Romana

The basilica of St. Eugene in Rome was the scene of a thanksgiving Mass celebrated on May 21 by Msgr. Fernándo Ocariz, Prelate of Opus Dei, in which numerous Roman families and other persons from many countries who had come to Europe to attend the beatification ceremony took part.

On looking at Guadalupe’s life, Msgr. Ocáriz said, what especially stands out Is her joy: “This was not a superficial but a deep joy, which made her serene in trying moments and enabled her to show affection to so many different people. It was a joy compatible with both hard work and rest.”

Guadalupe’s joy, the Prelate continued, was based on her union with Christ, which led her to forget about herself and to strive to understand every person in order to help them better. And it led her to seek out work she found less pleasant in order to facilitate that of the others.

The Prelate also stressed that “these past few days of Guadalupe’s beatification have reminded us that holiness, which is what God’s love calls us to, is a real possibility for all men and women.”

Pope Francis referred to the new blessed, Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri, twice in the days following May 18th, both in the letter that was read at the beatification ceremony in Madrid, and at the prayer of the Regina Coeli in St. Peter’s Square.

The organizing committee for the beatification wanted to make solidarity a feature of the ceremony. Through the NGO Harambee, it was able to provide fellowships, thanks to donations from those taking part in the various ceremonies, so that during the next decade one hundred African women scientists will be able to improve their professional formation in European countries and provide leadership for social progress in their own countries of origin.

In the days following the beatification, Masses of thanksgiving were celebrated in various parts of the world, including the Basilica of Our Lady of Lujan in Agentina, in Barcelona, Spain, and in the parish of St. Thomas More in London. In the Mass celebrated in this city, the principal concelebrant was Msgr. Nichols Morris, Regional Vicar of Opus Dei in Great Britain. An exhibition about the life of the new Blessed was set up in the church’s antechamber. “We were surprised how many people took with them novena and prayer cards of the Blessed,” the organizer of the exhibition remarked.