April 29th: Feast of St. Catherine of Siena, doctor of the Church, intercessor of the Work



St. Josemaria once commented in a get together in Rome: “I wish that the feast of this Saint to be celebrated in the spiritual life of each of us, and in the life of our homes or centres. I’ve always had devotion to St. Catherine: For her love to the Church and the Pope, and for her courage to speak clearly always when it was necessary, moved precisely by that same love. Before, it was heroic to shut up, and so did your brothers. But now what is heroic is to speak, so that God our Lord is not offended.” Already, St. Josemaria had been thinking to name St. Catherine intercessor for the Apostolic works of Public Opinion. On the 13th of May 1964, he brought up the topic again and said, smiling: “Why wait more, it is to me, as founder, to whom it corresponds to name her, and here at home we do things in a simple way, without any solemnities. I name her intercessor right now”. That same moment he asked someone to pick up pen and paper and dictated an announcement for all regions: “[On the 13th of May, considering with what clarity of word and rectitude of heart St. Catherine of Siena manifested the ways of the truth to the people of her own time, with boldness and audacity, I declare that the apostolate that members of Opus Dei develop in the whole world, with truth and charity, to inform with rectitude the public opinion, to be commended to the special intercession of this saint...]”

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