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CHRIS MATTHEWS, HOST: Welcome to this special report on the eighth anniversary of HARDBALL.

Opus Dei, it‘s a controversial, some say a secretive, even cult-like part of the Catholic Church. For others, it a spiritual way of life. Tonight, we lift the rock on this doctrinaire religious group with insiders and critics alike. For the next hour, a HARDBALL special report, “Inside Opus Dei.”

Good evening. I‘m Chris Matthews. Is Opus Dei the all-powerful and sinister Catholic organization rife with hitmen and fanatics, as portrayed in best-selling “Da Vinci Code,” or is it a positive religious group that helps its members to grow in holiness and improve society through good work? It depends on who you ask.

Tonight, we‘ll meet past and current members who will tell their personal stories on how the work, what Opus Dei means in English, has enriched their lives. We‘ll also talk with some former members and a cult intervention expert who say the negative publicity is well deserved.

We begin in Chicago with Opus Dei member Patti Lechner, a busy wife and mother of six children. Her daily prayers start each morning at the local Y on what could fittingly be called a StairMaster to heaven.

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