It will be a great omission not to visit the Shrine of Padre Pio especially if you are in Italy. In fact, the statistics showed that it is the second most visited shrine in the world. It is located at San Giovanni Rotondo in south Italy. I took an opportunity to be there on 4th February 2011. This was a wonderful pilgrimage especially in the company of my friend Anna Menghi and three others (Piera, Roberta & Alessandro). We had rather a long drive of nearly 4 hours from Macerata and spent the entire day which included participation at the mass, visit to the tomb of Padre Pio, his living cell, the crucifix of the stigmata, etc. and came back in the evening.
Santa Maria delle Grazie is the Church built during Padre Pio’s own life time. The way of the cross with the statue of Padre Pio at the base and the figure of the resurrected Christ at the top end reflects the serenity of the place. The new Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church is magnificent in its modern architectural grandeur. The interior decorum is a wonder by itself. It’s a wonderful place to spend a day of recollection. 
