Romana

March 1 to 3 saw a gathering of British university people at Thornycroft Hall near Manchester to commemorate the centennial of Blessed Josemaría. Participants from the universities of Dundee, Bristol, Sheffield, London and Manchester were offered three presentations: «The historical framework of the message of Opus Dei,» by Father Peter Haverty; «Singing in the rain, or contemplation in the midst of the world,» by Doctor Karen Sanders of the University of Sheffield; and «The role and responsibility of the intellectual in the teachings of Blessed Josemaría,» by Ethel Tolansky of the University of Westminster.

Of particular interest were the panels of testimonies that followed each lecture. These were mad up of university women, four in each panel, who related their own personal experience about the impact of Blessed Josemaría’s message in their own life. The discovery that study could be sanctified was emphasized as one of the most innovative features of Blessed Josemaría’s teaching. The repercussion of Blessed Josemaría’s writings in their attitude towards suffering and friendship were frequently mentioned in the personal testimonies.