The 18th annual Saint Padre Pio Festival will take place on Sunday, Sept. 27 at his namesake parish community in Vineland, 4680 Dante Ave.
Referencing COVID-19, the pastor, Father Robert Sinatra, noted, “A pandemic can’t stop our prayer to celebrate this great saint.”
A 20th century Italian Capuchin friar and mystic, Pio of Pietrelcina, exhibited the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, for the last 50 years of his life. Today, faithful Catholics call on him to intercede for them in their suffering, and hold fast to his most famous words: “Pray, hope and don’t worry.”
Father Sinatra says every precaution is being taken to keep people safe during the festival, taking place from noon until 6 p.m. This includes limited socially-distanced outdoor seating; the frequent disinfecting of surfaces; and encouraging visitors to order food beforehand, and pick it up on the day of the festival, by going to www.pppnj.org and looking at the menu (which includes porchetta, meatball sandwiches, sausage and peppers, and desserts).
Two outdoor Masses will be celebrated in the parish’s Garden of the Saints: an 11 a.m. liturgy in the English language, and one at 2 p.m. in Italian. A procession will follow the 11 a.m. Mass, and a relic of the saint, Padre Pio’s glove, will be available for veneration.
Father Sinatra says that now, more than ever, people need to look to individuals like Padre Pio. “In a world that’s filled with fear, the Lord and the lives of the saints bring us hope.”
For questions or more info about the festival, visit www.pppnj.org, or call 856-691-7526.
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