Romana

On November 9, 2002, Cardinal Adolfo Suárez Rivera, Archbishop of Monterrey, Mexico, presided at the celebration of a Mass of thanksgiving for the canonization of St. Josemaría. At the conclusion of the ceremony he expressed his desire that both in the Cathedral and in the Basilica of Our Lady of Roble, the patroness of the city, a relic of the new saint would be venerated. He also proposed that a statue or picture of the new saint be placed in each of these churches.

On April 17 of this year, Holy Thursday, before the Mass in cena Domini, a bust of St. Josemaria was blessed in the Basílica del Roble and an oil painting in the Cathedral, each of them with a relic ex ossibus of the new saint..

The commemorative plaque reads as follows:

Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer

Founder of Opus Dei

Promoter of the universal call to sanctity

(1902-1975)

He preached holiness untiringly

and taught lay people to seek sanctity by

carrying out their work diligently, finishing it well,

so that it could be offered to God.

He was canonized by His Holiness John Paul II on October 6, 2002.

His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 26.

This image has been placed

in the Basílica of our Lady of the Oak at the wish of

Most Reverend Adolfo Cardinal Suárez Rivera,

Archbishop of this city,

who personally blessed it on April 17, 2003.