San Giovanni Rotondo

Ah, the warm, breezy hills of San Giovanni...

Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church built in 2004

Holy Door

The 2nd most popular shrine in the world,

visited by 7 million pilgrims each year.

A scene from the book of Revelations which will be stained glass some day.

Adoration chapel

Waiting in line to venerate St. Pio.

The glorious view of San Giovanni from the Shrine Church.

Piazza with Home for the Relief of Suffering in the background.

Holy Door to the original Santa Maria del Grazie

We "happened" upon Mass in the original church which is extremely rare

according to our new friend and self-proclaimed tour guide, John.

Confessional of St. Pio in original church

The much larger Santa Maria del Grazie built in 1956.

Thousands of letters sent to St. Pio during his lifetime.

Crucifix before which St. Pio received the stigmata.

View from upper part of church

(We later toured the Home for the Relief of Suffering,

much of the hospital is exactly as it was when it opened in 1954).

Exterior of Santa Maria del Grazie with original church to the left.

The next post will take us to Monte Sant'Angelo and the Adriatic Sea

(the beginning of our trip starts here)