It was a Sunday, 8am. In the chapel of Diego de Leon (an Opus Dei center in Madrid) Bp. Marcelino Olaechea, then bishop of Pamplona, conferred the sub-diaconate to the first three (soon-to-be) priests.
The chapel was beautifully decorated with numerous red flowers. In order to increase the chapel's capacity, the doors of the chapel's foyer were open, as well as those of the sacristy.
Attendees included Opus Dei members from Madrid and some residents of Moncloa (another center) of which many had been at Ferraz (one of the first centers). After the Mass, Bp. Marcelino Olaechea turned to the attendees and, leaning on his staff, addressed congratulatory comments to the three and to everybody: "This is truly God's Work (literally - This is truly the Work of God). He who is given more, more will be demanded of him: we have to respond with total self-giving". He then made reference to the contradiction that was going on in those years and finished with congratulating everybody again. At the end, Psalm 2 was sung.
St Josemaria went back to bed after the ceremony - he had been unwell from some days - and for this reason the evening get-together was in his bedroom. Everybody sat down on the floor, next to St. Josemaria's bed and he was very happy, despite his physical symptoms. Among other things, he said that special garments were needed for laypeople to help during solemn liturgical celebrations, given that some of the present had been helping out while the bishop was reading.
In the days that followed, there were several sung Masses so that the sub-deacons could exercise the received orders.
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