Thousands venerate first- and second-class relics of famed Capuchin friar who spoke to Christ during three-stop tour in Detroit area
DEARBORN — Mario Gonzalez had a very specific prayer intention as he venerated the relics of St. Padre Pio at St. Barbara Parish in Dearborn on Nov. 18.
He was holding his son, Damien, who was six weeks removed from open-heart surgery.
So when Fr. Zbigniew Grankowski of St. Barbara Parish processed through the church with the relic, Gonzalez held his son up close to the relic, praying for healing, as countless pilgrims have done when near the bones of the famed 20th century Italian priest.
“Six weeks ago he had the surgery,” Gonzalez told Detroit Catholic. “He was in ICU for two weeks, and then two more weeks in the hospital, so a total of a month. He just came home three weeks ago and is doing well, thanks be to God. We pray to Padre Pio, St. Charbel (a Lebanese saint popular at the Dearborn parish) and we believe we have a miracle right here.”
Thousands of pilgrims just like Gonzalez took the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Padre Pio as part of a tour organized by the Saint Pio Foundation, a New York-based apostolate dedicated to spreading devotion to St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968), an Italian Capuchin friar and priest who is known for healing and for bearing the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ, on his hands.
