The Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood continues to demonstrate its vitality and creativity. In all the Units, we see new activities and initiatives that show that the charism the Congregation received from the Lord through Saint Gaspar is alive and constantly evolving. An example of this vitality can be seen in the Italian Province.
On June 12, a 15-kilometer night pilgrimage was held for the first time in the city of Rome. The pilgrims visited the most significant places in the life of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, which is why the pilgrimage has been named Via Gasparis. Approximately 150 people, young and old, departed from Santa Maria Maggiore and made stops at San Pietro in Vincoli, the Imperial Forum, the Mamertine Prison, the Basilicas of San Marco and San Nicola in Carcere, the Church of the Gesù, the Pantheon, San Pietro and San Giuseppe a Capo le Case, and concluded at the site of the Founder’s tomb, the Church of Santa Maria in Trivio.
As Fr. Nicola Antonio Perone and Antonio Morgillo, one of the seminarians of the Province, explain, the Via Gasparis has a dual purpose: cultural and spiritual. On the one hand, the aim is to learn more about the history of Rome and to connect with places and monuments that have witnessed and bear witness to the life, faith, and dedication of many Christians and saints. On the other hand, it involves contemplating the life of Christ through the human and spiritual journey of Saint Gaspar.
Along the Via Gasparis, pilgrims reflected on the seven sheddings of the Blood of Christ by praying the Chaplet of the Precious Blood. At the same time, as Fr. Perone and Antonio Morgillo affirm, they were able to relive “the human and spiritual experience of Saint Gaspar, allowing the places of Rome where he lived to speak to them and tell them not only their history, but above all, their lived experience of following Christ to the point of being able to say, like the Apostle Paul, ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’” They add: “Following the example of Saint Gaspar and with the help of the Holy Spirit, each one of us can make these words our own, and the ultimate goal of this journey is precisely to rediscover the impulse and enthusiasm to be living disciples, learning from the Son of God who became man and who continues to make himself present in history through the witness of the saints.”