November 23, 1935: Don Pedro Casciaro joins Opus Dei

Don Pedro Casciaro was introduced to St. Josemaria in January 1935 by a friend, at the Residence at Ferraz street 50. They had a length conversation. Don Pedro was very impressed with the founder, and asked him if he could be his 'spiritual director', although, in his words: "back then, I didn't really have a clear idea of what those two words meant together". 

A few months later, in September, a friend of his (Miguel Fisac) told him that he was considering the possibility of joining the Work. Don Pedro started thinking of it, but the father told him to wait and to focus on his studies. A couple of months later, during an evening of recollection, he writes: "during the first meditation I saw clearly I couldn't do as the rich young man of the Gospel" and by the end of the recollection he told St. Josemaria he wanted to join the Work. The founder told him to wait, and to strengthen his interior life. 

He wrote: "How much did I have to wait? First, the father said a month. I thought it was too much. I asked him to shorten the time: 4, 3, 2 weeks... it was a real tug of war. I insisted so much that I got him to grant me a shorter time: nine days. But nine days seemed like an eternity. Could it be shortened?" St. Josemaria finally agreed and told him: "make a triduum (three days of prayer and meditation for that special intention), pray to the Holy Spirit and do everything freely, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there must be freedom". He started the triduum on the 18th. When he finished, he was completely decided. 

Father Casciaro -"Don Pedro", as he was called- was born in Murcia on 16/4/1915. When he joined the work, he was studying architecture. He was in the group that crossed the Pyrenees with St. Josemaria during the Spanish Civil war.

St. Josemaria, standing, centre. 4th from the left, don Pedro Casciaro.
The group that crossed the Pyrenees on their arrival in Andorra

Don Pedro had doctorates in Mathematics and in Canon Law. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946. He started the apostolic work in Mexico In January 1949. Afterwards, he worked as delegate of Opus Dei for the Holy See from Oct. 1958 to May 1966, and as member of the governing council of Opus Dei in Italy.

In the early 70's he returned to Mexico, and died in Mexico city on March 23rd, 1995. The next day his remains were taken to the Church of Santa Veracruz (Mexico). There were uninterrupted Masses offered as suffrage for his soul, and the Church was overflowing with people from all of Mexico and all social classes, reflecting the broad spectrum of the apostolic work of Opus Dei in Mexico. Always and until then, he kept with him the rosary beads and the crucifix that St. Josemaria gave him when he joined Opus Dei.

Among his writings, perhaps the most widely known is the book "Dream and your dreams will fall short"

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