night was perhaps one of the most painful for Josemaria. He was tormented by many doubts: should he continue towards the Nationalist zone? Was he neglecting his responsibility by leaving the other young members of the Work in Madrid? He suffered thinking about those who remained in prison or at the war front. He did not know what to do. He cried a lot while Juan tried to comfort him.

At dawn the next day, Josemaria went down to the church again, asking the Virgin to help him understand what God expected of him. As soon as he entered, his eyes discovered a golden wooden rose, intact, in one of the corners near the altar. His heart filled with joy because he saw in that rose a sign that God was encouraging him to continue with the expedition.

That same day, Manuel and Tomás arrived from Barcelona. Together, the eight climbed a nearby mountain, where they waited for the guide who would help them cross the border through the Pyrenees. At sunset on Saturday, November 27, they began the expedition, which lasted six days. Hunger, physical and emotional weakness after months of war, and the approaching winter cold turned that week into a true ordeal. Additionally, there was the enormous danger they faced; at any moment, they could be discovered and executed.

Finally, with torn shoes and skin cut by the icy mountain air, the expeditioners crossed the border into Andorra. The group led by Josemaria was quietly praying the rosary when they heard the bells of a church. It was the first time they heard them after many months: they had arrived in Sant Julià de Lòria, Andorra. “Thank God! Thank God!” Josemaria repeated.

After registering as political refugees, they entered a church – the first unprofaned church they had seen since 1936 – and visited the Blessed Sacrament. After a brief stay in Andorra and then in Pamplona, Josemaria settled in Burgos, along with José María Albareda, Pedro, and Paco (the latter two had registered with the army and were assigned to that city).

The group lived in a room at the Hotel Sabadell, located in front of the Arlanzón River. From there, Josemaria wrote to his friends fighting on the front lines: “Ask us confidently for books, clothes, money. We will send it immediately with pleasure. Ask with simplicity and freedom. Many of you send us money (...): those savings you make for our poor common fund, we will truly enjoy using them to help those in economic difficulties”.

Moreover, Josemaria used these days in Burgos to shape “The Way,” a book containing 999 points for reflection and prayer. It includes phrases such as “An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer” (n. 335) and “Great souls take very much into account the little things” (n. 818).

In October 1938, three young members of Opus Dei also managed to cross into the Nationalist zone: Álvaro del Portillo, Vicente Rodríguez, and Eduardo Alastrué. For Josemaria, it was a great joy to reunite with them again.

During the last months of 1938 and the first months of 1939, the final battles were fought. Josemaria, anticipating that he could soon return to Madrid, prepared his suitcase: in his mind and heart, he could only think of embracing his mother, Carmen, Santiago, and the rest of his friends who had stayed in Madrid.