The man responsible for the start of Opus Dei in Scotland is on the
cards to be Beatified, after the Vatican approved a miracle performed
through his intercession.The same Vatican decree approving the second miracle of Blessed John Paul II and announcing the Canonisation of Blessed John XXIII, which was made public earlier this month, also opened the way for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, Bishop Alvaro del Portillo the first successor of St Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of the Opus Dei movement.
Like Blessed John Paul II, Bishop del Portillo has visited Scotland and was instrumental in Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church, setting up centres in Glasgow.
When Bishop del Portillo succeeded St Josemaria, following his death in 1975, there were Opus Dei centres in Ireland and England but none in Scotland, even though there were already a number of Scottish members.
On a visit to England and Ireland in 1980, Bishop del Portillo pointed out that, when looking at a map of the British Isles, Manchester was the furthest north that Opus Dei had reached in terms of centres. He therefore encouraged the members of Opus Dei to start making plans, with the permission of the local bishop, to set up centres in Glasgow as soon as possible.
By 1983, Glenalvon, a centre run by Opus Dei women, and Dunreath, a centre run by men, had been set up in Glasgow’s West End.
Since then, Dunreath has moved to Pollokshields in the south side of the city and a small conference centre, Hazelwood House, has been started just a stone’s throw away from Dunreath on the edge of Bellahouston Park.
Although the bishop was not able to visit Scotland during his 1980 trip, he planted a tree, which he said was to be taken to Scotland when Opus Dei was established there. The tree is still thriving in the front garden of Dunreath.
In November 1987, the head of the Opus Dei movement was, however, able to fulfil his desire to visit Scotland, taking in Mass at St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, and visiting Glasgow University.
He asked Glasgow members of Opus Dei to defend the practice of the sacraments ‘tooth and nail’ so that ‘nothing nor nobody would wrench away this ancient and blessed tradition.’
The now Venerable Bishop Alvaro del Portillo was born in 1914 and died in 1994, just a few months short of the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination and a few hours after returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
On hearing the news of Bishop del Portillo’s death, Pope John Paul II went to pray beside his body in the central headquarters of Opus Dei in Rome.