August 6th, 1939: Blessing of the Jenner St. apartment

Jenner st. was the new residence as the previous one - Ferraz st. #16 - was completely destroyed after the war - the house and all the furniture was lost.

Since his return to Madrid (March 28th) till now, Saint Josemaria and those first members of the Work (with St. Josemaria’s mother, sister and brother) were living in the rectory house of the Foundation of St. Isabel. St. Josemaria had asked his mother to help with those first centres, so that these would have that family environment and ambience, so in this residence there were some rooms set up for his mother and siblings to live. That centre’s decoration was the target of calumny from those who didn’t understand many things, for example latin (there were some inscriptions on some places of the house) or iconography (loaves/wheat/vines etc.) as well as a wooden Cross that stood in the oratory (elsewhere is described how some people started gossiping that some members were nailing themselves to it!). There were about 40 students living in that residence, and St. Josemaria’s mother and sister (“the grandmother” and “aunt Carmen” as they were called and still are known affectionately) were in charge of the administration. It was the post-war period and groceries were scarce, everything was rationed.

In this residence is where many customs practiced by members of of the work started:

• Including in the Preces the prayer for the bishop of the diocese. (The "Preces" are a series of prayers taken from Holy Scripture which members of the Work say daily).
• Prayer of the memorare for the one (member of the Work) in most need: The founder was in a get-together with the residents of that house and suddenly interrupted and asked everyone to pray one (memorare) for one of his sons who really needed it at that moment (It was don Alvaro, See furrow 472)
• Devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist on the 1st friday of the month
• Outlines for the circles of studies, as st. Josemaria needed the others to start giving circles, they had between 15 to 20 already
• From here trips started to Barcelona, Zaragoza, Valencia and Valladolid

In the summer of 1940 they looked for two new locations in Madrid. They found the house at Diego de Leon and the house at Martinez Campos street. In October 1940 St. Josemaria moved to Diego de Leon, where the following year would start the first ever centre of studies. Jenner functioned for 4 years. In 1943 the residence was moved to the centre at Moncloa.