Our pilgrimage group of 45 devotees of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina left Greenbelt in Makati City at 3 a.m. on October 6. It was a rather quiet but expectant journey to the National Shrine and Parish of Saint Padre Pio in Barangay San Pedro, Santo Tomas, Batangas, which could be reached in less than two hours.
The road leading to the shrine was understandably clear and smooth when we arrived a little past 5 a.m. While security and vehicular traffic was tightly controlled, it had also been three hours since Lipa Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera led the welcome Mass at the main church. Pilgrims who arrived early like us were now attending the first Mass at 5:30 a.m.
It was the most perfect time to venerate the incorrupt heart of Saint Padre Pio, which was already on display in the middle of the cavernous Divine Mercy Sanctuary for Pilgrims. Dressed-up tables guided the queues coming from various entry points.
There were no long lines or throngs of people. The cold morning breeze and the reverent atmosphere (marshals made sure there was no picture-taking near the reliquary) made venerating more peaceful, calm and holy, befitting the holiness and humility of one of the most popular and revered contemporary saints.
What a blessed first day, indeed, for us with the heart relic of Padre Pio, the start of his 20-day visit to the country.
We were among the over 30,000 devotees from different parts of the country who trooped to the shrine before midday, announced shrine rector and parish priest Fr. Joselin C. Gonda, OSJ, after the Concelebrated Mass presided by Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, DD, Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, at 9 a.m.
Overall, Father Gonda said that more than 40,000 participated in welcoming and praying before the heart relic of Padre Pio physically at the shrine and over social and news media sites (the Mass was streamed live online).
Thanksgiving, blessing and healing
Our group is a balanced mix of young and old pilgrims who came from various parishes in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. One even flew from Tacloban City to personally venerate the heart of Padre Pio at his national shrine.
Besides thanksgiving for their blessings, the pilgrims joined the special pilgrimage of our apostolate called Green Faith Travels to deepen their faith in God and seek spiritual and physical healing through Padre Pio.
“The experience was really once in a lifetime,” said first-time pilgrim Lea Ventosa, who works for a media agency. “From the night before to that morning on the way to the shrine, I’ve been thinking of all the petitions I would bring to Padre Pio when I touch his heart. But when I got there, all I could say was: ‘Thank you Padre Pio for bringing us here—to be one with your heart in glorifying God.’”
Karla Tecson, who works for an overseas research firm, said that being among the thousands who venerated his heart was “nothing short of a miracle for me.”
“I went to accompany my parents, who are senior citizens, but when I stood before his heart relic, I was completely overwhelmed,” Tecson said. “I felt Padre Pio said, ‘Pray, hope and don’t worry,’ directly to my heart, reminding me to just trust God’s timing and will. I already underwent two medical procedures, including an open surgery, within seven months, and now, I am doing well and I praise God.”
What also proved very touching was the homily of Archbishop Caccia, making us shed tears silently when he explained why we should emulate Padre Pio’s heart because it is child-like, loving and pure.
“In front of his holy heart, Padre Pio invites us to also entrust our hearts to the Lord and he says to us: ‘Where are you going? To Jesus or to your sadness? What are you going back to? To the One who saves you or to your misery, your regrets, your sins? Come, come, the Lord is awaiting you. Take courage. No reason is so grave as to exclude you from his mercy,’” he said in closing.
Longest visit
The visit of the incorrupt heart relic of Padre is the longest to a country outside San Giovanni Rotondo. His heart relic previously spent 10 days in US, eight days in Paraguay and five days in Argentina.
The heart of Padre Pio visited the University of Santo Tomas and its Santísimo Rosario Parish on October 8, Manila Cathedral on October 9 and 10, and Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral from October 11 to 13.
It will be in Davao Cathedral from October 14 to 16 and Lipa Cathedral on October 17.
The relic will be brought back to the national shrine on October 18 until its farewell Mass at 9 a.m. on October 26.
The visit also highlights the celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons in the country as priests and the religious are encouraged to draw inspiration from the life and sufferings of the saint.
Priests and the religious will spend one day venerating the relic in Manila, Cebu and Davao during the nationwide tour under the theme, “Healing and Reconciliation.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission of the Clergy (CBCP-ECC), in cooperation with the National Shrine of Saint Padre Pio, is hosting the visit.
In a briefing last month, Father Gonda described the visit of the heart relic as a “time of grace” for Filipinos, while it’s also doubly significant for the Church, celebrating both the centenary of his stigmata (the five wounds of Jesus) and golden death anniversary this year.
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Galvez, a communications consultant and writer, serves at Greenbelt Chapel. He and fellow servants formed Green Faith Travels, a noncommercial pilgrimage apostolate that organizes Lenten, Easter and Marian pilgrimages every year.
Image credits: Edwin Galvez, Richard Eusebio