ODAY IS THE FEAST DAY of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo, the successor of St. Josemaría Escrivá and the first prelate of the Opus Dei. Don Álvaro was beatified last year in Madrid and you may remember this post where I shared about the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Beatification.

Bl. Álvaro was one of St. Josemaría’s first followers. He was also among the first handful of members of Opus Dei, well before official Church approval. He became the first prelate and bishop of Opus Dei after it was named the first and only personal prelature of the Church in 1982. Under his leadership, Opus Dei was brought to many countries and they continue to encourage people to sanctify their lives through their daily work. His love for the poor, loyalty to the Church and the Holy Father is often recalled. Don Álvaro was a very close friend of St. John Paul the Great, and at his request, Álvaro founded the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross which is now thriving in Rome. Here is a short video about the life of Blessed Álvaro del Portillo by Romereports:

Opus Dei played a huge role in my formation as a Catholic, and it is because of Opus Dei, that I became interested in the liturgy and the Church’s Tradition. There is no doubt that they are defenders of the Church’s teachings and traditions. I would like to share one more video, the highlights of the transfer of the body of Bl. Álvaro from Saint Eugene to the Crypt of Our Lady of Peace. In this video, you will see beautiful vestments and the beautiful Chapel of Our Lady of Peace located in the headquarter of Opus Dei in Rome. The crypt church is the prelatic church of Opus Dei and the mortal remains of Saint Josemaría Escrivá are contained in a casket located beneath the altar.

Beato Álvaro de Portillo, Ora pro nobis!