October 21 - Saint Gaspare of Buffalo
Quick Facts- Son of Antonio del Bufalo, a chef to Prince Altieri, and Annunziata Quartieroni.
- As an infant he suffered from an eye condition that threatened to blind him; he was cured in 1788 following prayers for the intervention of Saint Francis Xavier.
- Studied at the Collegium Romanum from age twelve, and considered becoming a Jesuit.
- President of the newly instituted catechetical school of Santa Maria del Pianto at age 19.
- Ordained on 31 July 1808.
- On 23 October 1808 he, with his friends Father Bonanni, Father Santelli and Father Gonnelli, founds the nocturnal Oratory of Saint Mary in Vincis.
- On 8 December 1808 he helped Father Albertini found the Confraternity of the Precious Blood in San Nicola.
- Following Rome's fall to the French in 1809, the Papal States were suppressed on 17 May, Pope Pius VII was deported on 6 July, and priests were ordered to take an oath of loyalty to Napoleon.
- Gaspare refused, and on 13 June 1810 was exiled for five years with many other priests first to Piacenza, and then Bologna.
- On 13 September 1811 he refused a second time to take the oath; he was lodged in San Giovanni prison, then prison of Imola, and then the fortress in Imola.
- A third refusal led to his transfer to the fortress in Lugo on 16 May 1813.
- Following a fourth refusal, on 10 December 1813 he is sentenced to exile in Corsica.
- While waiting for transport in Florence he received an invitation to join the Evangelical Workers, a group of priests who preach home missions.
- Though it was questionable at the time that he could help them, Gaspare enthusiastically joined.
- Less than a month later, Murat restored liberty to all priests who had been arrested or exiled for refusing to take the oath.
- In February 1814, Gaspare returned to Rome after four years of captivity, and in December he began preaching missions.
- In July of 1815, Gaspare renounced his position as canon of Saint Mark's in order to concentrate on missions.
- He helped formally start the Missioners of the Precious Blood (C.P.P.S.) in 1815 at Giano, Spoleto, Italy, a congregation devoted to preaching, and determined to bring the sacraments back to war-torn Italy; it was under the patronage of Francis Xavier.
- Many houses were established in the next few years, and on 27 December 1817 Gaspare was elected First Promotor and Missionary of the Missioners.
- Many opposed his good work, and spoke against him to Pope Leo XII and Pope Pius VIII, but after they spoke to him personally, both approved of his work.
- In 1821 Pope Pius VII assigned Gaspare to clean up provinces overrun with highway bandits, and orders the opening of six mission houses in the area; Gaspare spent the next five years in the pulpit.
- In February 1826 he was chosen as papal nuncio to Brazil.
- Gaspare begged to be released from the assignment so he could continue to preach, but was forced to spend eight months in the position.
- He then returned to his Congregation's motherhouse San Felice in October, and resumed preaching and tending to the Missionaries's houses for his last ten years
