St. Gaspar del Bufalo, a prime example of Jesus' devotion

By Ashley Lahr
Saints in the Roman Catholic Church are examples of what we should be like and how we should go about our daily routine. Jesus is the prime and ultimate model of who we should be as people but as we all know, it is not the easiest thing to accomplish. Saints allow us to have an alternate look inside into the Christ-like life. They serve as a reminder for ourselves and our community in order to understand what it means to be a Christian and the sacrifices we must make in order to carry out our mission. One example of a saint who made sacrifices in order to be like Christ was St. Gaspar del Bufalo.

St. Gaspar’s feast day was last week, October 21, 2009. He was born in Rome on January 6, 1786 and died December 28, 1837. Through the influence of his mother, he became greatly devoted to St. Francis Xavier. In 1808, he was ordained into the priesthood in Rome and along with other clergy who refused to align himself with Napoleon Bonaparte. Gaspar and members of the clergy who refused to follow Napoleon, were exiled to northern Italy in 1808.

When he returned to Rome in 1814, he considered joining the Jesuits but the needs of Pope Pius VII took precedence. He underwent several hardships in order to continue to engage in ministry and preaching. After much ado, Gaspar founded a society of priests, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in Umbria in 1815. Throughout his lifetime, he spread his devotion for serving others and at one point, was described by St. Vincent Strambi as being “like a spiritual earthquake.” This earthquake shook the core of his contemporaries and he is still remembered today as a significant man who had a profound impact on many individuals.

Being part of the Austin Diocese allows Catholic Charities of Central Texas to carry out its mission to help those in need. We help people on a daily basis not because they are Catholic, but because we are. Sometimes it can be more difficult than expected to sacrifice time or money, but these are some of the strongest ways we can give as a community. Volunteering in our food pantry will help us, and you, help those who can’t put food on the table. Our clients need people who have extra time in their day or dollars to give the unfortunate what we experience on a daily basis. It is easy to take for granted the simple necessities that most of us don’t think twice about. But at Catholic Charities, we help those necessities become a reality. However, all of this couldn’t be done without the help of our community and people like St. Gaspar who donate their time and gifts for others who do not have it. Let’s work together to create our own spiritual earthquake.