Hundreds of people packed into the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark on Tuesday for a rare chance to connect with a Catholic saint. The relics of Padre Pio were on display at the cathedral for the first time. Prayer in the presence of these holy artifacts is said to strengthen the connection to Padre Pio. Some travel to his hometown in Italy for this reason. But now they can do it in Newark.

“As close as you can get to Padre Pio himself. The relics allow the faithful who believe to have a spiritual encounter with the saints,” says Luciano lamonarca, founder of the St. Pio Foundation. Melissa Mistretta, of Freehold, was one of the many people who attended Tuesday’s Mass. "That connection. My father actually prayed to him when he was sick with cancer. Now my husband has cancer, and we are praying right now for him, so this is very significant,” says Mistretta.