Saint Brigid says...*

Here's the Story of Padre Pio
Even before there was talk of his canonization, Padre Pio had a large and devoted following throughout the world.  The Padre Pio prayer groups of which we have been hearing lately were in fact started by Padre Pio himself.  In the early days of his papacy, Pope Pius XII called repeatedly for communities to gather in prayer and become an example for all.  Upon hearing of the Pope's appeals Padre Pio said, "What are we waiting for?  Let's roll up our sleeves and be the first to respond."  That marked the beginning of a movement that has grown into of 2156 prayer groups in 34 countries.
Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887,  in the small town of Pietralcina in southern Italy.  Most of his life work was carried out in San Giovanni Rotondo not far from his hometown.  He bore the stigmata for over 50 years.  During the course of his life, he prayed with and for hundreds of thousands of people.  He died on September 23, 1968.  Not surprisingly, over 100,000 people attended his funeral.  Even today, his popularity continues to grow. 
Among the San Pio Prayer Group and the greater Italian community of St. Brigid, Padre Pio enjoys a special kind of following.  He was in fact their contemporary and their "paesano".  Like most of the immigrants in our parish, Padre Pio was the son of poor, hardworking farmers.  And he maintained his simple hardworking style throughout his life.  Our Italian Community is know for its "hospitality", it's love of simple foods, homemade wine and a good laugh shared with friends and loved ones.  Likewise, Padre Pio always had time and food for the poor pilgrims who came to him, and was know for his sense of humor, which he used wisely for the greater glory of God.  To the extent that a great part of the Italian Community is from small towns within a 25 mile radius of Pietralcina, they consider Padre Pio to be home grown, a real "paesano".  Because he is a contemporary saint, many in our Italian Community have fond memories of their personal experience with Padre Pio.  Some have received communion from him, others have gone to confession to him, others still have been healed by him or received some other grace.  And even those who do not have a personal experience have either a friend or a relative who does.  They all identify with Padre Pio in a special way.  They know him as "a practical saint", "a saint for our times", "one of us" and most often "our saint".  It is through their devotion, his intercession and God's will that the Piazzetta di Padre Pio (Padre Pio Shrine) at St. Brigid was able to be realized in a matter of six weeks, when (between the fundraising phase and construction time) it had been expected to take a year to complete.
Padre Pio said "Jesus, may these prayer groups become beacons of light and of love in the world."  The Italian Community asks the same of the shrine which they have so lovingly and faithfully constructed..

* Throughout this website look for the "Saint Brigid says" feature to learn little known facts!

In the fall of 2004 the Padre Pio Prayer Group at St Brigid's created a shrine to Sanit Pio. Below are the photos of the project and dedication.

The shrine is available for visits day and night.