The Pillars of Our Spirituality: Witnesses to the Blood of Christ
Saint Gaspar del Bufalo: The Source of the Charism
Saint Gaspar del Bufalo (1786–1837) is the zealous apostle of the Most Precious Blood and the primary inspirer of our Congregation. Through his profound spirituality and his unwavering stance before Napoleonic oppression (“I must not, I cannot, I will not”), he paved the way for popular missions and reconciliation. It was Saint Gaspar who guided and inspired our foundress, Saint Maria De Mattias, to establish the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in 1834, entrusting us with the mission to bring the redeeming power of Christ’s Blood to the world.
Martyrs of Faith and Martyrs of Charity: The Supreme Sacrifice
The history of the Adorers is profoundly marked by the seal of martyrdom, the ultimate expression of love. Our Martyrs of Faith from the communist era, the brave and courageous Croatian sisters Sr. Josipa Nevistić (killed in 1946) and Sr. Eulalija Kulier (killed in 1947), laid down their lives witnessing fidelity to Christ and the Church under an atheistic regime.
They are joined by our Martyrs of Charity, the five American missionary sisters killed in 1992 during the civil war in Liberia: Sr. Barbara Ann Muttra, Sr. Mary Joel Kolmer, Sr. Shirley Kolmer, Sr. Agnes Mueller, and Sr. Kathleen McGuire. By laying down their lives in the world’s most challenging peripheries and defending human dignity, they remind us that the Blood of Christ continues to flow as a force for forgiveness, peace, and non-violence.
Venerable Serafina Cinque: The Amazon’s Angel
The Venerable Servant of God Serafina Cinque (1913–1988), born Noemy, represents the luminous face of tireless charity and adoration translated into service. Affectionately known as the “Angel of Altamira,” this extraordinary Adorers sister spent her life along the Amazon River as a nurse and teacher, fiercely protecting unborn life and caring for the marginalized. Pope Francis declared her Venerable in 2014, giving the Church a beautiful model of spiritual motherhood and concrete love.