Solemn Feast of St. Pio of Pietrelcina CHURCH OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST WEDNESDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 2009

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5 Padre Pio Attracts All to Holiness SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO On Sunday, 21 June the Holy Father Benedict XVI paid a pastoral visit to San Giovanni Rotondo. At the Shrine the Pope was welcomed by Br Mauro Jöhri, General Minister, by the General Definitors; by Br Aldo Broccato, Provincial Minister and by the San Giovanni Rotondo Fraternity. The Pope then made a brief visit to the first-floor of the Friary, to cell n. 1, where Padre Pio died. He then went down to the crypt of the Shrine, to venerate the mortal remains of Saint Pio. Afterwards the Pope celebrated the Eucharist with a crowd of over 30,000 people. Speaking to the friars during his homily, the Pope said: You are the heirs of Padre Pio, and the legacy he has left you is holiness... [ ] This was always his prime concern, the priestly and fatherly anxiety he had: that people would come back to God, would experience his mercy and, being inwardly renewed, would rediscover the beauty and the joy of being Christians, of living in communion with Jesus, of belonging to his Church and living the Gospel. Through his own witness, Padre Pio attracted people to the path of holiness, showing by example the track that leads to it: prayer and charity. Many of you, religious men and women and lay people, are so taken up with the thousand occupations needed in the service of pilgrims, or of the sick in the hospital, that you risk neglecting the one truly necessary thing: listening to Christ in order to accomplish God s will. When you realize that the risk is real, look at Padre Pio: at his example, his sufferings; and invoke his intercession In the afternoon Benedict XVI visited the Home for the Relief of Suffering, where he met the patients and hospital staff. Then, in the Church of Saint Pio, he met priests, religious men and women and young people. The General Minister addressed these words to the Holy Father: Help us, Holy Father. Help us feeble friars to come closer to Saint Pio, to his person, his spirituality, his charism. Help us come closer to this gift that God has given to the Church, to the Capuchin Order and to humanity at large, with that fear and trembling felt by those who know they are coming into the presence of the divine. Holy Father, your coming here today is a great gift to us. We feel encouraged by your presence to continue on our journey as consecrated persons with greater fidelity, following Christ as Saint Francis told us. page three page five

6 Saint Padre Pio Oil The custom of blessing oil in honor of a saint or blessed has a long history in the devotional life of the Church. Often times, pilgrims would go visit and pray at the tombs of the martyrs to seek spiritual help. At the martyrs tomb there would be oil lamps burning to light and bear witness to the saint s life. For those who could not go visit, often times pilgrims would take home with them some of the oil from the tomb, to bring home to use in blessing for their family and friends who were too ill to make the trip themselves. Healing occurred through the act of faith in which the application of the oil evoked. It is with this custom that we bless oil in honor of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. The oil is to help us implore Gods' loving tender mercy for the sick, and to affirm our faith in the Communion of the saints. Saint Padre Pio Oil is available at the Church office of Saint John the Baptist: One woman s simple faith spreads devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina Based on an interview by Donna Smith Kresel Many will remember Antoinette Ciorciari from a previous interview in our column Conversations last summer. Antoinette is not only that friendly and welcoming presence who greets you at the Office of Mission & Development where she serves as receptionist, but also the coordinator of the religious articles in the gift shop made available at our 31 st Street location. Few may realize that it was Antoinette s inspiration, deep faith and driving force which assisted in the spread of devotion to our Capuchin brother St. Pio through her idea of the use of St. Padre Pio Oil and the Padre Pio scarf [shown above]. Antoinette relates that for as long as she could remember, devotion to Padre Pio was part of her family s practice. She grew up with the stories of the famous stigmatist, shared by her father Carmine, who knew Padre Pio during the war years while serving in Italy. He recalled what a privilege it was to serve Mass in the healing presence of this holy Capuchin friar. Over the decades, St. John Church in mid-town Manhattan, through the efforts our brother Fr. Armand Dasseville has become the center of devotion to St. Pio. Fr. Armand s legacy continues through the Padre Pio Garden seen as an oasis of peace and healing in a bustling metropolis; visited by hundreds of transient workers each work week. Moved by her father s memory and the efforts of the Capuchins at Saint John Church, Antoinette began her then small enterprise by offering 100 bottles of Padre Pio Oil to share with the faithful who were unable to gather for devotion. With her usual enthusiasm and excitement, Antoinette remarked that the supply was depleted in less than two weeks. Today, several thousands of bottles of St. Padre Pio Oil have been offered to the followers and friends of St. Pio who continue to gather each year on the 23 rd of September at St. John the Baptist Church in his honor. page six