Romana

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Josemaría Escrivá on June 26. On and about this date many Masses were celebrated in his honor throughout the world, also in countries where Opus Dei has just begun its apostolic work, such as Korea, Romania and Indonesia; and in others where it is not yet present in a stable way, such as Thailand, Tanzania, Botswana, and Vietnam.

In Dubai a Mass in honor of St. Josemaría was held for the first time, celebrated by Fr. Albert Pampillón in the church of St. Francis, with about seventy people attending.

In Nagasaki, Japan, the chaplain of the Nagasaki Seido school celebrated a Mass. Among the congregation were a number of persons who had recently been baptized. After the Mass a class was offered in the school library about St. Josemaría’s life.

In Jerusalem, the liturgical feast was celebrated on June 26 in the Latin Patriarchate Co-Cathedral. Christians of various denominations took part, coming principally from Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Tel Aviv. In his homily, the Regional Vicar of Opus Dei in the Holy Land, Fr. Diego Daza, emphasized the value of daily life, which ordinary Christians are called to sanctify. And he recalled, in connection with Benedict XVI’s recent trip to Israel, the love for the Pope that St. Josemaría spread during his life on earth.