Celebration of the Birth and Baptism of Saint Pio

Two days that belong to Pietrelcina

May 25th and 26th are no ordinary dates for Pietrelcina, a small town in the Province of Benevento nestled in the hills of the Sannio region, in Campania. On May 25, 1887, Francesco Forgione was born here—the child who would become Padre Pio. The following day, he was brought to the baptismal font of the ancient parish church, now the small church of Sant'Anna, where Father Nicolantonio Orlando baptized him at dawn. Every year, the town commemorates those two days with a celebration that blends solemn liturgy with popular devotion, without any concessions to spectacle.

A religious feast, not a festival

Those arriving in Pietrelcina during these two days will find no food stalls or stages: they will find a village in prayer. It is one of the most authentic religious feasts in inland Campania, built around simple gestures repeated for generations—a light lit in the countryside, a mass celebrated before sunrise, a statue carried on shoulders through the streets of the historic center. This is precisely why it is an experience that moves even the non-devout: the depth of the bond between a town and its Saint is understood better here than in San Giovanni Rotondo.

The preparation: dawn novena and triduum

The feast does not begin on May 25th. Nine days earlier, in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the novena gathers the faithful at the first light of day, around 5:30 AM, with the rosary followed by Holy Mass. In the final three days, the triduum moves to the church of the Sacra Famiglia, next to the Capuchin Friars Minor convent, with the rosary in the afternoon and the Eucharistic celebration. It is a slow preparation, marked by early hours and faithful attendance, which underscores how deeply rooted this anniversary is in the community.

May 25th: solemn mass, votive lamp, and procession

The anniversary of his birth opens in the morning with a Eucharistic liturgy in the church of the Sacra Famiglia. In the afternoon, the residents of the Piana Romana district light the votive lamp: a simple gesture, repeated every year, in the rural spot where the young friar received the gift of the first stigmata. This is followed by the solemn Eucharistic concelebration and then the procession, the most attended moment: the statue of Saint Pio travels the same streets that Francesco Forgione walked as a boy, accompanied by the choir and a brass band, and the evening concludes with fireworks illuminating the village.

May 26th: dawn mass in the small church of Sant'Anna

The second day is the most intimate of all. At six in the morning, in the tiny church of Sant'Anna in Rione Castello, mass is celebrated just steps away from the stone baptismal font where Francesco was baptized: the same hour, the same place as in 1887. In the late morning, some of the town's newborns receive the sacrament of baptism at that very font, a sign of continuity between generations that is perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the entire feast. The afternoon concludes with the final celebration presided over by the provincial minister of the Capuchins.

Piana Romana and the monumental Via Crucis

A short distance from the town center, Piana Romana is the rural heart of Pietrelcina's devotion: the field, the elm tree, the chapel. In 2024, a monumental Via Crucis was inaugurated there, stretching for about 900 meters, featuring fourteen bronze reliefs mounted on Apricena stone and, at the end of the path, a large sculpture of the Risen Christ. It is a place that can be visited at any time of the year, but during the feast days, it becomes a mandatory stop, especially at the time of the lighting of the lamp.

Organizers

The celebrations are organized by the Convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor of Pietrelcina, on Via Cappuccini, with the participation of the parish and the community of the Municipality of Pietrelcina. Over the years, the main liturgies have been presided over by bishops, cardinals, and leaders of the Order, a sign of the importance this anniversary holds far beyond the borders of the Campania region. Everything is free and open to all: there are no tickets or reservations, and the major celebrations are often broadcast by media outlets dedicated to Padre Pio.

What to see in Pietrelcina

Two days are enough to combine the feast with a visit to the village: Rione Castello, the oldest part of the town perched on the Morgione hill, the birthplace of Padre Pio, the Mother Church, and the contemporary sanctuary next to the Capuchin convent. Surrounding it, the Sannio area of Benevento offers wine, olive oil, and a countryside still largely untouched by mass tourism: those who arrive for faith often discover this as well.