Miguel Antón Rubio was born on May 7, 1922 in Lodosa, Spain, where he met the Work in 1956. He was a farmer and later became a facilities employee at the University of Navarre. He and his wife put great care into the Christian education of their children and grandchildren, several of whom are members of the Work. After a long and painful illness that he accepted with courage and abandonment to God’s will, he died in Lodosa on May 2, 2003.

Petra Aragón de Urzúa was one of the first Supernumeraries in Montefalco, Mexico. She was well known in her village because of her cheerfulness and concern for those around her, and her apostolic zeal. The mother of eight, she died on February 6, 2003.

Carmen Asturias de González was born in La Antigua, Guatemala, on March 30, 1923. She had four children. A member of Opus Dei since 1973, she lived her vocational commitment with great fidelity. She traveled from the city where she lived to the capital to receive the means of formation, eager to grow in her knowledge of Catholic doctrine and in her love for God. She encouraged many of her friends to receive the sacraments. After a long sickness borne with serenity and a Christian spirit, she died on January 7, 2003, in Guatemala City.

Guety María Durón Kokemper was born in Tiquisate, a city near the capital of Guatemala, on July 27, 1946. She was a dedicated university teacher for many years, striving to bring her colleagues and students closer to God. A member of Opus Dei since 1965, she was sick during a good part of her life. This circumstance helped her to live more closely united to our Lord’s cross. Always with a smile on her lips, she cheerfully served those around her. She died in Pamplona, Spain, on January 7, 2003.

Jerry Oswald Filmer was born in Malaysia on April 13, l925. He taught at universities in England, the United States and Malaysia, before moving with his wife in 1984 to the Philippines, where he was a professor at the University of Asia and the Pacific. He belonged to the Prelature since 1990. He died on May 21, 2003, after a brief illness that he accepted with deep Christian hope and a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

Joaquím Francés Antonín was born in Barcelona on April 15, 1932. He joined Opus Dei in 1952 when he was a medical student. Later he obtained a doctorate in canon law in Rome and was ordained a priest in 1956. He began the apostolate of Opus Dei in Austria, where he lived for some years before returning to Barcelona. He died on April 27, 2003.

Ernesto M. Gatdula was born in San Pablo, the Philippines, on November 7, 1924, and died in the same city as the result of a heart attack on May 10, 2003. A Supernumerary of Opus Dei since 1988, he carried out his work as a dentist with great commitment until his death.

William Patrick J. Harford was born in Montreal, Canada, on May 22, 1934. An educator much loved by his students in schools in Montreal and Toronto where he worked, he took part in the foundation of Northmount School for Boys. He died of cancer, offering his sufferings for the Church and the Pope, and in his last weeks especially praying for the Holy Father’s petition for peace. The father of six children, he died on April 14, 2003.

Henry Kobus was born in Konigortek, Poland, on October 6, 1919, and died in London on January 23, 2003. He lived through the very difficult period in Poland during the first stages of World War II. At the end of the war, he moved to London. Married and with six children, he worked as a specialist in the fragrance industry. Together with his wife, he showed exemplary dedication to a daughter with Down syndrome. He died as a result of a cerebral stroke after receiving the last sacraments.

Luisa Ángela Luchesse died in Rosario, Argentina, on March 31, 2003. She was born in the same city on January 4, 1927. A member of Opus Dei since 1955, she combined dedication to her family and to work. She helped to promote various apostolic activities in her home city. Not losing her peace when the first symptoms of a long and irreversible illness became apparent, she accepted all her sufferings with simplicity and joy, offering them for the Church and the Pope.

Nicole Maurel was born on December 11, 1933, and died on February 20, 2003 in Saite Eullie, near Bordeaux. Married and the mother of five, she was aware of the influence of the communications media and dedicated herself to making Christian values and the teachings of the Pope known through these channels. She gave great attention to the Christian education of her children and grandchildren. Suffering from severe diabetes, she had to be hospitalized from time to time; but even in these circumstances she strove to make new friendships and bring people closer to God.

John Nelson was born on January 24, 1925, in Northern Ireland. He worked there as a shoemaker until 1964, when he moved with his family to Manchester, England, where he became a bus driver and lived until his death. Married and the father of eight, he bore his long, final illness with Christian dignity and serenity. In his final months when he was practically homebound, he sought opportunities to carry on apostolic conversations with those who visited him, especially his younger relatives. He died on April 11, 2003.

Ana María Pazó Jiménez de la Espada was born in Pontevedra, Spain, on September 20, 1938. She worked for some years as a stewardess. After meeting Opus Dei in 1966, she dedicated herself to the professional care of the domestic administration of centers of the Work. In 1973 she moved to Sydney, Australia, where she continued working in these tasks. During her last five years when suffering from cancer, she strove to take advantage of her illness to grow in her love for God. Her serenity and faith were evident to everyone in the hospital where she spent her final days. She died on February 12, 2003.

Rhett O. Pelaez was born on September 9, 1951, in Cebu, the Philippines, and died there on March 28, 2003 as a consequence of a cerebral embolism. A lawyer, he dedicated himself mainly to the field of politics, where he attained a reputation for integrity and capacity for hard work. A member of the Prelature since 1990, he was a key figure in the promotion of Southcrest School (a girls’ school in Cebu) and in the CITE (Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise, a technical school in Cebu for boys from disadvantaged backgrounds.)

José Pereira do Nascimento was born on February 9, 1915 and died on January 26, 2003. An aeronautical engineer and Brigadier General in the Portuguese Air Force, he was the Secretary of State for Aeronautics for some time. One of the first Supernumeraries in Portugal, he dedicated much time and energy to various apostolic initiatives in the fields of family life and education.

Pilar Sanz-Pastor y Fernández de Piérola was born in Madrid on January 12, 1914. A member of Opus Dei since 1956, she was one of the first Supernumeraries in Saragossa. She met St. Josemaria owing to the friendship that the founder of the Work had with her husband Juan Antonio Cremades Royo. She had ten children, of whom two are priests of the Prelature. A cheerful, strong and serene woman, she actively helped to start the first centers of Opus Dei in her city. When her children were grown she dedicated herself to her grandchildren, eager to see them grow closer to God. She died on January 6, 2003.

Ignasi Segarra Bañeres was born in Albesa, Lleida, Spain, on March 22, 1929. A faithful of Opus Dei since 1951, he studied industrial engineering at the University of Barcelona and received a doctorate in Theology in Rome. He was ordained as priest in 1956. After moving to the United States, he carried out his ministry there principally among university students until 1967 when he returned to Barcelona. He was a professor of professional ethics at the Graduate School of Business (IESE) in that city, and died of cancer there on May 24, 2003.

Maria Purificação Teixeira was born in Murça, Portugal, on April 11, 1929 and died in Lisbon on April 14, 2003, after suffering from a grave illness that lasted many years and that she bore with a Christian outlook and supernatural vision. She belonged to Opus Dei since 1957. She dedicated herself generously to domestic work in the centers of the Prelature right from the first years of Opus Dei in Portugal.

Francisco Javier Urquía Zaldúa was born on March 23, 1921 in San Sebastian and died in Pamplona on January 24, 2003. Holding a doctorate in civil engineering, he had great professional prestige in his native city. He took part in the beginnings of the Universiy of Navarre’s School of Engineering in San Sebastian, where he was a professor and for several years Assistant Director. During the last four years of his life he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, which he accepted with great faith and abandonment to God.

The other faithful of the Prelature who died during the first six months of 2003 are:

Auxiliadora Acevedo Murcia - June 16, 2003
Amador Altozano Moraleda - January 6, 2003
Elena Álvarez Fernández - March 6, 2003
Javier Amich Tintorer - May 31, 2003
Sergio Araujo Arellano - June 11, 2003
José María Ardévol Viscarri - February 15, 2003
María Dolores Arenas López - February 28, 2003
Ángel Arpón de Mendívil Aranguren - April 30, 2003
Carmen Arqueros Callejón - April 3, 2003
Salvador Arrangoiz Amezcua - March 15, 2003
Francisco Arroyo Chávez - June 8, 2003
Tomás Artolazábal Gil - June 17, 2003
Fernando Daniel Aufiero Bernáldez - June 10, 2003
Carmen Balaguer Domínguez - February 20, 2003
Andrés Barba Guerrero - May 14, 2003
Jorge César Barbadillo - March 14, 2003
José Barbeito Precedo - January 20, 2003
Mariano Barth Naranjo - June 1, 2003
Carmen Basterra de Smith - May 31, 2003
Juan Francisco Benatuil González - October 20, 2002
Ángel Benito Artacho - January 15, 2003
Mercedes Bergareche Taberna - March 23, 2003
Oscar Biscarini - February 25, 2003
Julián Blanco Ortega - June 30, 2003
Carlos Vilela Bouça - May 27, 2003
Francisco Boville Mata - February 1, 2003
Antonio Bravo Fernández - February 25, 2003
Sofía Brewer de Beum - February 12, 2003
Frances Josefina Brewer Martínez - January 19, 2003
Isabel Caballero Casas - May 7, 2003
Joaquín Calonge Iglesias - April 9, 2003
Teófilo Campos Campos - April 7, 2003
Pedro Caparrós Gómez - May 4, 2003
João Alberto Amorim de Carvalho Guerra - June 2, 2003
María Caride Zubizarreta - March 1, 2003
Brunilde Fausta Castelli - February 11, 2003
Fernando Castelló Requena - June 18, 2003
Josefina Castillejo Pesanaute - March 6, 2003
Concha del Castillo Montoto - January 4, 2003
María Dolores Castro Caride - May 19, 2003
María Luisa (Cachis) Cervantes de Moreno - January 27, 2003
Pilar Cilveti de Solana - March 16, 2003
Carlo Cipriano - April 12, 2003
Sebastião José Fontes Claro da Fonseca - February 20, 2003
María de la Colina Burón - May 20, 2003
Maria Coll Batlle - February 1, 2003
Lourdes Margarita Coll Villalonga - April 2, 2003
Soledad Cortázar Larrea - June 17, 2003
Trina de Jesús Corro de Rodríguez - April 9, 2003
María Ángeles Corroniero Manzano - January 5, 2003
Loreto Crous Costa - March 20, 2003
Celia (Chela) Cruces de González - June 6, 2003
Concepción Culí Caldas - January 20, 2003
Vicente Cuquerella Jarillo - March 17, 2003
Sergio D'Alessandro - January 24, 2003
Ernesto Delgado Sánchez - February 26, 2003
Rosa Díaz Ruesga - February 25, 2003
Antonio Díaz Taboada - February 23, 2003
José María Díaz-Alersi Martínez - April 2, 2003
María Pilar Díez Pérez - June 27, 2003
Carmen Díez Zubizarreta - June 20, 2003
Manuel Durán Vasco - January 27, 2003
Bertha Echavarría Rojo De la Vega - April 23, 2003
Eugenio Elorza Sabando - May 30, 2003
Graziela Escalera - June 27, 2003
José María Espinar García-Noblejas - February 9, 2003
Manuel Fernández Collar - May 16, 2003
María Luisa Fernández Moreno - May 1, 2003
Carmen Fernández-Matinot Camarasa - May 25, 2003
Ana Ferrer Beniel de Sancho - June 5, 2003
Rosemary Fitzsimons - March 11, 2003
Concepción Font del Riego de Galán - June 3, 2003
Pureza Franqueira Fernandes Lopes - March 4, 2003
María de Jesús de la Fuente Castillo - June 30, 2003
Eduardo Alberto Fulco Pastene - April 1, 2003
Ana Galisteo Gámiz - January 15, 2003
Dolores García Carreño - March 12, 2003
Rosario García Miranés - January 6, 2003
Alfonso García Rodríguez-Carracido - April 26, 2003
Rufina Gatdula Paulo - March 29, 2003
Inés Giménez de Galileano - February 27, 2003
Carmen Gomis Boix - April 13, 2003
Rosario González Conde - April 21, 2003
Pilar González Ollé - June 4, 2003
Elena González Paul de Urrea - March 16, 2003
Albana González Saiz - April 15, 2003
Antonia Gracia Pouso - June 12, 2003
Elsa Gual de Gudiño - February 19, 2003
Celia Guevara Nepomuceno - April 22, 2003
Norma Margarita Haddad de Corrales - May 26, 2003
Jorge Daniel Helguera Borlenghi - May 10, 2003
Victoriano Hernández Novoa - May 26, 2003
Rafael Hinojosa Murguia - January 24, 2003
Manuel Hoyuela Jiménez - February 6, 2003
Isabel Iglesias Redondo - June 28, 2003
Celia Íñigo García - April 27, 2003
Gladys Jaramillo de Buitrago - February 13, 2003
Lía Jaramillo de Jaramillo - January 12, 2003
José Manuel Jiménez Hoyuela - May 2, 2003
José Félix Jiménez Sola - February 12, 2003
María Eugenia del Junco Domenech - February 15, 2003
Olga Junquera Vega - March 4, 2003
Erika van Kaick - February 3, 2003
Noreen Kennan - January 21, 2003
Ana María Labra de Rivadeneira - January 30, 2003
Ignacio Lana Beaumont - February 8, 2003
Rosario Lanao Garín - May 6, 2003
Manuel Layme Canales - February 12, 2003
Roberto Leal Ochoa - June 28, 2003
Cristina Leira Pena - February 5, 2003
Javier Liceaga Ochotorena - June 8, 2003
Antonio Liedana Martínez - June 24, 2003
María Teresa Liria Montañés - June 1, 2003
João Manuel Froes Arantes Lobato de Azevedo - April 28, 2003
Elvira López Arrive - May 11, 2003
Lía Rosa López Figueroa de Acuña - January 20, 2003
José María López Jiménez - April 25, 2003
Eugenio López León - April 10, 2003
Amador López Martínez - February 21, 2003
Encarnación López Palomares - February 10, 2003
Félix López Rodríguez - May 4, 2003
José Antonio López-Picazo Buendía - February 19, 2003
Engracia de Lucio Saiz - January 20, 2003
Carlos Manzano Gómez - May 3, 2003
Giuseppe Marilli - March 22, 2003
Josefa Marín Rendón - February 22, 2003
María del Carmen Martín Bravo - January 28, 2003
Pedro Martín de los Santos Barbero - January 11, 2003
Javier Martinena Flamarique - June 7, 2003
Sara Martínez Martínez - May 23, 2003
Juana Tejada Martón de Cos - May 20, 2003
María Pilar Marzol Asín - May 5, 2003
Ramiro Masip Gateu - June 19, 2003
María Rita Matamoros Muñoz - May 16, 2003
Rafael Maura Villalonga - June 16, 2003
Audrey Mayer - April 24, 2003
Arnold Mendes de Castro - February 13, 2003
Rosario Méndez Encina - May 7, 2003
Pedro Fernando Miguens Labougle - March 23, 2003
Edwin José Mojica Ajún - May 17, 2003
Francisca Mora-Figueroa Borrego - February 12, 2003
Lourdes Moreno Aznar - June 9, 2003
Rosalba Paz Moreno de Chorne - February 26, 2003
Concha Moreno Gaona - March 25, 2003
Lourdes Moreno Lara - April 11, 2003
Luis Moreno Parra - March 20, 2003
María Luz Mori Mori - April 20, 2003
María Morito Oña - February 14, 2003
María Pilar Mur Linares - March 15, 2003
Martha Ann Gathoni Murage - April 24, 2003
Maruja Niederleytner Molina - February 5, 2003
Eduardo Saúl Nusimovich Rothman - May 15, 2003
Manuel Obregón González - May 22, 2003
Ángel Olleros Petit - January 5, 2003
Basilio Orozco Treviño - January 6, 2003
Benita Ortiz Núñez - January 18, 2003
Luis Pajares Espino - May 9, 2003
María Paz Palacio Aransanz - January 10, 2003
Cipriano Palacios Lillo - March 7, 2003
Maria Teresa Pàmies Palau - February 13, 2003
Alfonso Pedrosa Santiago - February 23, 2003
Jorge Peirano Facio - April 20, 2003
Jesús Pérez Maldonado - March 16, 2003
Humberto Ponce Pino - May 5, 2003
Lluís Poy Royo - January 17, 2003
Claudi Puig Sala - May 13, 2003
Eduardo Celedonio María Racedo - April 7, 2003
José María Ramírez de la Fuente - June 3, 2003
María Dolores Recasens Puig - February 20, 2003
Martha Rello de Roqueñí - April 23, 2003
Carlos Enrique Ricci Piñeyro - March 26, 2003
Maria Mercé Rimblas Mas - February 18, 2003
Adelina Rivera de Bonnet - February 1 0, 2003
Eugenio Rodríguez López - December 31, 2003
Manuel Rodríguez Rodríguez - March 2, 2003
Antonio Rodríguez Ruiz de la Peña - February 19, 2003
Virtudes Romero Poves - March 22, 2003
Mercedes Romero Rey - May 12, 2003
Isabel Romero Velasco - January 13, 2003
Isabel Rorrado Rellán - May 27, 2003
Venancio Rubio Parra - March 9, 2003
Antonio Rufete Rodríguez - November 1, 2002.
María del Carmen Ruigómez de Múgica - May 29, 2003
Félix Ruz Bergamín - May 3, 2003
Ester Saavedra de De la Espriella - March 25, 2003
Margarita Samilian de Ekmekdjian - February 6, 2003
Rodolfo Sánchez-Arreola Mercado - April 29, 2003
Fulgencio Sánchez de la Nieta García de León - February 16, 2003
Myriam Santamaría de Suárez - April 3, 2003
Andrés de Santiago Alonso - February 15, 2003
Ángel Santos Rodríguez - April 1, 2003
Amparo Sanz Picado - January 7, 2003
Felipe Sanz de la Rosa - January 26, 2003
Mercedes Sanz de la Rosa - February 11, 2003
Paula Sanz Juan - March 4, 2003
Ida Schmitz - April 2, 2003
Maruja Segura Girbes de Manglano - June 9, 2003
Patricia Sepúlveda Guerrero - May 14, 2003
Miguel Ángel Serra Calatayud - May 23, 2003
Joyce Joanne Sison Sampedro - March 10, 2003
Mary (Mamoo) Smith - May 8, 2003
Paddy Smith - January 28, 2003
Ramón Solana Salamero - April 11, 2003
Dolores Solano Alastrue - March 4, 2003
Saturnino Solano González - March 9, 2003
Concepción Soler Vélez - June 19, 2003
Fernando Sotelo Losada - April 26, 2003
José Luis Soto López - February 19, 2003
Otto Stur - May 1, 2003
Virginia Suarez Kamantigue - May 19, 2003
Vicenta Suay Ordurá - June 29, 2003
Tomoe Tanaka - February 16, 2003
José Tardón Maroto - February 23, 2003
Esther Terrazas de Aldrete - June 1, 2003
José Francisco Tórtola Puig - May 27, 2003
Alberto Ulriksen Jolly - March 3, 2003
Rita Valencia de Martínez - May 30, 2003
Julio del Valle García - May 15, 2003
Celia Natividad Valli de Gil - January 20, 2003
Adolfo Vargas Echevarría - February 13, 2003
Mary Vayhinger - June 8, 2003
Carlos Andrés Vázquez Castro - June 17, 2003
Lucía Vega de Alvarado - April 1, 2003
Emilio Velasco Arias - January 9, 2003
María Vidal Eirín - January 23, 2003
Juan Vidal Menchón - April 10, 2003
José María Villena Goyenechea - January 14, 2003
María del Carmen Vilurbina Suñé - May 23, 2003
Conchita Vizoso Avendaño - April 28, 2003
Cristina Zubillaga Román - June 30, 2003