They must be linked to a house and to several people.

Because of the demands of their formation and the needs of the Work, it is often necessary for the Numeraries to move from one city to another during the course of their studies (even at times more than once), even though we try to avoid it. But this should not cause the St Raphael boys or girls to be abandoned. To prevent this, you have to make sure that their friends are really part of the St Raphael work and in contact with not just one individual but with the Centre itself and with multiple persons in the Centre.

Criteria of seriousness and freedom

Through the classes, and above all through that daughter or son of mine who deals with them, you have to have them see that what they are involved in is something serious. They also need to see the voluntary nature of their attendance at the means of formation, at the recollections, at the excursions, and so on.

But you also have to explain to them that we are not dealing in any way with some child’s game. They cannot subordinate the life of the St Raphael work to their personal moods or to other circumstances or to any infantile concern. The fact that they are coming to a house of Opus Dei requires them to embrace with a spirit of sacrifice and generosity all the apparently small things they are exposed to. And if they don’t decide to do so from the start, it will be better for them to leave, because they will only end up creating problems for everybody.