Josemaría Escrivá

Biography

Josemaría Escrivá (1902–1975) was a Spanish Catholic priest who founded Opus Dei (Work of God) in 1928, a personal prelature dedicated to promoting holiness through ordinary professional work. Born in Barbastro, Spain, Escrivá experienced a profound spiritual calling to demonstrate that sanctity was attainable for all lay people, not only clergy and religious. During the Spanish Civil War, he escaped persecution and worked clandestinely. After relocating to Rome, Opus Dei expanded globally, gaining papal recognition. Escrivá's teaching revolutionized lay Catholic spirituality by emphasizing that secular work constituted genuine spiritual vocation when performed with right intention. He authored The Way, a collection of aphorisms guiding spiritual development. His insistence that ordinary activities—professional, familial, domestic—could become paths to holiness transformed Catholic understanding of laity's role. Escrivá was beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002.