The Procession begins.

Lining up before the procession.

Preparations & blessings.

Moments before the Mass begins.

The Altar Servers and staff making preparations. Everything went very smoothly thanks to their assistance.

Fr. Brian Bachand getting everything ready before the Mass. He’s minding my Homily (in the black folder) before we begin the Mass.

Chatting with the Bishop from Iraq prior to the Padre Pio Mass.

Heading down to the Mass this morning.

Checking the cell phone for messages this morning.

Inviting brother Capuchins to pose with me.

Up on the roof.

Padre Pio celebrated mass in this room across from his bedroom for two years.

I had an opportunity to pray at Padre Pio’s Tomb today.

Thousands come to pray at Padre Pio’s Tomb.

Beautiful altar at one of Padre Pio’s Chapels.

A Padre Pio confessionale.

One of the “newer” Padre Pio Chapels in the Shrine.

A beautiful marble sculpture of Jesus and Padre Pio. It was created from a single block of marble.

Another angle…the detail was amazing.

Padre Pio’s desk in his room.

It was very moving to be in Padre Pio’s room in the Monastery.

High above the piazza.

The actual crucifix that Padre Pio was praying in front of when he received his stigmata.