October 21: Saint Gaspar del Bufalo
An Apostle of the Blood of Christ
In a turbulent period for the Church, Gaspar distinguished himself by his courage. When, in 1810, priests were required to take an oath of allegiance to Emperor Napoleon, he resolutely refused. This act cost him exile and then four years of imprisonment which he endured with serenity and unshakable faith. Saint Gaspar del Bufalo never hesitated to reject any compromise with those who threatened the life of the Church and the Pope.
He was born into a deeply Christian family on January 6, 1786. Since his birth occurred on the Feast of the Epiphany, he was given the names of the Magi: Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar. From an early age, Gaspar showed a special attraction to faith, frequently visiting the Church of the Gesù, a place deeply linked to Ignatian spirituality.
During his childhood, he was struck by a serious eye infection. His mother, a woman of profound faith, took him trustingly before the relic of Saint Francis Xavier, kept in one of the chapels of the church. The unexpected healing that followed astonished even the doctors and marked the young boy’s spiritual journey forever. From that moment, Gaspar felt within himself a growing desire to become a missionary priest, following the example of the great Apostle of the Indies.
As a teenager, he devoted himself generously to serving the poor sheltered at the Hospice of Santa Galla, a place that would remain forever engraved in his heart. Ordained a priest on July 31, 1808, he began an intense pastoral activity directed especially toward the humbler classes—carters and peasants of the Roman countryside. He founded an oratory at Santa Maria in Pincis and ministered among the so-called barozzari, whose work revolved around the Campo Vaccino, the ancient name for the Roman Forum.
After the Pope’s return to Rome in 1814, Gaspar fully dedicated himself to the spiritual and moral restoration promoted by Pope Pius VII. In that context, he identified devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Christ as a powerful means of inner renewal and conversion. On August 15, 1815, he founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.
Gaspar faced with extraordinary courage the threats posed by secret societies, particularly Freemasonry, which at that time sought to undermine the Church’s influence. Despite personal attacks, he never ceased to denounce publicly the dangers represented by such organizations, leading entire lodges to conversion and warning the faithful against their anti-Christian ideologies.
In addition, he was called to confront another major scourge of his time: brigandage. Pope Leo XII, acting on the advice of Cardinal Cristaldi, entrusted him with the mission of going among the brigands of Lazio. Armed only with the cross and the word of the Gospel, he succeeded in restoring order and peace, rescuing many from violence and death.
Gaspar del Bufalo completed his earthly journey on December 28, 1837, leaving an indelible mark on the history of the Church. Pope Saint Pius X beatified him in 1904, and his canonization took place under Pius XII on June 12, 1954, in St. Peter’s Square. His body rests in the Roman church of Santa Maria in Trivio. He is also venerated as the Patron Saint of the city of Sonnino (province of Latina), which he saved during the darkest years of brigandage violence.