Membership draws upon history to help guide future at General Assembly

In September, representatives from the provinces of Missionaries of the Precious Blood convened in Rome for the XXII General Assembly. Under the theme “Blood of Christ: Hope for the World,” we gathered to discern a shared vision and set priorities that will guide us from 2026 to 2031. The Assembly was not only a time of reflection and decision-making but also a deeply spiritual journey for all members, during which members discerned priorities for the next six years, elected the Moderator General and General Council, reflected on the six core values from the XXI General Assembly, and engaged in spiritual discernment and community dialogue.

Blood of Christ – Hope for the World!  

This was the theme of the XXII General Assembly of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. Missionaries, Companions and guests from the various units across the world gathered for three weeks in Rome to pray, listen, and discern new leadership and to establish values and goals to be carried out by the new leadership team over the next six years.  

This was my first time participating in an international gathering like this. If I’m honest, I’m still processing what this assembly means for me and what I am being called to carry forward from this gathering.

Our assembly coincided with the Jubilee Year that the Catholic Church is celebrating. We began by walking together as pilgrims to St. Peter’s Basilica and crossed the Holy Door, asking for the blessings of the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with hope, “hope that does not disappoint” (Romans 5:5). This was significant for me because it was a reminder that we are called to constantly be in motion. One of St. Gaspar’s famous phrases is “Unlike statues, missionaries are not motionless. They serve wherever God wills to call them” (from Letter 1063 to Fr. D. Domenico Silvestri, February 24, 1825). As missionary disciples, we are sent out to the margins of our church and society to proclaim the Good News of salvation found in Christ and in His Precious Blood shed for us. It’s also a reminder that as we journey out as “missionary pilgrims,” we ourselves are changed by the cultures we encounter and the people we meet. It’s in these encounters that we discover how God is at work in our world, in the lives of others, and in our own lives.  

As we were traveling to Assisi for our assembly retreat, we stopped at the Abbey of San Felice in Giano, the birthplace of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, and we celebrated Mass together, asking for the intercession of St. Gaspar and the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the days ahead. It was a very powerful and spiritual moment as we gathered where it all began and we recognized how far we had come over the past 210 years as a congregation. Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., commented in his homily, “We, missionary members, priests, brothers, and a legion of lay associates and Companions, inspired by Gaspar, Merlini, and all our spiritual ancestors, are the 1,000 tongues Gaspar envisioned … We have come here to remember with gratitude our roots, and now we pray that we may spread our wings to fly and to embrace whatever and wherever Christ calls us!” 

Another highlight was the opportunity to participate in a Papal Audience with Pope Leo XIV. In his remarks, Pope Leo stated that we are called to be “attentive to the signs of the times. Without this open and perceptive gaze towards the real demands of our brothers and sisters,” our congregation would not have been founded. This is both the challenge and invitation that is placed before us as Missionaries of the Precious Blood and as Companions. What are the signs of our times today? Where is the Cry of the Blood being heard? St. Gaspar lived during tumultuous times both during and after Napoleon’s occupation of Italy and the Papal States when theft, violence, and chaos reigned. Despite the immensity of the issues that Gaspar faced, he wasn’t discouraged, but rather trusted that God would be with him and help to see him through. I’m convinced that this same confidence stayed Gaspar’s heart as he gathered others to form what would eventually become the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.  

At the close of our time together, each participant was charged with the task of carrying the message of the General Assembly back to our units. My hope is that this message be received with openness and that it may inspire within all of us a desire to be renewed by the Precious Blood of Jesus, who is the hope of the world.

Core Values of Missionaries of the Precious Blood, as adopted by the membership at the XXII General Assembly:  

Core Value 1:
The Gospel and the Spirituality of the Blood of Christ call us, individually and as a Congregation, to witness a life of conversion, transformation, and renewal. 

Core Value 2:
Made one in the Bond of Charity, our living together in community and communion strengthens our witness and empowers our apostolic mission. 

Core Value 3:
The Spirituality of the Blood of Christ impels our mission to the margins of our Church and world. 

Core Value 4:
St. Gaspar del Bufalo’s desire for a “thousand tongues” to proclaim the transforming power of the Blood of Christ is lived out through our communion with our Lay Associates and with others in the Family of the Blood of Christ. 

Core Value 5:
We commit to the growth of the Congregation so that the charism entrusted to us by St. Gaspar del Bufalo and Blessed Giovanni Merlini continues to flourish. 

Core Value 6:
Our Precious Blood spirituality, community life, and apostolic mission are animated by Spirit-led leaders.

Fr. Greg Evers, C.PP.S.