Saint Gaspar del Bufalo

Life story

Gaspar del Bufalo was born on 6 January 1786 in Rome, the son of a man who worked as a cook for a noble household. He studied at the Roman College and was ordained a priest in 1808. He worked among Rome's poor and taught catechism.

In 1810, after Napoleon's French forces had taken over Rome, he refused to swear loyalty to the new regime. As a result he was removed from the city, exiled and held in northern Italy for about four years, until he returned to Rome in 1814.

After his return, at the request of Pope Pius VII, he took up preaching missions. On 15 August 1815 he founded the Missionaries of the Precious Blood at the abbey of San Felice in Giano, Umbria. In the following years the society opened mission houses in areas troubled by banditry.

Gaspar died in Rome on 28 December 1837. He was beatified in 1904 under Pius X and canonised by Pius XII on 12 June 1954. His feast day is kept on different dates depending on the calendar.

Works and witness

• Refused the oath to Napoleon's regime in 1810 and was exiled
• Founded the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1815 at Giano
• Opened mission houses in areas troubled by banditry
• Preached missions at the request of the pope
• Canonised in 1954

Saints from the same country

Saint Agnes, Saint Lawrence, Saint Cecilia, Saint Sebastian

References

• Martyrologium Romanum
• Decree of canonisation of Pius XII, 1954
• Biographies of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.