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.
The relics of Padre Pio are available for archdiocesan, diocesan, interparish, or parish veneration. An inquiry to host the authentic relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina begins with a formal written request, submitted via letter or email to info@saintpiofoundation.org. The request must come directly from the archbishop of an archdiocese, the bishop of a diocese, or the pastor of a parish of the Catholic Church for an archdiocesan, diocesan, or parish veneration, respectively. A pastor may request the relics for interparish veneration; however, the archbishop or bishop, as the case may be, shall have been informed prior to making the request. After receiving a request, a representative from the Saint Pio Foundation will contact the office of the archbishop, 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 archbishop, bishop, or pastor.