Romana

Pamplona (Spain), from June 30 to July 5, and Germany from July 5 to July 23

During the summer, the Prelate of Opus Dei traveled to several countries. He spent five days in Pamplona, from June 30 to July 5. Then he went to Solingen, Germany, where he spent a few weeks resting, interrupted only by a short trip to Belgium for pastoral reasons, before beginning a long trip to Latin America.

Puerto Rico, from July 23 to 27

On July 23 he arrived in Puerto Rico, where a busy schedule awaited him. On the 24th he had a catechetical get-together with some three thousand people in the Guillermo Angulo Coliseum, in the city of Carolina. He also visited Archbishop Roberto González of San Juan, who invited him to lunch on that same day, the 24th, and he prayed before the Patroness of Puerto Rico, Our Lady of Divine Providence, who is venerated in the Cathedral of San Juan.

Mexico, from July 27 to August 7

On the 27th he left for Mexico, where he met with many different groups of people. From July 27 to the 30th he was in Mexico City; he then spent a few days in Monterrey, until August 1. From August 1 to 4 he was in Guadalajara, and finally he went to Aguascalientes, from August 4 to 6. In addition, during those days he took part in various ceremonies and met with many members of the Mexican hierarchy.

On July 28 in the afternoon, he dedicated a church to St. Josemaría in Mexico City at the invitation of Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the Archbishop-Primate of Mexico, who attended the ceremony along with Bishop Carlos Briseño Arch, the episcopal vicar for the district in which the new church is located, Archbishop Emilio Carlos Berlie Belaunzarán of Yucatan, and hundreds of people from the new parish.

In Monterrey, on the 31st, he visited the Ciudad de los Niños, an educational and social project supported by members of the Opus Dei Prelature. On that same day, in the evening, he received a visit from Cardinal-Archbishop Francisco Robles.

In Aguascalientes he greeted the diocesan bishop, Jose Maria de la Torre, and made a brief visit to the Panamerican University and to the El Salto Conference Center.

During his stay in Mexico, the Prelate also visited a number of shrines dedicated to our Lady. In Mexico City, he prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and visited with the Rector of the Basilica, Msgr. Diego Monroy. In Guadalajara he visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Zapopan. In this city, he also spent some time in a church dedicated to St. Josemaría.

On August 7 he returned to Rome from Mexico City.

Pamplona from August 10 to September 8 and Krakow, Poland, August 23 and 24.

On the 10th of August he returned to Pamplona, where he remained until September 8. From there he made a short trip to Krakow, where he resided at the Barbakan Student Residence. While in Poland he had a chance to visit Wadowice, the native town of John Paul II, and the Shrine of our Lady in Kalwaria. He also visited the Cardinal-Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who invited him to lunch, and Cardinal Jaworski, Bishop-emeritus of Lvov of the Latins (Ukraine).

Córdoba, Spain, from November 19 to 22

From November 19 to 22 he was in Córdoba, invited by Archbishop Juan Jose Asenjo, the Apostolic Administrator, who had asked him to give an address for the diocesan clergy on the holiness of the priesthood, during the Year for Priests. The talk took place on the 20th in the Episcopal Residence and was attended by some two hundred priests.

On the same day he presided over a ceremony for the blessing of an altarpiece containing a relic ex ossibus of St. Josemaría. The new artwork includes an oil painting of the Founder of the Work painted by the Sevillian artist Ignacio Valdes. On his first visit to Andalusia, in 1938, St. Josemaría prayed in the Blessed Sacrament chapel of this church.

On Saturday, November 21st, families arrived from various parts of Andalusia and Extremadura—some ten thousand people in total—for a gathering in the Ahlzahir School gymnasium, where a lively conversation was held with the Prelate on topics such as marriage and the family, the Christian vocation of children, defending life, prayer and the sacraments, the responsibility of Catholics in the workplace, etc.

During his stay in Cordoba, Bishop Echevarría also visited the Torrealba Family Farm School, and Zalima, a corporate work of Opus Dei from which a far-reaching social work of education and advancement for women in carried out.

Switzerland, December 11 to 13

From December 11 to 13 the Prelate made a brief trip to Switzerland to visit the faithful of the Prelature there, particularly those who were sick, and to encourage them in their life of faith and Christian witness.