Opus Dei Bishop to Be Beatified After Newborn's Miracle Cure (7349)
Bishop Alvaro del Portillo was founder St. Josemaría Escrivá ‘best support,’ says the current head of the personal prelature.
Bishop Álvaro del Portillo with Pope John Paul II
– Opus Dei Communications Office
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has approved the beatification of Venerable Bishop Álvaro del Portillo, the second leader of Opus Dei, after recognizing the miraculous healing of a newborn who had suffered major cardiac arrest.
Opus Dei Father C. John McCloskey, told Catholic News Agency July 8 that the bishop was notable for “his humility and his serenity and good humor.”
Father McCloskey said he felt “joy” at the announcement, realizing “the great good for the Church this will be.”
On July 5, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing a miracle obtained through the intercession of Bishop del Portillo.
The miracle involves the August 2003 healing of Chilean newborn Jose Ignacio Ureta Wilson. A few days after his birth, the boy suffered a 30-minute period of cardiac arrest and a major hemorrhage.
The medical team treating the baby thought he had already died, but his parents prayed for healing through the intercession of the bishop.
The baby’s heart started to beat again, and he recovered to live a normal life, the Opus Dei Information Office reports.
Bishop Javier Echevarria, the present head of Opus Dei, said in a statement that Bishop del Portillo was St. Josemaría Escrivá’s “best support” and “a most faithful collaborator of John Paul II.”
“Many Churchmen and laypeople from all over the world have told me how much good this faithful priest did to them. And they all agree in this: that it was easy for them to love him, to trust his advice, because they sensed his sincere and priestly interest for their souls,” Bishop Echevarria said July 5.
Bishop Álvaro del Portillo with Pope John Paul II
– Opus Dei Communications Office
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has approved the beatification of Venerable Bishop Álvaro del Portillo, the second leader of Opus Dei, after recognizing the miraculous healing of a newborn who had suffered major cardiac arrest.
Opus Dei Father C. John McCloskey, told Catholic News Agency July 8 that the bishop was notable for “his humility and his serenity and good humor.”
Father McCloskey said he felt “joy” at the announcement, realizing “the great good for the Church this will be.”
On July 5, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing a miracle obtained through the intercession of Bishop del Portillo.
The miracle involves the August 2003 healing of Chilean newborn Jose Ignacio Ureta Wilson. A few days after his birth, the boy suffered a 30-minute period of cardiac arrest and a major hemorrhage.
The medical team treating the baby thought he had already died, but his parents prayed for healing through the intercession of the bishop.
The baby’s heart started to beat again, and he recovered to live a normal life, the Opus Dei Information Office reports.
Bishop Javier Echevarria, the present head of Opus Dei, said in a statement that Bishop del Portillo was St. Josemaría Escrivá’s “best support” and “a most faithful collaborator of John Paul II.”
“Many Churchmen and laypeople from all over the world have told me how much good this faithful priest did to them. And they all agree in this: that it was easy for them to love him, to trust his advice, because they sensed his sincere and priestly interest for their souls,” Bishop Echevarria said July 5.
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October 1: Audience with Pope Francis: October 1, 2014
Pope Francis encouraged the 15,000 pilgrims in Rome for the beatification of Alvaro del Portillo to go to the new Blessed's intercession for help "to respond generously to God’s call to holiness and apostolate in ordinary life, in the service of the Church and all mankind."
"The 15,000 people who came to Rome for acts related to the beatification of Alvaro del Portillo on September 27 in Madrid, have attended the general audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday, October 1. They wanted to show their union with the Holy Father and their gratitude for the beatification. P ope Francis addressed them specifically, saying: “I greet Bishop Javier Echevarría,Prelate of Opus Dei, along with the faithful of the Prelature present here to give thanks to God for the beatification of Alvaro del Portillo. I hope that his intercession and example will help you to respond generously to God’s call to holiness and apostolate in ordinary life, in the service of the Church and all mankind. Thank you very much and may God bless you.”
Bishop Echevarría: Thank you, Holy Father!
“In this moment of deep joy,” Bishop Javier Echevarría said, “I want to thank Pope Francis for the beatification of this bishop who so greatly loved and served the Church. Let us entrust to Blessed Alvaro the intentions of the Holy Father: the apostolic renewal and service to God on the part of all Christians, concern and care for those most in need, the upcoming Synod on the family, the holiness of all priests.”
José Ignacio greets the Pope:
José Ignacio, the young Chilean who was miraculously cured thanks to the intercession of Blessed Alvaro, was greeted by the Holy Father at the conclusion of the audience. “The Pope asked me to pray for him,” he said. His mother, Susana Wilson, said: “We gave the Pope the petitions we had placed on Blessed Alvaro’s remains; it was a moment of great joy and gratitude.” And she added: “We told him that we are praying a lot for him in Chile and for his intentions. We are overcome with emotion at this moment; these have been days to give thanks, filled with so many blessings and the affection of so many people.”
Her husband, Javier Ureta, added: “We asked the Pope to give us his blessing for the 15 years of our marriage and he told us we were an example of the truth that “marriage is forever.”
The Holy Father helps us to be better
Alphonse Mosolo, a doctor from the Congo who works in Monkole hospital inKinshasa, has come to Rome for the first time in his life. For Dr. Mosolo, “the Pope’s words strengthen our faith and hope and help us to be better and not become discouraged by all the problems.” And he continued: “I told the Pope that the hospitalized children we care for, who come to us with the gravest illnesses, are praying for him.” Mosolo works in one of the four African projects that will receive financial assistance with the funds collected during the beatification ceremony on September 27.
Mara Celani, spokesperson for the events in Rome for the beatification, also had an opportunity to greet the Pope with her husband and five children. “It was very moving,” she said.” “The Pope in his audience asked us to place at the service of the community the charisms God has given us, inviting us to imitate Blessed Alvaro, who is a gift to the whole Church.”
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