TYRONE—After months of waiting, St. Matthew Church received a first‑class relic of Padre Pio.  

On Feb. 19, the diverse parish community in Fayette County held a holy hour for immigrants, followed by a Mass to welcome the relic. The event coincided with the beginning of Lent and the celebration of the Jubilee Year of St. Francis—which highlight the invitation to draw closer to God through the acceptance of suffering and sacrifice, and conversion of the heart.  

The scent of incense and flowers filled the air, inviting both visitors and locals to enter the crowded church to offer their petitions to the saint with fervor and hope, invoking his intercession before God.  

Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III celebrated the Mass of presentation of the relic of Padre Pio at St. Matthew Church in Tyrone. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Ileana Chacón, who was born in Venezuela and attends St. Matthew, shared her family’s connection to the Capuchin Franciscan, especially through her son, who chose Padre Pio as his confirmation saint. Chacón attended to entrust a personal intention to Padre Pio.  

“I need him to help me with a great favor, that he may intercede, together with Virgin Mary, for my son. I know he is going to grant it to me today. When Mass ended, I saw a beautiful halo around the relic, and I know he will grant it—he will help me obtain that favor from God,” she said.  

In his homily, Bishop Bernard Shlesinger III invited those present to seek the saint’s intercession not only for physical needs but also to imitate him in seeking inner peace and the healing of their souls. He concluded with a few words in Spanish.  

The bishop recalled some of Padre Pio’s most well‑known phrases, highlighting one that says, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worrying is useless. Our merciful Lord will hear your prayer.”  

Emphasizing Padre Pio’s pain and sacrifice, the bishop also shared a teaching he learned from his mother, who used to say, “Stop complaining—offer it up,” referring to the sufferings and disappointments, which are inevitable in this life and can be offered for the souls in purgatory.  

“Padre Pio knew himself the love of God in his suffering,” the bishop said. “As Christians, we are not invited to escape from pain.”   

Bishop Shlesinger suggested that avoiding pain is like maneuvering around the cross that God might be offering us to embrace or carry to learn how to love.  

Chacón said she was moved by the bishop’s invitation to “reach out to others.”  

Father Valery Akoh, pastor of St. Matthew Church in Tyrone, carries the relic of Padre Pio to the parish’s chapel for permanent placement. Photo by Julianna Leopold

Father Valery Akoh, pastor of the parish, expressed his gratitude to those involved in the relic project. He announced that every first Thursday of the month the parish will offer a Mass in honor of the saint at 7:30 p.m., preceded by adoration.  

The priest, who has been at the church since 2022, described the process of obtaining the relic as a long but deeply rewarding journey.  

Referring to his parish as a “family of families,” a phrase he borrowed from St. John Paul II, Father Akoh emphasized his hope that the relic will draw people from many places and even from different religions.  

For the priest, receiving a relic of a Franciscan during the jubilee year dedicated to St. Francis, following the Jubilee of Hope, is more than a coincidence—it is a blessing meant to bring all closer to God and extend the sense of hope.  

The evening concluded with the veneration of the relic by dozens of people in the chapel.  

“Why a chapel to Padre Pio?” Bishop Ned asked at the end of his homily. “First, to foster prayer—to find oneself in the heart of Christ. Second, to find hope in suffering, rooted in the love for Christ with Padre Pio as our guide. He suffered and did not complain about it. Number three, to ask for healing for yourselves and for others; whenever we pray, we should think about those who are also suffering.”