Redazione
Seminar on the Spirituality of the Blood of Christ
Solemnity of the Precious Blood of Jesus
Historical Note
This feast is linked to a relic kept in the church of San Nicola in Carcere in Rome that, according to tradition, was a flap of the cloak of the Centurion who pierced the Crucified Jesus with a spear to verify his death. That flap would have been cut out because it was bathed in the "blood and water " (Jn. 19:34) from the side of Jesus. The Old Testament dwells several times on the subject of blood, reiterating its preciousness the Blood of Christ is the greatest and most perfect revelation of the Father's Love... From a historical point of view, it can be said that devotion to the Precious Blood was already alive in ancient times. After a long period during which this devotion was no longer practiced, the Blood of Christ began once again to be worshipped in the first half of the nineteenth century. The initiator, was a pious priest, later bishop, Don Francesco Albertini, the promoter of a Confraternity entitled precisely to the Precious Blood, in which people were formed who continued and spread its devotion. Among the promoters of this devotion shine the names of St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and St. Maria De Mattias, who founded the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
Throughout Italy and also around the world, several women's institutes dedicated to the Blood of Christ arose, such as the Sisters of the Precious Blood, founded in Monza by Mother Maria Matilde Bucchi, the Daughters of Charity of the Precious Blood, founded in Pagani (SA) by Fr. Tommaso Fusco. In 1822, St. Gaspar obtained from the Holy See the "Nulla osta" for the celebration of the Feast of the Precious Blood on the first Sunday in July, but only within the congregation of St. Gaspar.
Pius IX fixed it for July 1, and Pius XI raised it to a solemnity in April 1934, in commemoration of the 19th centenary of the Redemption.
Paul VI then combined this feast with that of Corpus Christi, creating, however, discontent among devotees and religious institutes dedicated to the Blood of Christ. He then granted the right to celebrate the feast on July 1, with a liturgy of solemnity.
Embracing Vulnerability to Journey in Synodality
Synodality indicates to us a way of living and acting that defines us as a community in its desire to journey with others. It is the nature of the Church and of consecrated life! We are called to rekindle our passion for consecrated life and grow in a sense of belonging in order to be able to share the richness of the charism with everyone. Synodality indicates to us a way of living and acting that defines us as a community in its desire to journey with others. It is the nature of the Church and of consecrated life! We are called to rekindle our passion for consecrated life and grow in a sense of belonging in order to be able to share the richness of the charism with everyone. An audience with Pope Francis powerfully completed our reflection. He encouraged us in our weakness by reminding us of God’s trust in us. The Church learns from her Teacher that in order to be able to give her life in serving others, she is invited to recognize and embrace her own fragility and from this, to bow down before the fragility of others. In this approach, the recommendation is to live authority as service.The Pope did not hesitate to consider the aspects of fragility connected to consecrated life and religious vocations – a reduced relevance of numbers, works and social impact, of dropouts – but he assumes and invites us to have a positive outlook and momentum.He also encouraged us to look for ways to participate fully in the synodal process and invite others to do it in their local parishes and in their communities and organizations. Each challenge for us consecrated women is a call to walk together on a synodal journey, sharing and our faith, our way of living, our hopes and our dreams and listening deeply. With all religious, we want to continue to proclaim the joy of the Gospel through sharing our common mission in the Church. May we joyfully and hopefully continue our journey, certain of the presence of the Spirit who acts and transforms.
Sr. Nadia Coppa, ASC
General Superior
June 2022
May 2022
Congratulations Sister Nadia newly elected President of the UISG
"For me it is a great joy to welcome this call. I am very grateful for the journey that, as Superiors, we have made together in these years. And it is in the wake of the steps already taken that we will continue to walk together as consecrated women, and a sign of shared life and hope in the Church.
Our mission is to make vulnerability an opportunity to embrace wounded humanity, to welcome one another and to walk together: this is what the Church asks of us and what the world wishes to see from us - women religious."
Sr. Nadia Coppa, ASC
Sr. Nadia Coppa was born on 21 January 1973 and has been Superior General of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ since 2017, a congregation whose charism focuses on charity towards God and our neighbour, especially in favour of the poor, the oppressed and the marginalised.
She graduated in Psychopedagogy from the Faculty of Education at the University of Florence, earned two master's degrees: in psychomotricity and pathological addictions, as well as an additional degree in Religious Sciences.
She has worked as an educator in the field of rehabilitation for drug and alcohol addicts in Pisa, as a psychopedagogist and helping abused women, as team coordinator of a centre in Livorno.
She has also been a human and spiritual trainer for lay people and she has practised counselling for women in need.
Within her Congregation of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, she provided several services : as Coordinator and Delegate of the Northern Zone of the Italian Province, General Councillor, General Bursar as well as Superior General.
She was elected President of the UISG on 10 May 2022.
Source: UISG has a new President and Board, in https://www.uisg.org/en/news/Eletta-Presidente-UISG, May 10, 2022
Happy Easter
April 2022
The Gift of Blood for Peace
Welcome to this time of prayer promoted as a time of powerful communion within the Congregation to invoke peace and pray for this torn and divided world of ours.
Immediately I want to thank the Sisters of CIS (Patrizia, Rani and Elisabeth), the availability of interpreters and especially each of you for having chosen to be here, to intercede and invoke the power of the Blood of Christ, blood shed in the victims of war and every kind of violence.
The war in Ukraine is inevitably affecting all of us. It is a bloody conflict, a senseless attack against a people who are now victims of heavy bombardments.
Stunned and helpless, we are witnessing an absurd war unleashed in a devastating way. Each day chilling images flow before our eyes, images that powerfully touch us and make us feel the precariousness of our social systems and the vulnerability of peace.
War is always a defeat for humanity and there are never valid reasons to legitimize violence. It is truly sad to see men, women, children and the elderly devastated by so much suffering caused by carefully calculated choices to destabilize humanity and developed with such coldness and arrogance.
The days are passing since that February 24th … and it seems that there are no paths to stop the use of weapons and begin processes of dialogue and peace. It is a conflict that persists and seems impossible to stop.
We recognize that the only conflict to be supported and strongly advocated for at this point is the conflict of restless consciences searching for peace. We must seriously ponder, we must raise awareness, we must not take anything for granted and, before pointing a finger, always ask ourselves if evil exists also because we have made it possible, because we have often turned away in silence or indifference, fueling unjust systems.
Putin’s unacceptable invasion of Ukraine stems from an “armed peace”: from economic, political, etc. conflicts.
This evening, together we will pray for peace … there are so many wars in the world.
Wars endure and always create victims. There are never winners, we are all losers. Wars leave the situation for civilians unchanged in time. Civilians continue to be the true victims of conflicts.
As Adorers of the Blood of Christ we be aware of the urgency to pray for peace, but we must also be committed to daily actions fostering peace. It is not enough to protest against the Russian act of force and show solidarity for the Ukrainian people unjustly attacked, but we must contribute to creating conditions for an unarmed peace not based on economic interests but on a global ethics of sharing, of co-responsibility and fraternity.
There is no peace without justice. There is no life without restless consciences longing for peace and in constant and productive conflict with unjust systems that fuel divisions and the power of the strongest.
This evening I would like to recall several passages of the encyclical Pacem in Terris in which St. John XXIII exhorts humanity “especially those invested with public responsibilities, to spare no effort to give things a reasonable and humane course,” so that the dramatic risk of a nuclear war be removed.
Roncalli continues “Let them do everything in their power to save the peace: thus avoiding the horrors of a war, whose frightening consequences no one can foresee. […] Let them continue to negotiate, promote, encourage and accept negotiations on every level and in every time. It is a norm of wisdom and prudence which attracts the blessings of Heaven and earth.”
With St. Maria De Mattias, we too want to collaborate with Christ in the redemption of humanity … giving our lives to reconcile earth with Heaven.
“Peace on earth, the deep longing of human beings of all times, can be established and strengthened only in the full respect of the order established by God.”
Christ shed his blood to re-establish this new order .. a beautiful order that was won at a great price … by shedding all his Blood.
In this River of Mercy we find that peace we must search for and establish within ourselves and around us.
With this prayer for peace we want to become close to the Ukrainian people with the power of intercession and to all the victims of this war … to those who are endeavoring to foster dialogue….
Let us pray and intercede for those who are suffering and are leaving their homes in desperation and in search for refuge.
But we also want to express our closeness to the ASCs in Poland who are involved in welcoming the refugees and who are suffering for their loved ones in Ukraine. Our thoughts go out to the Sisters in Belarus who find themselves sharing the fate of a people who do not want war but who find themselves involved through political alliances.
Let us powerfully invoke the Precious Blood of Jesus to grant peace, to put an end to wars and to always prefer dialogue to any form of violence, abuse and oppression.
Sr. Nadia Coppa, ASC
General Superior
