Religious congregations dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus are founding a Precious Blood Spirituality Institute to bring their shared charism to the world.
Jesus gave his Precious Blood to save and redeem all of God’s children. Precious Blood spirituality, then, is lived out by bringing all people near through the Blood of Christ. It is a spirituality that flows out of the Eucharistic table at Mass into our daily lives. It is found in the selfless way that Christ offered himself in his ultimate sacrifice. Through his life of ministry and his death on the cross, through the shedding of his own Precious Blood, he offers all a way to live in the circle of God’s love — and to invite others to claim their place in that circle.
That message of redemption and healing will be offered through the new Precious Blood Spirituality Institute, sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood (cpps-preciousblood.org and preciousbloodkc.org), the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (adorers.org), and the Sisters of the Precious Blood of Dayton, Ohio (preciousbloodsistersdayton.org).
The PBSI will offer workshops, retreats and other ways to explore Precious Blood spirituality, as well as coordinate meaningful volunteer opportunities so that people can live it out. Through the PBSI’s parent corporation, it is also forming a partnership with Catholic Theological Union (CTU) in Chicago to offer courses and support academic research and writing about Precious Blood spirituality. This partnership will be called The Robert Schreiter, C.PP.S., Institute for Precious Blood Spirituality at Catholic Theological Union.
The work of the PBSI will be guided by a board, the members of which will be appointed by the sponsoring congregations. Two directors — one for the PBSI, the other to further the PBSI’s work at CTU — are being sought to carry out the mission of the Institute.
The hope is that the spirituality, which has been nurtured and put into action by the sisters, brothers, priests and lay associates of the sponsoring congregations, will be carried out into the world and become a way of life for many others. Precious Blood spirituality is a living gift to a suffering world, much in need of its message of God’s boundless love, of hope and healing, of accompaniment and compassion.
The Precious Blood Sisters of Dayton, Ohio, have placed a priority on spreading their spirituality beyond their own membership, said Sister Donna Liette, CPPS, who served on the working group that has been helping the project take shape. “The important part in the first years of the Institute will be hearing from many voices: what is Precious Blood spirituality to you, and how can the Institute bring this to the world?” she said. “Our founder, Mother Brunner, so hoped that her good work would continue long after she was gone. We hope the Institute will ensure that.”
Top, from left, members of the Precious Blood Leadership Conference: Sister Janice Bader, president, CPPS Sisters of O’Fallon, Mo.; Father Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, provincial director, Cincinnati Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; Sister Vicki Bergkamp, ASC, regional leader, The Adorers of the Blood of Christ; Father Garry Richmeier, CPPS, provincial director, Kansas City Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; Sister Edna Hess, CPPS, president, Sisters of the Precious Blood. Bottom, clockwise, board of directors: Father Bill Nordenbrock, CPPS; Sister Maria Hughes, ASC; Sister Karen Elliott, CPPS; Phil Hartke, director of finance, Sisters of the Precious Blood; Sister Joni Belford, CPPS; Father David Kelly, CPPS; Sister Diana Rawlings, ASC. Contributed photos