PODCAST | Stella Matutina
As we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Javier del Castillo’s homily, Stella Matutina, helps us to reflect on the meaning of this special title of our Lady, “Morning Star”, and how Mary entrusted herself entirely to God. In looking to her example, we can hope to imitate her on our path to holiness.
Stella Matutina is a homily by Fr. Javier del Castillo given on the Eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception at St. Mary of the Angels Church in Chicago, Illinois in 2010.
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.
