New Book About the life of Don Alvaro Del Portillo Tells The Story of First Successor of Opus Dei

WASHINGTON - July 27, 2014 - PRLog -- Saxum is the newest book written about the life of the first successor of the founder of Opus Dei, bishop Alvaro del Portillo, who will soon be beatified. It tells the story of a leading figure in the history of Opus Dei and the Catholic Church in the twentieth century.

Opus Dei’s message is that God calls all of us to holiness, and that he calls the vast majority of us to seek holiness in ordinary life, in work and family life.

The book is written in a fast paced narrative style and is an inspiring story of hard work, good humor, concern for others, confidence in God, and generosity in living the vocation to Opus Dei.

“I had the privilege of knowing Don Alvaro, as he was usually called, during the eight years I spent working in Opus Dei’s headquarters in Rome (1960-68).  I wrote Saxum because I wanted other people to get to know this man on whom the Catholic Church will soon confer the title of Blessed” says John F. Coverdale, author of the book.

Beatification, as that process is called, is the last step before being declared a saint and Don Alvaro del Portillo will be beatified in Madrid on Saturday September 27, 2014.

Print and electronic versions of the book are currently available for purchase at http://www.johnfcoverdale.com, Scepter Publishers, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.  A Spanish version of the book is available in print and Kindle on Amazon.

“Del Portillo’s life is an extended lesson in turning the events of daily life into occasions of drawing close to God and bringing others closer to him. It shows that sanctity and the Christian virtues, far from being somber, are sources of joy and happiness. It demonstrates the effectiveness in the service of God of cheerful self-giving and forgetfulness of self,” concluded Coverdale.

A free chapter of the book is available for downloading at http://www.johnfcoverdale.com/saxum

About The Author

John Coverdale has also written two other books about the history of Opus Dei, Uncommon Faith. The Early Years of Opus Dei, and Putting Down Roots. Fr. Joseph Múzquiz and the Growth of Opus Dei. He is a professor of law at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, NJ where he teaches federal income tax.