Ex-member: It was completely my decision

By John Allen in Opus Dei

Virtually everyone agrees that for supernumeraries, exiting Opus Dei poses less risk of turbulence. Matthew Collins of Baltimore was an Opus Dei supernumerary for twenty-six years before leaving in 2003 and becoming a cooperator.

Here’s how he described his experience: While many people in the Work do not understand my decision, and perhaps even believe I “lost my vocation,” I have been treated with the utmost charity and respect.

Not a single person in the Work has in any way made me feel unwelcome. I was very open with the directors when I was considering leaving the Work, and my freedom was always respected. It was a very difficult decision for me, and at times I would have almost welcomed pressure from them to stay in. They never did so. On the contrary, the consistent message I received from them was that it was their opinion that I had a vocation to the Work, but that it was completely my decision, and that if I chose to leave the Work, I would continue to be welcome at Opus Dei activities.