Saint of the Day

A shout out to all Precious Blood community members, all sisters, priests, brothers and lay associates who trace their charism and spirituality to St. Gasper del Bufalo. Today is his feast day.

Never heard of Gasper? Here are what authors and EWTN hosts Bob and Penny Lord have to say about this 19th century Italian:

Little is known about Saint Gaspar in the United States, but he is the founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, which has communities all over the world. But one of his greatest traits was his bravery in standing up to Napoleon Bonaparte, who demanded an oath of loyalty of all priests in Italy. This young priest only ordained two years at the time, stood up and shouted "I cannot! I must not! I will not!" that led to prison sentences. He outlasted Napoleon and went on to become a great missionary for the Lord.

He was such a powerful Saint that when Pope John XXIII was about to convene Vatican II, he went to the shrine of St. Gaspar, near the Fountain of Trevi in Rome, and prayed for his intercession and protection for the Vatican Council.

Follow this link to learn a little bit more about the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and their work.

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