Contacts:

Aleaha Kopec, Public Relations Coordinator
Padre Pio Foundation of America
Phone: (860) 575-4049
Email: aleaha@padrepio.com
Website: www.padrepio.com

Nicholas Salkowski, Director of Communications
National Centre for Padre Pio
Phone: (610) 845-3000
Website: www.padrepio.org
Email: nicholaspio@padrepio.org

Padre Pio Foundation of America and the National Centre for Padre Pio
to Host Special Visitors From Padre Pio’s Friary, Our Lady of Grace
Capuchin Friary in Italy, With Rare Relics of the Beloved Saint

Historic Spiritual Tour From Oct. 11–18, 2025, Featuring Full-Size Relic of Padre Pio’s
Habit and Veneration Opportunities in Connecticut and Pennsylvania

CROMWELL, Conn., and BARTO, Pa. – May 19, 2025 —— The Padre Pio Foundation of America (PPFOA) and the National Centre for Padre Pio (NCFPP) are honored to announce a historic visit by a group of Capuchin friars from Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy—the friary home of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionally still known as Padre Pio.

Led by Padre Francesco Dileo, OFM Cap., provincial minister of the Capuchin Friars
Minor in San Giovanni Rotondo, the friars will visit the National Centre for Padre Pio in
Barto, Pennsylvania, and Saint Pius X Church in Middletown, Connecticut, from Oct. 11
to 18, 2025. The visit will be hosted by Saint Pius X Church (serving as an extension of
the Padre Pio Foundation of America) and the National Centre for Padre Pio.

In a gesture of spiritual closeness, the friars will bring with them a full-size, authentic
habit worn by Padre Pio—a sacred relic that has never before left Italy, offering a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the faithful in the United States to venerate a deeply
significant item associated with the saint. A second relic will also be available to bless
the faithful throughout the event.

“It is a tremendous privilege to help bring such a rare and spiritually powerful experience
to the United States,” added Julie Fitts Ritter, the Executive Director of the Padre Pio
Foundation of America. “Our long-standing and close relationship with the friars in San
Giovanni Rotondo makes this collaboration especially meaningful. Their visit in October,
along with these extraordinary relics, promises to deepen the devotion of all who love
Padre Pio and carry on his legacy of faith, healing, and compassion.”

The Padre Pio Foundation of America and the National Centre for Padre Pio are
the only two organizations in North America officially recognized by Padre Pio’s
confreres at Our Lady of Grace Friary. This visit is a continuation of the longstanding
friendship between the friars and both U.S.-based organizations.

“When I was asked to host Padre Pio’s friars and his relics at our friary and church, I
was deeply humbled,” said Father Marvin Bearis, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and
Pastor of Saint Pius X Church. “Saint Pius is honored to serve as an extension of the
Padre Pio Foundation of America in offering this rare opportunity for veneration. I pray
this visit renews hearts, deepens prayer and draws our community closer to God.”

Nick Gibboni, Executive Director of the National Centre for Padre Pio, stated, “We are
immensely blessed by our ongoing relationship with the friars of San Giovanni Rotondo,
and we look forward to welcoming Padre Dileo and his companions. This is a spiritually
enriching event we hope all devotees of Padre Pio will experience.”

The relics will be on display for veneration and blessings at the National Centre for
Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania, from Oct. 11 to 14, and at Saint Pius X Church in
Middletown, Connecticut, from Oct. 15 to 18. For the full event schedule at both
locations, visit the NCFPP’s website, padrepio.org/habit-visit or the PPFOA’s website,
padrepio.com/relic-tour-2025.

“Padre Pio’s brown Capuchin Franciscan habit is far more than a simple garment — it is
a sacred symbol of his vocation, humility, and total devotion to Christ,” said Christina
Calandra Rocus, daughter of Mrs. Vera M. Calandra, the Centre’s late founder.
Another of Mrs. Calandra’s daughters, Vera Marie Calandra, the Centre’s Vice
President, added “This unprecedented visit gives us the privilege to share a rare and
intimate relic with Padre Pio’s American Spiritual Children, offering an occasion of deep
spiritual reflection and prayer.”

About the Padre Pio Foundation of America
The Padre Pio Foundation of America, based in Cromwell, Connecticut, is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to furthering the spiritual and charitable mission of Padre Pio.
Since 1977, the Foundation has supported efforts to maintain the places near and dear
to his heart, foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and continue his legacy
of love and compassion through Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. The PPFOA
and its benefactors work to alleviate suffering and care for those in need across the
globe.

To learn more about the Padre Pio Foundation of America, become a benefactor, or
request prayers, visit PadrePio.com or call (860) 635-4996. Connect with the
Foundation on Facebook and Instagram.

About the National Centre for Padre Pio
Located in Barto, Pennsylvania, the National Centre for Padre Pio is a place of
pilgrimage, prayer, and devotion dedicated to promoting the spirituality and legacy of
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. Through relics, events, and outreach, the Centre continues the
mission begun by its founder, the late Mrs. Vera M. Calandra, and her devotion to Saint
Pio’s message of love, prayer, sacrifice, and healing.

To learn more about the National Centre for Padre Pio, submit your prayer intentions, or
become a benefactor, call (610) 845-3000 or visit PadrePio.org. You can also follow the
Centre on Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) @PadrePioInc on all three
platforms.

Media Contact:
Aleaha Kopec
Public Relations Coordinator
Padre Pio Foundation of America
aleaha@padrepio.com
(860) 635-4996 Ext. 116

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Padre Pio Foundation of America Donates Vital PET-CT Scan Machine to Italian Hospital
Thanks to benefactor support, this gift to Padre Pio’s hospital will double diagnostic capacity and
expand healthcare access across the region

PPFOA Chairman Andy Becker, board member Steve Fordyce, and Executive Director Julie
Fitts Ritter join hospital staff at La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza in San Giovanni Rotondo,
Italy, to celebrate the donation of a new PET-CT scanner

CROMWELL, CONN. – April 12, 2025 – The Padre Pio Foundation of America (PPFOA), a
nonprofit dedicated to furthering the spiritual and charitable legacy of Padre Pio, has donated a
second PET-CT scan machine to La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (“The Home for the Relief of
Suffering”) in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. This gift, made possible by generous benefactor
support, included the purchase and installation of a new state-of-the-art Positron Emission
Tomography and Computed Tomography (PET-CT) scan machine, as well as equipment
upgrades to an existing scan machine, doubling the hospital’s diagnostic capabilities.

PPFOA board members, including Chairman Andy Becker, Steve Fordyce, and Executive
Director Julie Fitts Ritter, attended the inauguration ceremony for the new scan machine on April
2, 2025. The hospital marked the occasion with a ribbon cutting, a plaque unveiling, and a
blessing by the hospital’s chaplain, Father Vincent. Staff and administration expressed deep
appreciation of the gift, presenting the PPFOA with custom Padre Pio drawings and
commemorative medals.

“This donation underscores our dedication to providing crucial resources that directly impact the
health and well-being of those in need,” said Fitts Ritter. “Padre Pio’s legacy of alleviating
suffering continues through the work of his hospital, La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, and we
are honored to continue supporting their efforts with this essential technology, made possible by
the generosity of our benefactors.”

Founded by Padre Pio in 1956 with a vision to aid those who suffer – a mission reflected in its
name, La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, meaning “The Home for the Relief of Suffering” – the
hospital has since become renowned in Italy and across Europe as a leading medical center
and research institution. Continuing Padre Pio’s legacy of care, the addition of an advanced
PET-CT scan machine will double the hospital’s capacity for diagnostic imaging, from 3,000 to
6,000 patients annually, and eliminate wait times, providing more individuals with timely,
life-saving diagnoses. PET-CT scans are critical in identifying and managing serious conditions
such as cancer, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease and more.

“The new PET scan machine allows us to serve more patients with faster, more accurate
diagnostics, while reducing radiation exposure,” said Gino Gumirato, general director of Padre
Pio’s hospital. “We are deeply grateful to the Padre Pio Foundation of America and its
benefactors for this extraordinary gift, which will benefit thousands of individuals each year.”
This donation continues PPFOA’s history of support for La Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza. Past
contributions include clown therapy for pediatric patients, ultrasound equipment, over 100
adjustable electric beds, a transportation pilot program,air conditioning for the children’s
oncology unit. This latest gift reflects the Padre Pio Foundation of America’s dedication to
advancing compassionate and comprehensive healthcare in Padre Pio’s name.

About the Padre Pio Foundation of America
The Padre Pio Foundation of America, based in Cromwell, Connecticut, is a nonprofit
organization dedicated to furthering the spiritual and charitable mission of Padre Pio. Since
1977, the Foundation has supported efforts to maintain the places near and dear to his heart,
foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and continue his legacy of love and
compassion through Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. The PPFOA and its benefactors
work to alleviate suffering and care for those in need across the globe.
To learn more about the Padre Pio Foundation of America, become a benefactor, or request
prayers, visit PadrePio.com or call (860) 635-4996. Connect with the Foundation on Facebook
and Instagram.