St. Barbara Parish is now one of five Saint Pio Chapels in the United States that contain a first-class relic of Padre Pio, the famed 20th century Italian Capuchin, abundantly available for public veneration. On May 10, Detroit Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger was on hand to dedicate the chapel while he was celebrating confirmations at St. Barbara Parish, where, at the beginning of Mass, he blessed the assembly with the relic.
“Your Excellency, at this moment we wish to present you with this first-class relic of St. Padre Pio,” said Fr. Zbigniew Grankowski of St. Barbara Parish. “You already blessed us when you came (to St. Barbara) for a funeral service, but officially today we ask you to bless us, and Padre Pio will reside in our parish family for days to come.”
