Sep 14, 2020

PADRE PIO

At the 9AM Mass on Sunday, September 20th our parish will introduce the Padre Pio relic. Fr. G. David Bline will be the main celebrant. 

A relic consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint preserved for the purposes of veneration as a tangible memorial. 

So, it is with the saints. In this particular case, we have a tiny piece of a glove that St. Padre Pio wore which is stained with blood from his stigmata. Its purpose is to draw us into prayer and contemplation, leading us closer to God.

By the way, Catholic altars typically have relics in or under them keeping with the ancient tradition of having altars built over the graves of the saints and martyrs. The saints in our altar are from Saint Donatus (martyred under Diocletian) and St Pope St Innocent I.