Romana

The exposition hall of the city council of Logroño, Spain, held an exposition in October presenting the life of St. Josemaría Escrivá on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his arrival in the city (1915-2015).

The head of the diocesan press office, Justo García Turzal, together with the delegate for the University of Navarra in La Rioja, Mery Juarros, and the speaker for the centennial of the founder of Opus Dei in Logroño, Gaspar Perez, presided over the commemorative ceremonies in the Riojan capital. Among the activities, one of special interest was a photographic gallery of the places in the city connected with the life of the founder of Opus Dei in the years of his youth. Manuscripts of his works and some audiovisuals on his life were also shown. On October 23, the priest and historian Jaume Toldrá gave a conference on “St. Josemaría Escrivá: the Footsteps of a Saint.”

In connection with the centennial, a free application for mobile phones was created to show the parts of Logroño that were important in the life of the saint, among them, the parish of St. James, the Sagasta Institute, and the city’s seminary.

Josemaría Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Huesca, in 1902, and moved with his family to Logroño in 1915. It was in this city that his vocation was awakened, on seeing the footprints in the snow of the bare feet of a discalced Carmelite. He did his high school studies in what is now the Sagasta Institute. In 1917 he entered the seminary as a non-resident student, since he continued to live with his family. In 1920 he transferred to the seminary of Saragossa, where he was ordained a priest in 1925.