St. Josemaría Escrivá founded Opus Dei on October 2, 1928

St. Josemaría Escrivá founded Opus Dei on October 2, 1928, during a spiritual retreat in Madrid.

According to personal notes recorded by biographer Andrés Vázquez de Prada in The Founder of Opus Dei, Escrivá received a clear understanding of his mission while staying at the Central House of the Vincentian missionaries. Escrivá described the event as a divine inspiration rather than a human invention, noting that he felt the Lord had been preparing him for the task through years of prayer.

During the retreat, Escrivá experienced what he described as an enlightenment regarding the entire organization. He recorded feeling deeply moved while alone in his room, noting the sound of bells from the parish church of Our Lady of the Angels. Following this experience, he organized his previously unsystematized meditation notes into a structured foundation for the work.