Congregation of the Blood of Christ

History & origins

The Adorers of the Blood of Christ were founded by St. Maria de Mattias in Acuto, Italy, on March 4, 1834. According to official congregational sources, the foundress worked to educate and assist people who were often excluded from social and educational opportunities and served the needs of local communities. Her vision developed into a charism of sharing with others the saving love revealed in the Blood of Christ. The Catholic directory in Korea records the same foundation date.

The congregation entered Korea in 1977. Catholic Times reporting explains that the Diocese of Masan at the time had relatively few religious-order motherhouses, while the growth of the Free Export Zone was bringing a large number of young women workers into the area and creating new pastoral and social needs. In that setting, sisters sent from the Wichita Province settled in the Diocese of Masan and established their Korean motherhouse in Changpo-dong, Masan. From there they began ministries in education and in areas of social need. From its earliest period in Korea, the congregation thus expanded its apostolate not only within church structures but also toward concrete needs in the surrounding society.

The present motherhouse in Gusan-myeon was established in 2006. On November 11 of that year, Bishop Francis Xavier Ahn Myeong-ok presided at the blessing of the new motherhouse, the Precious Blood Spirituality House, together with Bitnuri House. The new complex included a chapel, prayer room, archival and meeting spaces, and accommodations, while the spirituality house offered individual and group retreats, spiritual lectures, and educational programs. The movement from the first community in Changpo-dong to the Gusan motherhouse shows how the Korean branch developed a stable base for religious life while creating a place from which to share Precious Blood spirituality with the Church and society.