PODCAST | On the Feast of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo (Rebroadcast)
In this meditation for the feast of Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, Fr. Javier del Castillo reflects on the life and virtues of the faithful successor of St. Josemaria Escriva, whom he affectionately nicknamed Saxum or rock in Latin.
Fr. Javier shares how the gift of fortitude, a fruit of the Holy Spirit, was powerfully present in Blessed Alvaro’s life and how we too are called to become “rocks”–dependable building blocks for the Church wherever God has placed us.
Listen now to reflect on:
• The meaning behind Blessed Alvaro’s nickname “Saxum”
• How the Holy Spirit strengthens us through the gift of fortitude
• Why faithfulness in ordinary life shapes us for holiness
• What Blessed Alvaro’s example teaches us about spiritual resilience
To learn more about Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, visit: www.alvarodelportillo.org
Rev. Javier del Castillo
Fr. Javier del Castillo is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and currently serves as President of the St. Josemaria Institute. He earned a degree in electronic engineering and moved to Rome to complete his ecclesiastical studies, where he was ordained a priest in 2005 and earned a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in 2007. He worked as a chaplain in high schools in the Washington, D.C. and Chicago areas for several years, offering spiritual accompaniment to students, parents, and teachers. From 2015 on, he served as the vicar of Opus Dei in the midwest; he was appointed regional vicar of the United States in 2022. He became vicar of the United States and Canada in 2024, following the restructuring of the regions, until his appointment as Vicar General in April 2025.
