Our Spirituality

3-photos_our-spiritualityLeft, from left, Sisters Nancy Kinross, Carolyn Hoying and Mary Garascia sing during Spirit Days; middle, celebration of the Eucharist with Sacramental wine; left, Father Steve Dos Santos presides over Spirit Days; Sister Mary Lou Schmersal photos.

The redeeming love of Jesus remains the basic inspiration for Sisters of the Precious Blood today, just as it was the animating inspiration of our foundress, Maria Anna Brunner more than 175 years ago.

Precious Blood Spirituality is what defines us as a Sister of the Precious Blood, of how we live out our lives. It is rooted in our charism which Mother Maria Anna Brunner, our foundress, received as a special gift from God for the world. Mother Maria Anna went from her homeland, Switzerland, to Rome in 1834 to find out what God wanted her to do for the rest of her life. During this pilgrimage to the San Nicolas Cacere Church she heard the Missionaries of the Precious Blood talk about the redeeming love of Jesus and their passion inspired her. During this time she felt God’s special calling in her life to return home and do whatever she could so that “not one drop of Precious Blood be shed in vain.”

With a deep passionate love for Jesus she began Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with a focus on the prayers in honor of Jesus’ Precious Blood. At the same time she reached out to the needs of people who came to her door. Soon other women were drawn to live community with her uniting themselves in Eucharistic prayer and responding to the people’s need. Mother Maria Anna and these women were the first members of the Sisters of the Precious Blood. They responded to God’s call to “proclaim God’s love” as a reconciling, life-giving presence in prayer and in meeting the needs of their time. The Charism of the Sisters of the Precious Blood became alive!!

Since then from Europe to the United States, to Chile and Guatemala Precious Blood Spirituality continues to be lived out as a “reconciling, life-giving presence” by the Sisters of the Precious Blood. Living out the Charism of Precious Blood Spirituality continues manifesting itself in diverse ways according to the circumstances where we live. Our charism calls us to Eucharistic prayer and to respond to the “cry of the blood,” people’s needs, wherever we are. That is why we see Sisters of the Precious Blood in diverse ministries according to the need where they live and the talents that they have. Our charism calls us to a Spirituality rather than to a specific ministry. At all times, in prayer and action, Jesus’ redeeming love is manifested through us as “a reconciling, life-giving presence.” In this way our charism is alive in the world today.

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