EXCITING NEWS FOR 2025, IN HONOR OF PADRE DOMENICO DA CESE'S BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 27TH!

First, I would like to share with you the news, there will be a Holy Mass to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Padre Domenico at Chiesa di Santa Maria in Cese, Italy. This program will start at 3:15 p.m., and the Holy Mass will begin at 4:30 p.m. concelebrated by Parroco di Cese Don Fredrick Alorbu, the parish priest; Padre Guglielmo Alimonti Coordinator of the Padre Pio Group from Abruzzo and Molise; Diacono Antonio Masci, and brother priests and religious. As some of you may remember, this was the site on January 13, 1915, that an earthquake buried little Emidio, as Padre Domenico was known earlier, and was rescued by a "Bloody Stranger". This face of the "Bloody Stranger", Padre Domenico would see again, when he saw the Face of our Lord in the Volto Santo in Manoppello, Italy.

Padre Domenico and Padre Pio shared a great love for this image of our Lord's Face imprinted on the cloth known as the Volto Santo at the moment of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was in fact, Padre Domenico who discovered Padre Pio on September 22, 1968, approximately 6:00 a.m., praying before this image during a bilocation before his passing on September 23, 1968. Padre Pio once stated that this cloth was, "The greatest relic of the Catholic Church.".

Having that in mind, I am pleased to inform you dear devotees of Padre Domenico, that I have chosen the National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania for an Enthronement Ceremony of the Volto Santo. On July 15, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. the Holy Mass will be concelebrated by Bishop Alfred Schlert, Bishop of Allentown, Pennsylvania and Padre Antonio Gentili, Capuchin Rector at the Basilica of the Volto Santo in Manoppello, Italy. This copy of the Holy Face of our Lord will be blessed in a special ceremony in Manoppello before its arrival to the United States. I would like to thank Vera Calandra and Nick Gibboni for their help in making this possible. (Pictured below: Padre Antonio Gentili.)

A Novena booklet compiled by Sr. Petra-Maria Steiner with photographs by Paul Badde has also been printed for this occasion.

May you continue on your journey during this Lenten period to know and love our Lord Jesus.

Written by: Tamara Klapatch.