Chiesa di San Gaspare del Bufalo

In the last century, the city of Rome saw the emergence of large agglomerations of shacks, precarious dwellings in areas lacking infrastructure, a phenomenon dating back to the declaration of the open city that attracted many refugees and that was later boosted by the abandonment of the countryside and the development of urbanism that characterised the years of the economic boom. It was precisely at that time, in 1956, that the area of Arco di Travertino-Mandrione, with its 500 shacks, was entrusted to the pastoral care of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, who set up a Vice Curia of the Parish of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, which later became an autonomous Parish dedicated to St Gaspare del Bufalo in 1961.The two Missionaries who started this missionary adventure were Fr Giovanni Longano, first Rector of the Vice Cura and then Parish Priest until 1972, assisted by his Vice-Parish Priest Fr Evaldo Biasini. In the poverty of the means and structures they had at their disposal, and always cultivating the dream of a new and large Parish Church, the Missionaries, starting from the first settlement in Via dell'Arco del Travertino, immediately began to build the church made of living stones (1Pt 2:5), which soon began to take shape and consistency with the participation of more and more youth groups, ready to spend time and energy in evangelising action.It was a great pastoral springtime, with an abundant flowering of social, cultural and sports activities that strongly consolidated the social fabric, generating solid bonds of friendship that time has not undermined. In 1975, work began on the construction of the new parish church, designed by architect Antonio Nervi. The Church was inaugurated in 1981 and in that year hosted the historic visit of the great Pope Saint John Paul II. Today, the Parish of San Gaspare offers its pastoral care to a resident population of around 30,000 people. And although only a fraction of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood accept the pastoral invitations that are addressed to them, the Parish makes its facilities and, first and foremost, the large Oratory, available to the entire neighbourhood.San Gaspare has had a total of 9 parish priests, with 11 different assignments. After the service of Don Giovanni Longato (1961-1972) came that of Don Vincenzo Lupo (1972-1973) and the first assignment of Don Tullio Veglianti (1973-1979). Don Alberto Santonato was parish priest from 1979 to 1983, succeeded by Don Michele Masi, parish priest from 1983 to 1991. Then it was the turn of Don Adriano Iacovacci, Parish Priest from 1991 to 1996, and Don Luciano Nobili (1996-1999). Fr Tullio Veglianti was then Parish Priest for the second time from 1999 to 2003. Fr Giuseppe Montenegro took over the parish responsibility in 2003 to leave it in 2008 when he became Superior of the Italian Missionary Province. In 2008, Fr Luciano Nobili returned as parish priest for the second time, and in 2017 he left the post to the current parish priest Fr Domenico D'Alia.There are so many lay people who have given their time and arms to the parish, so many names that come to mind. Just as many priestly figures alongside the various parish priests who have succeeded one another over the years: to list them all is almost impossible.