One day in 1820, a young priest rode across the hills of Umbria from his native Spoleto to the ancient abbey in Giano to make a retreat with St. Gaspar del Bufalo, a priest known for his holiness and preaching. The young priest was Blessed Giovanni (John) Merlini. Gaspar immediately recognized Merlini’s zeal and talents and invited him to become a member of the fledgling Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

That Congregation was only five years old and, like many new foundations, had its challenges, but Merlini chose to throw in his lot with Gaspar and would become one of Gaspar’s closest friends.

Gaspar entrusted Merlini with important tasks. Merlini toured the area south of Rome infested by bandits to gain a sense of the situation. He refused a military escort, preferring to meet the bandits as their priest and not as a representative of the papal government.

When St. Maria De Mattias spoke to Gaspar about her vocation after hearing him preach in her hometown, Gaspar asked Merlini to become her spiritual director.  He helped guide Maria in the founding of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. As her spiritual director he showed himself to be gentle and wise. Gaspar also entrusted Merlini with editing the final edition of the Rule of the Missionaries that was approved by the Holy See in 1841, 4 years after Gaspar’s death.