Josemaría Escrivá

Saint Josemaría Escrivá was born on January 9, 1902, in Barbastro, Huesca, Spain, into a hardworking family whose later financial hardship helped shape his compassion and trust in God. As a young man in Logroño, a striking sign—footprints of a barefoot religious in the snow—deepened his sense that the Lord was calling him to something special. He studied for the priesthood in Logroño and Zaragoza and was ordained in Zaragoza in 1925, while also pursuing studies in law. In Madrid, amid ordinary work and pastoral service to the poor and sick, he discerned a mission that would mark his life: on October 2, 1928, he founded Opus Dei, teaching that holiness is not reserved for a few but is found in daily life, especially through one’s work, family duties, and faithful prayer. The turmoil of the Spanish Civil War forced him to flee, yet he later continued guiding Opus Dei’s growth from Rome, forming both laypeople and priests and spreading the message of the universal call to holiness. He died on June 26, 1975, and was canonized in 2002. His feast day is June 26.