On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio's passing, on September 2018, the Saint Pio Foundation launched the first Padre Pio Week at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, located in the Little Italy section of Manhattan in New York City. The full week of initiatives started with the presentation and blessing of the masterpiece statue “I Absolve You,” created by the acclaimed Canadian artist Tim Schmalz. The statue depicts Jesus on the cross and Padre Pio in confession, who during his own ministry spent up to 14 hours per day in the confessional.
It portrays the great dedication of Padre Pio to the sacrament of penitence and reconciliation as well his devotion to saving souls.
The Saint Pio Foundation was honored to have donated this important statue of Padre Pio to the St. Patrick's Old Cathedral and to make it available for public viewing in historic Little Italy. The Foundation’s intention is to erect many of this statue of Padre Pio in public places in the largest American cities.