Opus Dei in the United States
Opus Dei, the super-secret Catholic community, has been put into a spotlight due to the immense popularity of the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Now with the movie of the same name, it is going to be thrust full force into the media, and in not so pretty of a light. What is the truth of Opus Dei and what is their role in the United States?
While Opus Dei has working groups in over 60 countries, one doesn’t expect it to be in the United States. However, it began in the U.S. in 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. Sal Ferigle was a young physics grad student and Joseph Muzquiz one of the first priests to be ordained for Opus Dei both came to Chicago to establish a center near the University of Chicago. Today there are well more than 3,000 members and many more who are participants in Opus Dei’s activities. Opus Dei’s activities are well organized and come out of 60 centers in 19 cities. These cities are Boston; Chicago; Dallas; Delray Beach, Florida; Houston; Los Angeles; Miami; Milwaukee; New York; Pittsburgh; Princeton, New Jersey; Providence; St. Louis; San Antonio; San Francisco; South Bend, Indiana; South Orange, New Jersey; Urbana, Illinois; and Washington, D.C. There are also many conference centers and retreats for its members, most located near Boston, Houston, Miami, and New York.
Member of the Opus Dei operate a college (Lexington College in Chicago, IL) and five secondary schools (The Heights in Washington, D.C., Oakcrest in Washington D.C., Northridge Preparatory in Chicago, Il., The Willows in Chicago, Il., and the Montrose School in Boston, MA) around the United States. Lexington College is the only all female college of hospitality management inside the US.
In addition to these school programs they are also very involved in community activities like programs at Midtown and Metro Centers to help African American and Hispanic children in inner city Chicago succeed. Opus Dei is succeeding in this drive as now 95% of children at the Midtown and Metro program graduate high school with 89% going to college. In retrospect, only 20% would be going to further their education without this program. Programs like this one are also in the harsher environments of New York, Washington D.C., and in St. Louis.
Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, the archbishop of Chicago, entrusted St. Mary of the Angels in 1991 to Opus Dei priests. Also given to Opus Dei priests have been Catholic Information Center in Washington D.C., and the Holy Cross Chapel in Houston.
The U.S. Headquarters of the Opus Dei is in New York City and has Msgr. Thomas Bohlin in the Vicar position currently.
