Gaspar del Bufalo

Who they were

Gaspare del Bufalo was born in Rome on 6 January 1786, son of a cook at Palazzo Altieri, and gave himself to prayer and penance from childhood; he credited St Francis de Sales with a healing in his youth. Ordained in 1808, he made the little church of Santa Maria in Pincis a centre of devotion for ordinary people.

When Pius VII was arrested and deported in July 1809, Gaspare too was imprisoned and sent into exile. He fought hard for the freedom of the Church and, even in prison, worked to convert sinners, above all through devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ, in whose honour he founded his Missionaries and Sisters.

The miracles

The Dicastery's biography does not describe the miracles approved in the cause.

Why that counted as sanctity

A Roman priest who suffered prison for the freedom of the Church and preached the Precious Blood.

Connected on this site

• Francis de Sales Saint
  “Gaspare del Bufalo was born in Rome on 6 January 1786, son of a cook at Palazzo Altieri, and gave himself to prayer and penance from childhood; he credited St Francis de Sales with a healing in his youth.” — this site's research
• Lorenzo Maria of Saint Francis Xavier Saint
  “Salvi became friends with Gaspar del Bufalo and Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari – future pope – during the course of his studies prior to his ordination.” — Wikipedia
• Giovanni Merlini Venerable
  “Giovanni Merlini was born in 1795 and became a priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, after a retreat preached by their founder, St Gaspar del Bufalo, later serving as its Moderator General.” — this site's research
• Pius VII Servant of God
  “When Pius VII was arrested and deported in July 1809, Gaspare too was imprisoned and sent into exile.” — this site's research