St. Pio of Pietrelcina — known throughout the world as Padre Pio — likely faces competition only from John Paul II and Mother Teresa for the title of most popular saint of the 20th Century. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the public veneration of his relics at St. Thomas More Church attracted record crowds to the Narragansett parish. More than 5,000 local and regional faithful came together to join in the veneration on October 1, both to celebrate the miraculous life of St. Pio and to pray for his intercession.

With lines stretching around the church building until 11 p.m., and many pilgrims moved to tears by the experience, St. Pio’s superstar status as a mystic and a healer was immediately evident. “We’re huge Padre Pio fans,” said Janice Sutton of Warwick, who made the short pilgrimage to Narragansett with her daughter Eiley. “He’s just such a great example of a modern saint, and his message of love and healing is so important for us as Catholics to remember right now.”