“Pray, hope and don’t worry.”

The most famous words of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina continue to take on added meaning amid difficult times, and his steadfast faith will be celebrated this month at his namesake parish in Vineland. The annual Saint Padre Pio Festival, now in its 19th year, will be held Sept. 26 on the grounds of Our Lady of Pompeii Church, 4680 Dante Ave. The church was decreed a diocesan shrine in 2018.

“In the midst of good and bad, of difficult times and normal times, the Church is always there,” said Father Robert Sinatra, pastor of Saint Padre Pio Parish. “The faith continues on.” A 20th century Italian Capuchin friar and mystic, Pio of Pietrelcina exhibited the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, for the last 50 years of his life. Today, faithful Catholics call on him to intercede for them in their suffering.