WILLIAMSBURG — Holy relics of Catholic Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina will be displayed at Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, for the first time in Virginia in 2023.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina is widely known worldwide for his humility, suffering, and receiving the stigmata — the wounds of Christ reproduced on the bodies of living persons. He was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II in 2002.
The public is invited to attend the veneration of the Capuchin friar’s relics throughout the day on Friday, Oct. 6.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, within the Catholic Church, relics are the remains of saints and serve to remind the faithful of the lives of holy men and women. The Catholic Church teaches that relics may be venerated by the faithful but are not worshipped. The tour gives individuals the ability to have a “spiritual encounter” with the saint, as many may not have the ability to visit where the saint lived and died in Italy.
In all, five relics are available for veneration, including a first-class relic, which is the highest classification a relic can receive. The relics are under the guardianship of the Saint Pio Foundation and have visited more than 30 churches throughout the United States this year.
Order of events on Oct. 6 will begin with mass at 9 a.m., followed by a Public Veneration of Relics from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m., when closing mass begins. For more information, visit the St. Bede Catholic Church website.
