Bicentennial Celebrations: Day One

Over seven hundred pilgrims from around the world converged on Rome from June 30-July 4 to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. The General Curia spent the past few years planning the events which stressed the Congregation’s dream of becoming a multi-cultural communion for the renewal of the Church and the world.

Tuesday June 30 was devoted to the history of St. Gaspar and a renewal of the spirituality of reconciliation. The pilgrims divided into language groups and walked the same streets that St. Gaspar walked. They visited San Martino ai Monti where St. Gaspar was baptized and they visited Santa Maria in Trivio where St. Gaspar is entombed. The tour also included stops at the Gesù, Palazzo Altieri, Teatro Marcello, San Nicola in Carcere, and Sant’Angelo in Pescheria.

After visiting the places of St. Gaspar, the pilgrims participated in a reconciliation service at the parish of San Gaspare. The theme of the service was Celebrating God’s Mercy. Here they heard witness talks from Fr. Joe Nassal, C.PP.S., Fr. Terenzio Pastore, C.PP.S., and Fr. Juan Carlos Barajas, C.PP.S. Each of the speakers reminded the pilgrims of the centrality of reconciliation to the spirituality of the Precious Blood. Dozens of Missionaries of the Precious Blood were present to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation with the pilgrims.

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The plaque marking the place of St. Gaspar's baptism in the Church of San Martino ai Monti.
The plaque marking the place of St. Gaspar’s baptism in the Church of San Martino ai Monti.

 

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Pilgrims from Spain gather outside of the Church of the Gesú
Pilgrims from Spain gather outside of the Church of the Gesú

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St. Gaspar died in an apartment in the Teatro Marcello.
St. Gaspar died in an apartment in the Teatro Marcello.

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Fr. John Mencsik, C.PP.S. prays at the tomb of St. Gaspar in the church of Santa Maria in Trivo.
Fr. John Mencsik, C.PP.S. prays at the tomb of St. Gaspar in the church of Santa Maria in Trivo.

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Pilgrims from Tanzania gather for the reconciliation service.
Pilgrims from Tanzania gather for the reconciliation service.

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Pilgrims were invited to come forward to venerate the Cross.
Pilgrims were invited to come forward to venerate the Cross.

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Missionaries of the Precious Blood process in during the Reconciliation Service.
Missionaries of the Precious Blood process in during the Reconciliation Service.
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