St. Josemaria's sister, Carmen, never joined the Work - however, she always played vital roles in making the home environment so characteristic of centres of the Work, and transmitting that to those in the administration. She was (and still is) affectionately addressed as "aunt Carmen" by those in the Work. She died on this date, in Rome. Two months before her death (23rd of April), as per St. Josemaria’s request, blessed Alvaro communicated to her the doctors’ opinion about her incurable illness. As always, with good humour she would joke then about it: “Alvaro has brought to me the judge's sentence...”
St. Josemaria commented: “Two months ago, she received the news that she was going to die, like a holy person of Opus Dei; so said it to me Alvaro, who communicated it to my sister”. He would continue: “Just hours before her death, I was there on my knees, asking for her healing. We have prayed together a lot. Tuesday morning I started to give her the last rites, and broke in tears. So don Alvaro continued the administration of the Sacrament. I felt humiliated; thought: What a bad example I’ve given to this group of my sons. In turn I told her: “Carmen, your remains will be next to mine... and she was happy, very happy”. When her remains were moved to the Crypt of Saint Mary of the Peace our father commented: “While they place the remains of my sister, I want to tell you a few words. She has taught us how one lives and how one dies in Opus Dei: without making any noise, disappearing, without anybody noticing except us, who were very near (...). She didn’t fear life, nor did she fear death at all: that’s the spirit of Opus Dei (...) She has died offering all her sufferings for the Work, for her nieces and nephews”.
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| Portrait of St. Josemaria with his sister Carmen and brother Santiago |
In another get-together (21-11-1959) he said: “Before dying, I told her that we would bury her here in the sottocripta. And she thought of saying: “Hey, if Santiago attends, he shall be careful [he should wear a jacket], because it’s very cold”. Next to her, with me, were don Alvaro, don Javier and Dr. Pastor, who was checking her pulse. There were also women numeraries and assistant numeraries. She well deserved that company. I cried like a child, hiding, before the Tabernacle, until she died, because I saw that we were ending another historical period of time, because I loved my sister very much...”. St. Josemaria continued: “Immediately after her death, I went down to the chapel, to celebrate the first Mass in offering for her soul... Pray for her, offer prayers, but I’m sure she’s with God already; ma propio certo: Completely certain.” Soon after the 26-6-1975, don Alvaro found an envelope handwritten (by St. Josemaria) which read “to be opened after my death”. Don Alvaro told that in that envelope there was a letter in which our father recounted what happened in that Mass. Don Alvaro explained it so: “Before starting Holy Mass, he had the idea of asking for a sign that Carmen was in heaven, but immediately rejected it. He thought: that is to tempt God, I can’t ask that. And he started the Mass. When the memento vivi came he had been praying at length, but didn’t remember Carmen at all. He realized it when he was finished: I haven’t prayed for Carmen, I’ll do it in the memento for the dead. And when that time came, he prayed for a long while also, but again forgot aunt Carmen. He continued celebrating the holy Mass and during thanksgiving, he thought: that is God’s response. I had the temptation to ask for a sign that my sister was in heaven, then I retracted my self and asked for pardon, and our good Lord has given it to me. Because it’s not logical that I celebrate the Mass for the soul of my sister and to forget completely about her. This means that she doesn’t need suffrages. And he felt inside of him that ineffable sensation of God’s hand, touching the innermost of his soul: yes, Carmen is in heaven”. The next day, in a get-together with the students of the Roman College, without making any mention related to the previous day’s Mass, he commented: “I have come for you to see that the father is “ha-ppy”, “joy-ful”, like that, marking each syllable, with the joy of the Holy Spirit... yes my sons, you have to congratulate me. Carmen is already in heaven...”. On the 23rd her remains were buried in the Sotto Cripta of Saint Mary of the Peace in Villa Tevere.
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