The new church dedicated to St. Pius of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio, the Capuchin friar from the Gargano proclaimed saint by John Paul II on 16 June 2002, was consecrated at San Giovanni Rotondo, in the province of Foggia, on 1st July. The architect Renzo Piano devoted ten years’ work to the design of the new church, which is huge: the single liturgical space covers 5,700 square metres. In the form of an Archimedes spiral, it provides seating for 6,500, to which are added the 40,000 faithful that the esplanade in front of the church (covering 8,000 sq m) is able to accommodate. A 40-metre-high stone Cross has been placed at the end of the approach road leading to the church. A sycamore will be planted at its foot, to indicate the centrality of the cross for the Christian life. The materials used in the construction of the sanctuary are local stone and oak-wood. The rite of consecration was officiated by Archbishop Domenico D’Ambrosio of Manfredonia-Vieste – San Giovanni Rotondo and pontifical delegate. “Faced by the collapse of values in our world said the archbishop in his homily we are called to save the foundations of our society, and show our solidarity for the good of mankind”. In the view of Msgr. D’Ambrosio, “the legacy of Padre Pio is sanctity; this is the prophecy we need to embrace, the renewed sanctity that Christians are able to bring to a world that is prey to the futility of repeated models that do not conquer”. To mark the consecration of the new church, the Pope sent a precious monstrance as a gift. The liturgy, full of symbolic gestures, such as the blessing of the waters of the baptismal font, the opening of the doors of the church, the solemn entrance procession and the anointing of the altar table and walls with the holy chrism, followed by the switching on of all the lights, was shared by some 20,000 devotees of the saint who had come to San Giovanni Rotondo from various countries. There was also a sizeable presence of the prayer groups founded by the Capuchin friar, and now present throughout the world in parishes, convents, monasteries and hospitals. Altogether there are now 2156 of them, of which 1785 in Italy; 74 in Ireland; 50 in England; 26 in Switzerland and France; 20 in Malta, Scotland and Belgium; 6 in Germany; 3 in Poland; 2 in Austria, Portugal, Luxembourg and Romania.
