Saint Gaspar in love with the Gospel of Christ
and servant of the voice of His blood;
He heard the cry of the poor and oppressed
becoming their brother, friend and defender.
By his prayer, give us your grace
to live in the world as he lived making us the voice of the little ones, of the defenseless
ready to give our lives in service for the good
of our "dear neighbor".

BLESSINGS TO ALL

The ceremony of Canonization of St. John Henry Newman, together with four holy women of the Church, is now completed; yet the experience of this special moment lingers on with gratitude in the hearts of those of us ASCs graced to witness the event. Our excitement began on the eve of the celebration when the tour group from Newman University arrived at the Generalate. They were truly exhausted as they had been climbing the hills of Rome since early morning, but held up well through a Mass in English, followed by a festive meal with the General Team and the local international community. We closed the evening at about 9:00 pm with a short songfest and a grand rendition of Frere Jacques in the seven languages spoken in the house.

 

Early on Sunday we set off for the Vatican, only to discover that our bus route had been cancelled due to a street race in our area, so we had the unexpected experience of a ride on the Metro. We were whisked underground to a station near St. Peters Cathedral where we joined the thousands of people hurrying toward the Square. After going through security lines, we took our seats in the sun and enjoyed several hours of sharing with those about us. To bring the crowd to a moment of recollection, we prayed the Rosary aloud just before the celebration began.

The ceremony of sanctification was quite simple. The Cardinal Prefect for the Cause of Saints petitioned the Holy Father to accept the five candidates for canonization and to enroll them among the Saints. After recitation of the Litany of the Saints, the Pope spoke the simple formula for canonization. The choir sang Alleluia, and we moved directly into the Gloria of the Mass. A booklet was provided for us so we could join in the Gregorian chant with the choir. During Communion, the choir sang the Newman hymn “Lead, Kindly Light” in Italian.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Holy Father climbed into his pope-mobile and circled the crowd twice, smiling and waving his blessing. It was a joyous closing to a grand experience.

Celebrating to remember and to continue on in the journey.

If we were to tell the story about the Jubilee celebration  of the Tanzanian Region, we could probably use just a few, simple words that, nevertheless, describe well this event: colors, voices, symbols, dance and song and a great desire to participate.

A Jubilee, in the mind of many, is strictly a "private" event but here we had to change our minds thanks to the large number of people who arrived on September 21 at our Regional House in Dodoma, Tanzania. In fact groups from Dar Es Salaam, Chibumagwa, Mayoni, Itigi, Morogoro underwent trips of several hours so they could share and celebrate this festivity of thanksgiving with us.  So many people joined, that the mass was held outdoors under tarps protecting us from the intense sun, which even that, could not squelch the spirit and enthusiasm of the many, many people who wanted to join in giving thanks for all the sisters have done and for the profound ways their lives have been touched by ASC presence.

Of course it was also exciting to see the majority of the Tanzanian Adorers, from the first pioneers to the last professed, and even the young aspirants, gathered for the event.  And to share in their excitement as they sang and danced together with great emotion. The presence of the large number of Missionaries of the Precious Blood gave solemnity to the event, recalling those historical beginnings that brought our Congregation to this land.    A united Church joined together was evident in a visible manner thanks to the many priests from surrounding dioceses and the number of women religious from other congregations who came to celebrate with us.  Truly it was a sign of fraternity, closeness, esteem and friendship.

Touching for all, was the unexpected participation of "mama Marisa", so beloved and known here, who with obvious emotion, retraced, although briefly, her experience in Tanzania, thanking God and her sisters for the welcome and the journey shared together.   

Also the participation of  Fr. Mario Dariozzi, C.PP.S. allowed us to make a "leap back in time,” to 50 years ago, when he, in his truck, went to the port of Mombasa (Kenya) to welcome the four missionaries who had come for the first time from Italy.  A touching moment of this history was shared by all when four young students from “Tullia ASC Primary School”  re-enacted the sisters’ journey on the boat. The Tanzanian Adorers, through song, symbol, dance and much enthusiasm, have shown a deep respect for the past and a sincere gratitude for their history. 

The reason for gratitude, however, was not only for the 50 years of ASC presence in Tanzania, but it was a true "double jubilee,” as we also celebrated the 25 years of religious profession of Sr. Josephina Paul, current Regional Superior of Tanzania.

An important message was given by Rev. Beatus Kinyaiya, bishop of Dodoma and  presider of the celebration, who during his homily said “a religious Jubilee is certainly a reason for joy and pride, a time of gratitude and grace, but at the same time it is a moment of re-verification in the faith journey of following Jesus Christ.” 

Sr. Dani Brought, on behalf of Sr. Nadia Coppa, Superior General of the Congregation of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ and of the whole General Administration, expressed gratitude to the Lord on behalf of the congregation for the sisters who received the seed of the charism, which has now become a tree with abundant fruit. She shared that this is a time for contemplating the work of redemption, the fruit of listening to the "cry of the Blood" to which the ASC sisters in Tanzania have responded so faithfully over the years.

The celebration continued into the evening with all sharing in a delicious meal, along with presentations from all the different groups that had joined for the day, expressing their joy and gratitude to the sisters for their service for the “dear neighbor.”

Celebrating 50 years of presence in the country.

The Bishop of Dodoma, the Italian Mgr. Anthony Jeremiah Pesce C.P., in 1967 called the Missionaries of the Precious Blood to Tanzania and two years later the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ also responded to the "cry of the Blood" calling them to serve the poorest in the land of Tanzania.
It was November 22, 1969 when Sister Romana Sacchetti, Sister Delfina Gnerre, Sister Nicolina Scattaglia and Sister Angelina Palmigiani arrived in Manyoni, the heart of Tanzania.The trip probably was not the most comfortable: our sisters departed from the pier of Brindisi (Italy) and traveled for a month on board a ship to Mombasa (Kenya) and from there on to Tanzania.
The main purpose of the mission was to announce "to the poor the good news of salvation", to take care of the sick, both adults and children, to educate women, in particular giving value to life. The work on the hygienic and nutritional level was important to reduce the number of diseases, even "trivial" ones, which were often the cause of death for many.

Although the "base" of the Adorers was Manyoni, the sisters also served the population in villages in the more rural areas, often reaching them with whatever means they could find. The presence of the sisters in these most distant places soon allowed them to begin to announce the "Adoring and Redeeming" Love that had driven them to sail the ocean. Certainly it was not an "organized" catechesis but rather to plant small "seeds" that would one day bear fruit.
The first missionaries faced with courage the many hardships that they were not used to, putting their young energies at their disposal and giving of themselves totally while at the same time receiving so much joy in return. Probably the mission "stories" that arrived in Italy were so inspiring that soon other Adorers reached the "red land", in different groups and moments, to join the mission of evangelization in the various ministries.

The life style, the charism and the joy of the Sisters did not, however, involve only the Italians "far away", but soon many Tanzanian girls began to ask to share in their spirituality and ministry, so in 1982 the nuns welcomed the first three young women who, in 1990, professed their First Vows of fidelity to the Lord among the Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
Today the seed that the Italian missionaries had planted so many years ago has borne abundant fruit.

The journey was long and demanding, the Tanzanian sisters were accompanied by the loving care of the Italian "sisters" for 25 years, until 1994 when the number of members and their formation allowed the Tanzanian mission to grow into a Foundation, and then in 2011 the Foundation became a Region.

The Adorers of the Blood of Christ of Tanzania today are a consolidated and autonomous reality. There are 72 Adorers with Permanent Profession, 15 with Temporary Profession and numerous vocations in formation.  The sisters form 12 communities, which also includes one in Cesena, Italy and one in Mozambique. The sisters are now engaged in the field of education with primary and secondary schools, in parishes teaching catechesis and in treating the sick in clinics, hospitals, institutions, with special attention to orphan children affected/infected with HIV/AIDS. They provide an extensive prevention and therapy program at the "Village of Hope" in Dodoma, that today also includes mothers and families.
Riding on that ship, so long ago, the Sisters probably could not imagine all of that which, thanks be to God, we are able to gaze upon today: giving up of oneself, without measure, for the "dear neighbor" continues to be a fruitful tree wherever it is planted.
On this day of celebration, we give thanks to God for these 50 years of history, of service and of giving, which leads us to the future that God holds out for us.

On 19 August, the occasion of the celebration of the Transit of St. Maria De Mattias, Sr. Nadia Coppa, Superior General, some members of the General Administration and of the international community joined the ASC community and the people of Acuto, with filial devotion to venerate our Foundress.
The parish priest of S. Maria Assunta, Fr. Marino Pietrogiacomo , presided at the Eucharistic Celebration Valerio Volpi, CPPS deacon gave the homily. Inspired by the symbol of S. Maria De Mattias’s shoes, he invited us to reflect on the apostolic zeal that saw her walking, without ceasing, to towns and cities so that the message of Christ's charity would reach everyone. During the procession that followed the Mass we join with her to continue to bring Christ into the world. St. Maria and the people retraced the streets and alleys of the past, known places, loved ones, places where the providence of God called her to reach the summit of holiness. The people united in devout prayer, under the guidance of Don Valerio, and of the Adorers present, expressed their faith and gratitude at the passing of the Saint in different ways: asking to kiss the relic, marking themselves with the sign of the cross as it passed or stopping in respectful silence.
At the final moment Don Valerio, referring to the scriptures (Jn 20: 1-18) commented that both Maria De Mattias and Maria Maddalena were familiar with the sepulchers, with the places of death: solitude, emptiness, stench of death, the squalor of empty tombs, the horror of spilled blood. The message of hope and life that they ran to bring has transformed those places of death into gardens of new life.
Today we too are called to recognize the places that exhale death: the closures and resistance of those who have lost hope and wander without a aim, among the elderly or the young alone or the families abandoned to their problems, the terminally ill. The experience of the Resurrection of Jesus, lived by Mary Magdalene, and by Maria De Mattias, reminds us and impels us, with the strength of charity that bring us back to life, to move to transform today's tombs into places of resurrection.
On August 20, actual day of Maria’s death, Sr. Nadia Coppa with Sr. Bridget Pulickakunnel, and some members of the international community, joined in the celebrations of the day;
At 4.00 pm, in the council hall of the municipality of Acuto, there was the award ceremony for the annual literary competition, S. Maria De Mattias, for high school students, which is promoted and sponsored annually by the municipality, and organized by the Adorers. It aims to make Maria De Mattias known to new generations. The youth scholarship awards are: Greta Cutrì, first place and following Ivan Perinelli and Veronica Bressan, who received.
The contestants were to present Maria De Mattias to some young students as a leading figure who made history in the 19th century, telling her story and  some aspects of her spirituality. At the end they were asked to summarize her life with a Hashtag.
The day ended with the solemn Mass of joy and thanksgiving in the parish Church of S. Maria. Afterwards, everyone enjoy panini provided by the adorers and the parishioners.