St. Pio relics to be displayed at St. Francis Xavior Parish in Missoula, Mont. in August

Saint Padre Pio relics will be on display at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Missoula, Mont. in August. In 2016, his body was exposed at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome at the request of Pope Francis. (Courtesy photo)

By Philip A. Janquart

ICR Editor

MISSOULA, MONT. – It would be a long journey for most Idahoans, but a trip to Missoula, Mont. in August may be well worth the time.

A viewing, veneration of relics and Mass in honor of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 25-26, at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Missoula, Mont.

Bishop Jeffrey Fleming of the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings will celebrate the Mass. The event is sponsored by the Saint Pio Foundation and the Knights of Columbus.

The Saint Pio Foundation is an international nonprofit charitable organization that promotes the knowledge of and devotion to Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, known worldwide as Padre Pio, one of the most venerated contemporary saints of the Catholic Church.

“The Saint Pio Foundation works with institutions and individuals that share the same vision to serve those in need of relief of suffering and that seek to alleviate the physical and emotional hunger of the underserved in a dignified and supportive manner. This includes providing spiritual, physical and emotional nourishment,” the foundation states on its website.

The first tour of the Saint Pio relics occurred in 2017 in honor of the 130^th anniversary of Padre Pio’s birth and the 15^th anniversary of his canonization. It followed the 2016 Holy Year of Mercy when the body of Saint Pio was exhibited in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the direction of Pope Francis.

“Each year since then, the Saint Pio Foundation has continued to sponsor a pilgrimage of his relics with the goals of bringing people closer to God and offering the faithful, who cannot travel to San Giovanni Rotondo or Pietrelcina where Saint Pio lived and died, an opportunity to have a spiritual encounter with him, to pray to him, and to seek his blessings,” according to the foundation’s website. “Sensing his presence today more than ever, there are countless stories of people who have been healed or who have received a miracle as they request his intercession.”

Dioceses can be added to the tour by written request.

For more information, visit sfxmissoula.org.