Solemn declaration of the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio

TODAY, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Saint Padre Pio in Santo Tomas, Batangas, will officially be declared a National Shrine by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). On this day, this church will join the ranks of other national Catholic shrines in the Philippines such as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus in Newport City, Pasay, Our Lady of the Rosary La Naval de Manila in Quezon City, Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Parañaque, Our Lady of Fatima in Valenzuela, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Makati, St. Jude in Manila, Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo, and Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Muntinlupa. Thousands of Catholic faithful and devotees of Saint Padre Pio are expected to attend this occasion led by Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas, CBCP president, and Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles of the Archdiocese of Lipa.

In the decree signed by the CBCP president, the bishops of the Philippines hope that this house of prayer will foster a spirit of prayer and repentance among the devotees: “We invoke the blessings of Almighty God upon all the faithful who visit this national shrine that they may grow steadily in Christian piety, reach maturity in the Catholic faith, and constantly live the mandate of Christian charity.” As a national shrine, Saint Padre Pio Church will now welcome pilgrims from various parts of the country who would come to find solace and peace in this church. The sacraments of the Eucharist and reconciliation will regularly be celebrated for the faithful.

Saint Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina, a small agricultural town in the southern Italian region of Campania in 1887 and adopted the name Pio when he became a Capuchin priest after Pope Pius V, the patron saint of Pietrelcino, his home city. He became a friar, priest of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.

Saint Padre Pio became famous for bearing the stigmata or the wounds of the crucified Jesus for most of his life. Countless miracles are attributed to him. He was beatified in 1999 and canonized by Saint John Paul II on June 16, 2002.