P2.5M Padre Pio Chapel to rise in Davao del Sur

Padre Pio devotees bent on raising chapel funds 

Devotees of the miraculous Padre Pio are set to build a P2.5 million green chapel in barangay Lago in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur to serve as a source of enlightenment for everyone and not just for Catholics.

Padre Pio, who has become popular worldwide for his many miracles, got the gift of stigmata while kneeling in front of as crucifix in 1918.

“This is not only a chapel but is set to become a religious landmark in Davao del Sur,” devotee and Padre Pio Movement in Davao member Edgar Canda said during ISpeak last Thursday at City Hall.

Canda’s family, who hails from Davao del Sur, has donated 2,000 square meters of land where the chapel will be built. An elevated portion of the land will be allocated for the Padre Pio Chapel while the lower level will be for the Bagobo Museum, he said.

“By building the Padre Pio Chapel here we want to promote culture and faith as one,” Canda said. But what sets the Chapel apart, he added, is that it will be based on green architecture as designed by Architect Daniel Plenos.

He said the Sta. Cruz Chapel, which will hold its groundbreaking on July 22 this year, will be patterned after the San Giovanni Rotondo Shrine of Padre Pio in Italy.

“Since the Chapel will be built in a hilly location that overlooks Davao del Sur, the architecture will blend in with the environment and not destroy it,” he said.  The location is a virgin forest, he said, so it is a priority to maintain the beauty of the terrain.

To help raise funds for Padre Pio Chapel, the devotees will sponsor a Piano Concert at the Grand Ballroom of the Marco Polo Hotel on July 21 at 7 PM. The devotees will bring in pianists from Thailand, Guam, California and HongKong to perform during the concert.