On June 30th the various religious families and lay associations connected to the spirituality of the Blood of Christ, including the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, and Union of the Blood of Christ, were filled with great joy. Over four thousand people from all parts of Italy, young and old, gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall of the Vatican City to mark the Solemnity of the Precious Blood. The emcee for the event, the actress Beatrice Fazi, brilliantly led the morning dotted with songs, dances, a catechesis by the Rev. Marco Rupnik, SJ, and above all the long awaited audience with Pope Francis.
Following the festivities of the day, time was set aside in the evening for a special prayer service held in the Major Basilica of St. John Lateran. Using scripture and song, the participants reflected on our charism in the context of Eucharistic adoration. V. Rev. William Nordenbrock, C.PP.S., the Moderator General, presided at the liturgy.
On Sunday 1 July in the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, Cardinal Angelo Comastri presided over the Eucharistic concelebration in the presence of about fifty priests and about a thousand faithful. Cardinal Comastri chose to use liturgical texts from the Solemnity of the Precious Blood.
The final cry of joy occurred in Saint Peter’s Square, when after the prayer of the Angelus, the Pope greeted the Precious Blood family and copious number of red balloons flew into the sky. Thus the words of the canticle of Maria De Mattias have been fulfilled: “All peoples clap their hands, acclaimed to the Lord with voices of joy, because the Lord made his mercy with us!”
Article by Fr. Benedetto Labate CPPS
Photos Matteo Ciuffreda, sem. CPPS
The English text of Pope Francis’s address can be found here:
