FIRST-CLASS RELIC OF ST. PADRE PIO
The Relic is a drop of blood from St. Padre Pio’s Stigmata in the “shape of a heart” that fell on the altar while he was celebrating the Holy Mass in 1956. Friar Daniele kept it, and before he died, he gave it to the spiritual daughter of St. Padre Pio, Pina Patti.
On the 21st of September of 2006, Pina gave the precious relic to Gino D’Alessandro, who is also a spiritual son of St. Padre Pio and a parishioner of OLQM. From there, Gino donated it to Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church. We are blessed and grateful to have possession of this precious first-class relic of St. Padre Pio. The Relic is securely housed in the reliquary in the candle prayer room in the gathering area of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church. Saint Padre Pio’s Feast Day is celebrated on September 23rd.
ST. PADRE PIO SHRINE
On June 28, 2005, two days after the 3rd anniversary of the dedication of the Shrine of St. Padre Pio at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Chicago, Gino D’Alessandro, in his eighth dream of St. Padre Pio, was asked to go to Florida and build a new shrine in honor of St. Padre Pio.
In Gino’s dream, he was shown the church where he would build the shrine and start a new prayer group. In October of the same year, he came to Florida and spoke with Fr. Joseph Connolly TOR at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Church in Sarasota, Florida, about constructing the shrine here.
On January 11, 2006, a few months after receiving permission, Gino, along with Pat Valenzano and friends, started building the shrine. It was completed in two and half weeks. Saint Padre Pio’s Statue was purchased in Italy by Gino arrived in Florida on the 16th of January 2006. A little over a month later, on February 26, 2006 the shrine was blessed and dedicated by the Most Reverend Bishop John J. Nevins with a venerable celebration and participation of many devotees of St. Padre Pio from all over the country. This is the first and only shrine in Florida dedicated to St. Padre Pio.