Made one in the Bond of Charity
Missionaries of the Precious Blood embody their charism through the everyday rhythms of communal life
Living in community is at the heart of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Rooted in the core value that “made one in the Bond of Charity, our living together in community and communion strengthens our witness and empowers our apostolic mission,” members across the U.S. Province continue to find both traditional and innovative ways to embody this call. From the welcome offered at the retirement center in Carthagena, Ohio, to the shared meals and intercultural friendships in mission houses across the country, the Missionaries’ communal life remains a source of support, renewal, and missionary zeal. In the reflections that follow, four members share how community living shapes their ministry, their relationships, and their daily witness to the reconciling power of the Precious Blood.
Giano Mission House, Dayton, Ohio Giano Mission House is located at St. Joseph parish in Dayton, Ohio. Over the years, we’ve had from three to six community members living in the mission house. One of the hallmarks of St. Gaspar’s vision of community life is the importance of hospitality. Our doors are always open to visiting members as well as those who are in ministry in the greater Dayton area.
As a Society of Apostolic Life in the Church, we gather for mission, and out of that call, we come together in community for fraternal support. Opportunities for shared meals, prayer, study, and relaxation foster a sense of care and concern for one another. Being attentive to one another’s ministerial and personal life inspires a sense of shared responsibility and accountability, as we know we do not walk alone.
In recent years, our mission house has welcomed fellow Missionaries of the Precious Blood from Tanzania. Their presence has enriched our communal life as we share stories about the similarities and differences within culture, language, and traditions. Though we come from different lands, we share the common bond of charity that unites us as brothers in the Blood of Christ.
Because ours is a Eucharistic spirituality, we have our best gatherings around the dinner table. A spirit of fellowship, trust, and goodwill is a source of renewal and strength for us as we prepare to return to our assigned ministry. Though there may be three former provincials among those gathered for dinner, you would be hard pressed to know who they are because everyone has a voice and everyone helps with the tasks of cooking, serving, and washing the dishes; we are all brothers working together for the common mission of proclaiming the redeeming love of God through the Precious Blood of Jesus.
When the demands of ministry are weighing heavy, one or the other in community will suggest a night out or an extended gathering around the dinner table to offer support and encouragement. The gift of living together in the mission house has also been a blessing when illness has necessitated medical attention or when someone needs a “C.PP.S. Uber” to take them to an appointment.
It is the bond of charity that holds us together, a commitment we make to one another to be a living witness of how the Precious Blood of Jesus makes us one not because of any law or rule, but because of love. Though we are very different people, by living in community, we show that it is possible to live as one and this is how community life itself becomes part of our shared mission.
Fr. Angelo Anthony, C.PP.S.
Sonnino Mission House, Berkeley, California Having lived 37 years in community — 32 of those as an incorporated member — I carry with me a treasury of memories about community life. As I reflect on them now, they bring a smile and a deep sense of gratitude for the many and varied experiences of life shared with the Missionaries and Companions of the Precious Blood.
From Missouri to Texas, Illinois to Mexico, northern California to southern California, and across the Americas, I have been shaped by the richness and diversity of our missionary communities. At the heart of this life together is our call to create welcoming and loving communities — an essential Precious Blood charism. This call is lived through virtues of charity, humility, affability, courage, patience, forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope, showing care and compassion to each other and to the world, and communicating and listening to each other, in our parishes and groups.
Precious Blood Spirituality is not only something we hold personally; it is something we embody together as members, Companions, and all who share in our way of life. Pope Francis and I would describe this and the practice of accompaniment on a broader ecclesial scale as Synodality. This is the kind of community life we strive to live — among ourselves, with our Companions and with our missions. It is at its core, the Bond of Charity.
Earlier this year, we gathered with the Companions, their directors, and retreat leader for a time of prayer, reflection, challenge, and celebration, marking both the making and remaking of covenants within our community. Four members of our young adult group, Young Compas, made their first covenants, with two more preparing to do so later this year. This moment reflects what I have learned and lived in community with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood: the Church’s call to accompaniment and synodality. In a time when parish structures and religious communities are diminishing, the Companion movement — born thirty years ago — offers a way of being community and Church beyond walls, rooted in relationship and encounter. United in the Blood of Christ, we are all called to walk with one another, building a wider, life-giving community marked by shared faith, mutual presence, and ongoing transformation.
Fr. David Matz, C.PP.S.
Liberty Mission House, Liberty, Missouri
The discussion of creating something new as a community started long before our two provinces became one. At one point, our provincial, Fr. Joe Nassal, asked each member what commitment he would make along the lines of creating something new. I knew the question probably focused on future ministries, community living, and new directions for the community as a whole. But I started thinking about more immediate changes that I could implement while the community discussed the more comprehensive changes. That is when I committed myself to hosting monthly dinner gatherings for members in the area.
I considered this “new” because it seemed like each time we gathered as professed members, it was for some sort of business — provincial assembly, community retreat, district meeting, and so on. It seemed that each gathering had a structured goal we were supposed to accomplish, and each member was “supposed” to be there. Community support was also mentioned as the purpose of these gatherings, but seemingly as a secondary goal.
With the consent of my housemates, we decided to host dinner gatherings with no purpose other than being together. We choose different days of the week each month in case people have other meetings regularly scheduled on any particular weeknight. My housemates, Al Ebach, Dick Bayuk, James Smith, and I prepare the different parts of the meal, so no one has to remember to bring anything. We even moved our dining area to the ground floor, so no one has to climb stairs to the regular dining room.
Since there is no other reason for gathering, people come simply to enjoy each other’s company. We catch up on what’s going on in each other’s lives, share ideas and resources, and support each other in many ways.
Sometimes all that is needed to support each other as community is a little structure, and an invitation to an enjoyable gathering. And food and drink, of course!
Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
Brevard County, Florida
As Missionaries of the Precious Blood, we are blessed to share a variety of ministries as well as a variety of forms of community life. Both enable us to fulfill our mission of witnessing to the reconciling power of the Blood of Christ.
I have had the opportunity to participate in both a variety of ministries as well as a variety of forms of community life. At the present time, I share a unique form of community life with four other Missionaries. We live in three locations but intentionally live as a community with a common mission. The other members are engaged in parish ministry in two parishes in Florida. I am retired and at times assist in these parishes. I also am engaged in the ministry of Retrouvaille, which is designed to bring healing and hope to couples in troubled marriages. Every Tuesday, we get together as a community for prayer and dinner. This gives us the opportunity to be supportive of each other in our diverse ministries and common mission.
A significant feature of this community is that it is composed of a member from India and one from Tanzania as well as three from the U.S. Province. The initial reason for members from outside our country joining us may have been to compensate for our lack of personnel, but we are certainly blessed by those from other units to help us continue the congregation’s mission in this country, and their presence and participation builds an awareness among ourselves as well as those we serve that we share a common mission with members throughout the world. Equally important is that we model that it is possible for people of different cultures to minister together despite the cultural differences. This is especially significant in our country today as we give witness to the reality that people of diverse cultures can respect and work together in our common mission to make the Kingdom of God come alive in our world.
Of course, this present form of community gives me the opportunity to continue to share in our mission and at the same time to actually be retired. Most importantly, I have the time to prepare for the next stage of life, which will last for a very long time.
Fr. Andy O’Reilly
Is God calling you to this mission? Join us for the Easter Vocational Discernment Retreat, April 11-12.
www.preciousbloodus.org/blog/eastervocationaldiscernmentretreat