Four Marian prayer stations at St Gaspar invite you to pray: Mary Assumed into Heaven, Our Lady of Fatima, Mary Mother of the Precious Blood and the Rosary of the Precious Blood.
CAPosted byChurch Admin
Posted on Oct 24, 2026
Event dateOct 24, 2026Saturday
LocationSt Gaspar del Bufalo Parish, Mbezi Beach
Reading time5 min read
In the grounds of St Gaspar del Bufalo Parish, Mbezi Beach, four prayer stations (Vituo vya Hija) invite parishioners and visitors to stop, pray and walk with Mary. Each station holds an image of Our Lady or a mystery of our faith, so a short walk around the church becomes a small pilgrimage of the heart.
WHY MAKE A PILGRIMAGE? A pilgrimage is a journey made in prayer. Since the earliest centuries Christians have gone to holy places to give thanks, to ask for God's help, to do penance and to grow closer to Him. You do not need to travel far: walking prayerfully from one station to the next, Rosary in hand, brings us closer to Jesus through His Mother, who always leads us to her Son.
THE FOUR STATIONS 1. Mary Assumed into Heaven: Mary, taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, is the sign of the hope that awaits all of us. The Church celebrates the Assumption every year on 15 August. 2. Our Lady of Fatima: her call to prayer (above all the daily Rosary), to penance and to conversion of heart. Two of the three children who saw her, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, were declared saints on 13 May 2017. 3. Mary, Mother of the Precious Blood: Mary beside her Son, whose Blood was shed for our salvation. This devotion was close to the heart of our patron, St Gaspar del Bufalo. 4. The Rosary of the Precious Blood: a prayer that honours the Blood Jesus shed on the Cross for the redemption of the world.
HOW TO MAKE THE PILGRIMAGE • Begin at any station with the Sign of the Cross and a moment of silence. • Read about the station (below) and bring your intentions: your family, the sick, the departed, your Small Christian Community and the whole parish. • At each station pray a decade of the Rosary (one Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be), or at least one Hail Mary and a Glory Be. • Walk quietly to the next station, and keep the stations as places of prayer. • Families, Small Christian Communities (JNNK) and VIWAWA members are warmly encouraged to make the pilgrimage together.
OUR PATRON, ST GASPAR Our parish bears the name of St Gaspar del Bufalo (1786–1837), the Roman priest who founded the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1815 and spent his life preaching the love of God poured out in the Blood of Christ. These stations bring that heritage close to every pilgrim: from Mary, who gave Jesus His human body and blood, to the Blood He shed on the Cross for us.
Come and pray, and bring others with you. "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5)
More Details
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the teaching and belief of the Church that, at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up by Almighty God into heaven, body and soul together.
MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THIS TEACHING • Taken up body and soul: Unlike other people, whose souls go to heaven after death while their bodies remain in the grave, Mary was given a share in the glory of her Son, Jesus Christ, in body and soul, without her body decaying in the grave. • Official declaration (dogma): This teaching was solemnly declared a truth of faith (a dogma) by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950.
Our Lady of Fatima is the name given to the Mother of Jesus Christ because of the apparitions in which she appeared to three children at Fatima, in Portugal, in 1917.
MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THE NAME • Where she appeared: The Virgin Mary appeared six times, from 13 May to 13 October 1917, to three young shepherds (Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto and Jacinta Marto) in the small town of Fatima, Portugal. • Her main message: In these apparitions, Mary's message centred on three things: prayer (especially praying the Rosary every day), penance, and conversion of heart, for peace in the world and the salvation of sinners. • Approval of the Church: The Church examined these events and declared them worthy of belief, and keeps her memorial every year on 13 May.
Mary, Mother of the Precious Blood is a title that describes the Blessed Virgin Mary in her close bond with the sacrifice and redemption of Jesus Christ through His Precious Blood.
• Her bond with Jesus Christ: This title links the Virgin Mary directly with the mystery of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Blood He shed on the Cross for the salvation of the world. • St Gaspar del Bufalo: This devotion is closely tied to St Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, who had a deep love and reverence for Mother Mary.
The Rosary of the Precious Blood is a Rosary prayer of meditation and reverence for Jesus Christ through the holy Blood He shed on the Cross for the redemption of humanity.
MEANING AND MAIN PURPOSE • The Precious Blood: This means the real Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross, and it also points to the Sacrament of the Eucharist. • Why we pray it: The faithful pray it to ask for redemption, protection from evil, cleansing from sin, and reconciliation between humanity and God.
HOW IT IS PRAYED • The mysteries: It meditates on the five great wounds of Jesus: 1. The nail in His right hand 2. The nail in His left hand 3. The nail in His right foot 4. The nail in His left foot 5. The piercing of His side with a lance • The beads: Each mystery has 12 beads (instead of the 10 of the usual Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary). • The prayer of each mystery: "Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, save us and the whole world", said 12 times for each mystery.
A small chapel at St Gaspar for silent adoration of the Precious Blood of Jesus: a place of peace to pray, read the Bible, say the Rosary and rest before the Lord.
This session focuses on encouraging men to transform their mindset, build strong and positive relationships with one another, and create a supportive environment where they can share experiences, learn from each other, and enjoy meaningful fellowship together.
