A bloodstained piece of clothing from a modern-day saint known for bearing the stigmata drew hundreds of people to St. Joseph Church in Mechanicsburg on Wednesday evening to seek the saint’s intercession, venerate his relic and strive to follow his example of uniting our sufferings to Christ.
St. Joseph Parish installed the Shrine of St. Pio of Pietrelcina in July along the back corner of the church as a permanent place for prayer and veneration. The shrine includes a statue of the 20th century mystic, candles and a reliquary that holds a piece of his clothing with a bloodstain on it.
Bishop Timothy Senior blessed the shrine after celebrating Mass on September 23, the feast day of Padre Pio.
“He was given a share of the cross of Jesus through the singular grace of the stigmata,” Bishop Senior said of the saint, who received the wounds of Christ in 1918 and bore them for 50 years until his death in 1968.
“In that time, he not only had the sufferings of the wounds, but he also was the focus of a lot of scrutiny, a lot of questions, perhaps skepticism at times. He suffered spiritually and emotionally in the midst of that, surely. He bore the physical sufferings and the spiritual sufferings, entrusting himself completely to Our Lady of Grace and the intercession of the Blessed Mother,” the bishop said.
Padre Pio exhibited complete trust in God, willing to accept suffering as a disciple of Christ, Bishop Senior said.
“To really honor him, we need to reflect on what that looks like in our lives. How does Padre Pio’s witness and example of sharing in the sufferings of Christ challenge each of us as disciples of Jesus?” he asked. “How is God inviting you to trust a bit more, to surrender a bit more, and to unleash the power of his grace in a new way? We have to be open like Padre Pio, to be open to the singular grace of sharing in the cross of Jesus…. Can we unite ourselves, in our struggles and in our limitations, with Jesus on the cross as Padre Pio did?”
Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina, Italy, on May 25, 1887, and entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Order of the Friars Minor at the age of 16.
He prayed continuously and was known to pray the Rosary 35 times a day.
The marks of the stigmata – the wounds of Christ – first appeared on his hands, feet and side on September 20, 1918, while he prayed in front of a crucifix. He bore those painful wounds until his death 50 years later, on September 23, 1968.
Though he lived a life of pain and poor health, Padre Pio was a man of joy and gave himself freely to the needs of others. Thousands of pilgrims visited him over the course of the years, drawn by the spiritual riches that came from his ministry. Accounts say he would hear Confessions up to 50 times a day.
He was beatified by Pope St. John Paul II on May 2, 1999, and canonized on June 16, 2002.
“I’m so grateful to see so many people here. I’ve been excited for this day for some time,” Father John Bateman, pastor of St. Joseph’s, told the congregation, expressing gratitude for the “great opportunity to have St. Pio present with us here in our diocese and here in a particular way in our parish. We are very blessed by his presence here among us.”
St. Joseph Parish received the relic for the shrine through the St. Pio Foundation and its founder, Luciano Lamonarca, a friend of Father Bateman. The two met ten years ago when Father Bateman was serving as priest‑secretary to the Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The order works to preserve the Catholic faith in the Holy Land.
Lamonarca attended the Mass and blessing of the shrine at St. Joseph’s, gifting the congregation with his performance of “The Song of St. Pio” and speaking about his devotion to the mystic.
“St. Pio selflessly dedicated his life to millions of people. Each day, he suffered, prayed and tried to make life better for those who sought his help. I count myself fortunate because he taught me how to give, give and give always, with no limits,” Lamonarca said at the conclusion of the Mass.
Since its inception, the St. Pio Foundation has brought hope, healing and Padre Pio’s witness to more than 100 dioceses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Ireland. Lamonarca is currently working with the Diocese of Bridgeport to explore the creation of the first national shrine dedicated to St. Pio.
After Mass, the congregation was invited to venerate the relic; many knelt before it to seek the saint’s intercession and touched prayer cards and Rosaries to the reliquary. The relic is available for public veneration at the shrine, which is located in the back corner of the church.
Samson Audino traveled from Ephrata to attend the Mass and venerate the relic.
“I’ve always had a great devotion to him. He is a saint in our modern times. He’s one of those extremely rare people who have lived in the realm between heaven and earth. I think in today’s world where people are seeking the truth, Padre Pio’s example of extraordinary faith is what we need right now,” Samson said.
“Tonight was a spiritual experience. I’ve personally been praying about surrendering to God’s will, and that was a theme this evening,” he said. “We all have priorities, financial concerns, worldly things we’re consumed with. Tonight was a great opportunity to disconnect, remind ourselves of what’s important, connect with Jesus and follow Padre Pio’s example of surrendering to God’s plans.
A live stream of the Mass and the blessing of the shrine is available at this link.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
