MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD Th e No. 34 - April 2013 Couf the p New Covenant Reflecting Our “Histories” by Fr. Francesco Bartoloni, C.PP.S. ith this edition of we The Cup Wbegin reflecting on the celebra - tion of the two hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Congregation, a date that is not far off. The interna - tional commission for the celebration of the bicentennial of the Congre ga - tion has planned three years of reflec - tion and prayer for this celebration. The theme for the first year examines the history that we have already lived but which has not yet come to an end. The theme is: Not only do we have a history to remember and to share, but also a great history that is yet to be completed. The central reason for the bicentenni - al celebration is certainly to give spe - cial thanks to God for the charism that God, through us and our commitment, See page 36 St. Gaspar del Bufalo (statue in San Felice, Giano) NOTE The Foundation: 1815 FROM EDITOR Selections from “Historical Sketches of C.PP.S.” by Fr. Andrew Pollack, C.PP.S., The articles in this edition as compiled by Fr. Mark Miller, C.PP.S. of The Cup for the most part are excerpts taken t has been said that before reality, ecclesial organization which eventu - and edited from longer Ithere must be a dream. This is true ally led to the official establishment of histories submitted by the for the Missionaries of the Precious the Community. respective units of the Blood. While St. Gaspar del Bufalo is Gaspar was supported in his early C.PP.S. the Founder of this Society of years with a small group of priests The selections made and Apostolic Life, his dream of becom - who also believed in the dream. These their editing is the sole ing a missionary took several years were primarily Father Bonanni, who responsibility of the editor before it became a reality and he also invited Santelli and Gonnelli to of The Cup , Barry Fischer, attributes much of this success to sev - join him in establishing what was ini - C.PP.S. eral of his fellow missionaries who tially called the Holy Alliance. Gaspar were involved primarily in a non- See next page Paul Church in Albano was ac - vince Pope Pius VIII to rescind and T Continued from front page h was invited to become a part of this quired; it was through the influence return all the privileges which he had e dream of a missionary society. Father of Cristaldi that the name Precious removed from Gaspar. C Blood was approved for our Com - u Francesco Albertini was another per - And so, through the many trials and p sonal companion who offered much munity, and it was through the influ - misunderstandings from those within o support along the way and was influ - ence of Cristaldi that Leo XII the Church, through the exiles and f ential in developing the devotion of changed his mind of removing the imprisonments from those outside the t the Precious Blood. Another was name of the Community and at one Church, Gaspar was finally able to h e Bellisario Cardinal Cristaldi, who point said to Gaspar, again after bring his dream into reality on Cristaldi’s intervention, “I under - N worked closely with Pope Pius VII August 15, 1815 when the Society of e and later with Leo XII, but never stand why you have so many ene - the Missionaries of the Most Precious w joined the Com munity. However, he mies, but do not be alarmed, Leo XII Blood came into being. While the C is for you.” o was its most outspoken confidant dream of a missionary community v and came to the rescue of the Com- What is then intriguing is that the began in Rome, it was officially real - e n munity on more than one occasion enemies of Gaspar were trying to ized in San Felice in Giano. a n when the Com munity was being con - persuade the Pope to make Gaspar a In the beginning, the Community t fronted from the powers within the Bishop and send him as the Nuncio was looked upon as being made up St. Gaspar del Bufalo, Cardinal Bellisario Cristaldi, Don Gaetano Bonnani, Don Francesco Albertini Church. The dream of being mission - to Brazil. But Cristaldi again inter - of Houses. Each House had its own ary was nurtured first in the vened and persuaded the Pope to superior and took care of the ordi - Holy which became the allow Gaspar to pursue his dream of nary affairs, mostly through what Alliance Gospel , a private and being a missionary. After the death was called House Congressus. Workers Enterprise unofficial formal missionary society of Leo XII, Pope Pius VIII heard However, the real Superior was the by the end of 1813. unfavorable reports and he publicly Moderator General, assisted by his It is unclear when Cristaldi met rebuked Gaspar, withdrew the usual Definitorium; the latter being com - Gaspar, the Canon of St. Mark, but subsidy and cancelled all the special prised of the officials of the principal in April of 1814, Gaspar preached a faculties. house which was supposed to be in Retreat to the lawyers of the Curia, Gaspar was so overwhelmed that, as Rome. There was a bond of union of whom Cristaldi was a member. he himself admits, all the motives of between the Mission Houses, but This seemed to have been the occa - religion were necessary to keep him - they were subject to one center of sion for a special relationship self under control. In this painful and government. Once elected, the between Cristaldi and Gaspar. It was humiliating situation he sought the Moderator General remained in through the influence of Cristaldi comfort of his friend, Cardinal office for life and he enjoyed full that the monastery of San Felice in Cristaldi. Through the work of authority limited only by the Rule. Giano was acquired; it was through Cristaldi and his relationships with He decided in matters of admission, 2 the influence of Cristaldi that the St. other Cardinals, he was able to con - government, and the distribution of offices and assignments. However, T he had the right to delegate his pow - h e ers to any member, and to invest UPCOMING EVENTS with vicarious authority especially in C u the case of far-off places. p Since there was no House initially XX GENERAL ASSEMBLY o f established in Rome, the House in Collegio Preziosissimo Sangue Albano was seen as the principal t Via Narni, 29 - Roma h house of the Community. While the e dream of beginning a missionary N Community was fulfilled, two other e July 8-19, 2013 w dreams of Gaspar were not fulfilled until after his death. The Rule was C o approved on December 17, 1841, v The main agenda will be the election e almost four years after his death, and n six months prior to that, July 27, of the new leadership team for the period 2013-2019 a n 1841, the Society was given a house t in Rome with a Church attached, San Salvatore in Campo. This became the ning. When we look at the history of members of the suppressed house of Domus Primaria of the Community the development of our Community, Trois Epis had begun to work in until the middle of 1858. we see that we have gone through 1873; 2) the Romagna or Flaminian Three months later, the General several stages of development. Province including the houses in Curia met for the first time in the Certainly the Italian stage of our northern Italy; 3) the Neopolitan house next to Santa Maria in Trevio. Community is the first and father of Province which included the houses Actually, this house was given to the any further foundations of our in southern Italy; and 4) The Community by the friend of Father Community throughout the world. American Province already existing Merlini, Pope Pius IX, in January, On August 29, 1894 a decree of the (the California Province had been 1854. This house then was declared Sacred Congregation of Bishops and erected “provisionally” in 1869 and the Primary House of the Congre - Regulars indicated that “after the suppressed in December 1874.) It gation. The General Moderators and Director General has been chosen (by was at this time that Provincial the Curia resided in this house for the Holy Father), a division of the Superiors were called Provincials the next 90 Years. The remains of St. Congregation into Provinces shall and not Vicars Provincial. Gaspar were brought to this Church take place, and a method of holding In the first General Chapter (April in 1861. General Chapters and elections of 14-17, 1896), it was decided that, During this time foundations outside Major Superiors will be prescribed although the American Provincial of Italy were made in Switzerland, by the S.C. of Bishops and Regulars.” should enjoy real jurisdiction and France, the United States and Thus on August 3, 1895, the Com- authority, the European Provincials Germany by non-Italian members munity was divided into four would be limited merely to presiding who had joined the Community in provinces: 1) the Roman Province, at Provincial Chapters, convoked by Rome, among them was Fr. Frances which, besides houses in central the General Curia, for the sole pur - de Sales Brunner. While we have Italy, was to include the house in pose of electing a delegate to the grown accustomed to thinking about Baumgaertle in Bavaria and four sta - General Chapters.