For the first time in the United States, Catholics will have the extraordinary opportunity to venerate the full-size habit once worn by St. Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, the humble Capuchin friar whose life of prayer, suffering, and supernatural grace continues to inspire millions worldwide.
According to Catholic News Agency, the habit will be brought from San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy, where Padre Pio lived and served, to the National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania, from October 11–14. The visit marks a deeply spiritual moment for American devotees, coinciding with the center’s designation as a jubilee site within the Diocese of Allentown.
“This unprecedented visit from the friars of San Giovanni Rotondo is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to share a rare and intimate relic of Padre Pio with his devotees,” said Vera Marie Calandra, vice president of the National Centre for Padre Pio, according to Catholic News Agency. “We expect to have pilgrims visiting from throughout the United States, and we will be ready to make their visit a special time of veneration, prayer, and reflection.”
A Historic Moment of Grace
The habit — a simple Capuchin robe worn by Padre Pio during his years of ministry and mystical suffering — will be accompanied by several friars from the Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary in Italy. Their journey symbolizes a spiritual bridge between the birthplace of Padre Pio’s mission and the faithful who continue to seek his intercession across the Atlantic.
The weekend will include multiple Masses, processions, and opportunities for prayer led by the visiting friars. On October 11, the opening Mass will be celebrated by the friars of San Giovanni Rotondo, followed by a procession honoring Padre Pio. Additional Masses will be celebrated throughout the weekend, culminating on October 14 with Allentown Bishop Alfred Schlert presiding, followed by a final Mass in Italian.
A Continuing Relationship with Padre Pio’s Friars
Nick Gibboni, the executive director of the National Centre for Padre Pio, expressed deep gratitude for the center’s enduring friendship with Padre Pio’s home friary. “We could not be more excited about having the opportunity to have Padre [Francesco] Dileo and other friars from Padre Pio’s Our Lady of Grace friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, visit us with these rare and precious relics,” Gibboni said, according to Catholic News Agency. “We continue to be enormously blessed to have a close relationship with Padre Pio’s brother friars, and we are excited about our continued relationship.”
Following its stay in Pennsylvania, the habit will travel to Connecticut, where the Padre Pio Foundation of America will host additional days of veneration at St. Pius X Church in Middletown from October 15–18.
Honoring the Saint of the Stigmata
Padre Pio’s life remains a powerful witness to holiness through humility, prayer, and suffering. Born Francesco Forgione in 1887, he joined the Capuchin Franciscans at a young age and became renowned for his intense devotion to the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He bore the stigmata — the wounds of Christ — for fifty years, offering his pain for the conversion of souls.
He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002, and his tomb lies in the Sanctuary of St. Mary of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. To venerate his habit, worn during his earthly mission, offers the faithful a tangible reminder of the saint’s call to prayer, penance, and total trust in God’s mercy.
As the National Centre prepares for thousands of pilgrims, this moment invites Catholics to unite in the same spirit of prayer that guided Padre Pio’s life. His words echo today more than ever: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”
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