St. Gaspar was born to the Del Bufalo family in Rome on January 6, 1786 on the feast of the Epiphany and was named after one of the three wise men.  Gaspar was ordained in 1808 at the age of 22.  During the reign of Napoleon, Gaspar was imprisoned along with most of the clergy for four years.  After Napoleon’s defeat chaos and banditry reigned in Rome.  The Pope appointed Gaspar to preach missions where he combined the spirituality of the Precious Blood with the concept of a community for the apostolic works of mercy. In 1815 Gaspar founded the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood to “proclaim peace through the blood of the cross.”  He brought devotion to the Blood of Christ out of the sanctuary into the villages by preaching missions, instructing and transforming the people.  Gaspar opened a night oratory where our Lord was worshipped all night by men, like Nicodemus, who didn’t have the courage to go to confession.  Gaspar died on December 28, 1837 and was canonized on June 12, 1954.

 

      The first Catholic Church established in the area of St. Gaspar’s was St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Avilla. Father Dominic Duehmig was installed as the fifth pastor there in 1863.  He traveled from place to place during the week and eventually built churches at Ege, Albion, Bremen and Rome City.  When Father Duehmig built the first church in Rome City he was trying to replicate St. Peter’s Church in Rome, hence the name of the town as Rome City.  Father Duehmig also helped in the founding of Kneipp Springs, a health spa site abounding with mineral springs.  In 1901 the Sisters of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood purchased Kneipp Springs.  The Precious Blood priests ministered to the sisters in their chapel at Kneipp Springs and to the congregation of the overcrowded St. Peter’s church.  In 1916 a new and larger Mother of Mercy Chapel was built at the Springs and members of St. Peter’s Church began attending Mass there.  In 1956 Bishop Pursley was entreated to authorize a new parish and church in Rome City.  In 1957 St. Gaspar Del Bufalo church was built on land given by Kneipp Springs.  Our church was the first church in the world to be named after the recently canonized saint.