Padre Pio Relics Tour
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On February 2016, during the Holy Year of Mercy, the body of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina was exhibited in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in accordance with Pope Francis' wishes. Following Pope Francis’ example and in honor of the 130th anniversary of Padre Pio’s birth and the 15th anniversary of his canonization, the Saint Pio Foundation organized the first official tour of the relics of Padre Pio in 2017. The tour visited eighteen archdioceses and dioceses in the United States.
Following the 2017 relics tour, the Saint Pio Foundation continues to sponsor additional tours of the relics of Padre Pio in (Arch)dioceses and Parishes across the United States, Mexico and Canada. The majority of those attending the tour of the relics of Padre Pio would never be able to travel to San Giovanni Rotondo or Pietrelcina to visit the places where our Saint was born, lived, and died. For that reason, we sponsor a tour of the relics each year to give hundreds of thousands of the faithful an opportunity to have a “spiritual encounter” with Padre Pio, to pray to him, and to ask for his intercession.
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The relics of Padre Pio are available for archdiocesan, diocesan, interparish, or parish veneration. Hosting the authentic relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina begins with a formal written request from an (arch)bishop or pastor of the Roman Catholic Church that is either emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Saint Pio Foundation, 24 Depot Square, Tuckahoe, NY 10707. A pastor may request the relics for interparish veneration; however, the (arch)bishop must be informed prior to making the request.
After receiving a request, a representative from the Saint Pio Foundation will contact the office of the (arch)bishop or pastor to provide the requirements and guidelines. No guidelines or requirements will be provided to non-ecclesiastical persons, who make inquiries regarding hosting the relics in their parishes, unless they are acting in a ministerial capacity on behalf of an (arch)bishop or pastor.
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There are no direct costs associated with hosting the relics of Padre Pio. Additional information regarding the requirements and guidelines for hosting will be provided only to (arch)bishops, pastors, and those acting in a ministerial capacity on behalf of an ecclesiastical entity.
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There are three classes of relics in the Catholic Church. A first-class relic is part of the body of the saint. A second-class relic is something that a the saint personally owned and used in his or her life. A third-class relic is an item that has been brought into contact with a first- or second-class relic.
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The authentic relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, which are available for public veneration, are the following:
- The crusts of his wounds
- Cotton gauze bearing his blood stains
- A lock of his hair
- His handkerchief soaked with his sweat only hours before he died (only for archdiocese or diocese veneration)
- A piece of Padre Pio's mantle (only archdiocese or diocese veneration)
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To follow where the authentic relics of Padre Pio are touring, please visit https://www.saintpiofoundation.org/the-tour-of-the-relics-of-padre-pio-2023
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Yes. You can gently touch the reliquary containing the relics of Saint Pio, but visitors must not kiss, touch, or hold these reliquaries. According to canon law, anyone can make their own third-class relic by touching an object to a first or second class relic.
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For safety reasons, we cannot provide information regarding where the relics are stored when they are not available for public veneration.
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Canon law does not forbid faithful to have a relic of a saint for private veneration; however, relics that have not been authenticated shall not be made available for public veneration.
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