Josemaría Escrivá

Biography

Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer (1902-1975) was a Spanish priest whose spiritual charism revolutionized Catholic understanding of ordinary work and lay vocation. Ordained in 1925, he founded Opus Dei (The Work of God) in 1928 to promote the sanctification of everyday labor and secular professions. Escrivá taught that holiness was not the exclusive domain of clergy and religious, but was accessible and necessary for all the faithful through diligent, honest work performed with love for Christ. His movement spread internationally despite persecution during the Spanish Civil War and initial institutional resistance. Through his writings, homilies, and pastoral guidance, he articulated a radical vision of Christian vocation integrated into modern secular life. Beatified in 1992 and canonized in 2002, Escrivá's legacy fundamentally shaped contemporary Catholic spirituality and the role of the laity.