Diocese of Bridgeport honors Padre Pio

The Diocese of Bridgeport held a Mass and veneration of relics for Saint Padre Pio at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield. During the third evening of a novena honoring the saint, parishioners gathered to view five relics placed near the altar, including a piece of his mantle and a lock of his hair.

Father David Roman, the pastor, concelebrated the Mass with Father Herley Mendez. In his homily, Father Roman spoke about the saint's motto to pray, hope, and not worry. He noted that Padre Pio, born in Italy, maintained trust in God despite a life marked by poor health and the mystical experience of receiving the stigmata in 1918.