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"Before I formed you in your mother's womb, I knew you... ....before you were born, I set you apart...

In the midst of a world marked by tragedya life, after its preparation For a NEW LIFE inside its mothers womb, found its way out into the word on February 4,1805, in the mountainous and barren soil of Vallecorsa, Italy.

A daughter to Ottavia De Angeles and Giovanni De Mattias and on that same day, a daughter to the Church as she was immediately baptized and named Maria Matilde De Mattias.

How fortunate are we to have been Born in the bosom of the Church. Maria De Mattias

All whom the Father calls and are baptized becomes disciples of Jesus.

Through the loving presence of her Father, at the age of 8, Marias heart was drawn to an ardent love of Jesus

in the image of a Paschal Lamb who was led to death and given His Blood for the Salvation of the World.

Marias openness and docility to the Spirit who is Jesus paschal gift, made her understand the Sons invitation to be His disciple. She gave her positive response and lets herself be formed by Mary Most Holy, in the image of Our Lady Pregnant with the Incarnate Word which is soon to be Marias image.

Mary was with her when Jesus showed Himself to Maria as the crucified onethat is at the height of His saving Mission for humankind.

With her contemplation of the Mystery of the Blood, Maria was impregnated feeling the life within her womb, it paved the way for her vocation of Motherhood.

Through the inspiration of St. Gaspar Del Bufalo( Founder of the Missionaries of the Most Precious Blood) in the Popular Mission on 1822; the affirmation of Don Turibio Lenta,

and the Spiritual Guidance of Don Giovanni Merlini; the people of Vallecorsa began to realize that the younger daughter of the De Mattias family was likely to become a Spiritual Eminent.

She began to act in a way that they did not understand, ordering her life according to standards that could have meaning only to the totally committed Christians; she removed her vanities, and lived contradicting the ideals of her time.

Maria De Mattias, like Mary after the Annunciations and upon knowing the condition of her cousin Elizabeth, SET OUT IN A HURRY on a lifetime of unconditional response to Gods Love.

Prayer, silence, detachment, hope and love to Jesus Crucified accompanied her in her pregnancy of the Will of the Father.

Carrying Jesus Paschal Mystery in her womb made her one with Him. Seeing the misery, injustice and horror of her society, the passion of Bringing back the beautiful order of things was conceived in her being.

On March 1,1834, just after her 29th birthday, Maria began her labor pains of setting herself our of Vallecorsa from her Father who tearfully offered her daughter to God.

Her pains during the travel were foretaste of the cost of discipleship. Yet the power to give Birth is coming from within that made even the Bishop blessed her in awe, seeing in her a prophetic woman far beyond her time.

Finally, reaching Acuto on March 4,1834, Maria Gave Birth to the Congregation of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ

a Congregation that will collaborate with Christ in His work of Redemption. The name Maria given had it all. From then, she began her Spiritual Maternity

a witness to Gods Love in her own life and led others to the knowledge and Love of Jesus Crucified.

Her motivation, her charism and that of the Institute would forever reflects the Paschal Mystery, the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and find expression in the life of the Adorer-Apostle.

The Adorers did not have as its goal a particular ministry. Rather it took its inspiration from the Mystery of the Blood of Christ and sought to bring its power to Gods people, especially women and girls. This example saw and experienced by her daughters, the formation they received and the proposal of life ideal which they accepted and shared made of them women who like Maria are born to give birth themselves. They themselves conceived in their being the charism which God gave first to Maria herself. Eventually, the seeds sown in Acuto was scattered all over the world.

We are asked to bring that beautiful order of things that

the great Son of God came to establish with His own Blood.

To give an idea of the amazing, rapid development of the Adorers action, we need only to recall that in 1866, the year of Marias death, there were 66 places of ministry scattered all over Italy but also in Germany, US and England. Now there are almost 2000 Adorers present in 27 countries all over the world.

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Love and Charity.The core, the spirit of the Congregation."Charity towards God and our dear neighbor

ASC Philippines Foundation March 4, 1991

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MINISTRIES

ADORERS OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

10 Legarda St. Tierra Verde Homes,Tandang Sora, Quezon City, PhilippinesTel.: 00632-9512510

St. Maria De Mattias was canonized a Saint in 2003, a model of Holiness in the Church. She is not just a Mother to the Adorers but to all of us.

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