It was the visionary dream of Padre Pio’s original founders to create a worldwide network of hospitals that would bring relief, healing, and hope to those in need, wherever they may be. This extraordinary vision was eloquently expressed in 1950 by Dr. Guglielmo Sangguinetti, Padre Pio’s first Director of Implementation of the Casa:
“The Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza should therefore be the first link in a great chain. It should be the model for many other, innumerable Casas with the same name and, above all, the same spirit—bringing love to all of humanity. A program which would make us tremble with awe, if it were not inspired by God, who is above all love!”
Catholic Healthcare International (CHI) was incorporated in July 2004, inspired by Padre Pio’s call, to turn this vision into reality. After years of prayer, discernment, and foundational work, a formal Collaboration Agreement was signed on October 1, 2009, with the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, marking the beginning of a global effort to duplicate Padre Pio’s Homes for the Relief of Suffering.
Our Mission
Through this historic collaboration, CHI is committed to:
- Duplicating Padre Pio’s Home for the Relief of Suffering in the United States and around the world.
- Emulating the Casa’s structure, operation, and spirit, ensuring the same name and mission are faithfully upheld.
- Remaining completely loyal to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, ensuring that care is rooted in Catholic teaching.
- Operating each new Casa as a “Clinic for the Body and the Soul,” providing healing, compassion, and dignity to every guest, just as Padre Pio envisioned.
This is more than a healthcare project—it is a movement of love in action, a living tribute to Padre Pio’s extraordinary compassion, and a chance for donors to join a mission that transforms lives physically, spiritually, and eternally.
DONATE
Catholic Healthcare International (CHI) is committed to serving the Livingston County community.
UPDATE (Aug. 2026*):
Catholic Healthcare International (CHI) is pursuing the transformation of a former hospital facility in Howell into the Home for the Relief of Suffering Medical Center.
The proposed medical center will unite physical, spiritual, and compassionate care in a setting dedicated to the dignity of every human person. CHI’s vision includes faithful Catholic medical care while developing services and ministries that respond to the needs of patients and families throughout every stage of life.
CHI is actively working with prospective partners and benefactors to secure the resources necessary to bring this vision to fruition. We remain hopeful about the opportunity to establish the Home for the Relief of Suffering in Howell and continue to advance the project as God opens the way. More angel investors and benefactors are needed. Please reach out if you can help bring St. Pio’s call to a reality.
To fulfill this mission while honoring applicable state regulations, including Michigan’s Certificate of Need requirements, CHI is developing a model of healthcare that integrates excellent medical care with spiritual and pastoral support.
This center will:
- Open a Center for Unborn Children
- Implement a Terri Schiavo Home for the Brain Injured, Center for Neurologic Rehabilitation & Cognitive Enhancement
- Create a fully faithful Catholic Hospice caring for the body and soul
- Provide a comprehensive faithful Catholic primary care family practice clinic
- Lease space to Trinity Health to continue some support services to the local community
- House the Saint Padre Pio Institute for the Relief of Suffering, School of Osteopathic Medicine(proposed)
We are currently investigating several additional possibilities:
- Low-risk birthing center
- Other services permitted by regulatory authorities and consistent with our vision to provide faithful Catholic care in support of the dignity of life
Jere Palazzolo, President and Founder of CHI, stated, “This is the location the Holy Spirit has called us to, and we praise God for His faithfulness in showing us the direction and location He seeks. St. Pio’s model of healthcare provides, as St. Pio stated, a “Cathedral of Love to serve the twice Jesus in the poor and sick, a healing place where patients, doctors, and priests will serve as reserves of love.” Palazzolo continued, “St. Pio’s charism of care will bring healing to the body, mind and spirit of the patients served by the St. Pio physicians who will be trained at what will be the Nation’s most faithful Catholic Medical School. More details will be forthcoming as implementation plans progress.”
We invite philanthropists to join us in realizing this vision of compassionate care for body, mind, and spirit.
*Website update: This page has been updated to reflect the current status of the project. Previous versions of this page have been preserved in CHI’s records.
Help us fulfill St. Pio’s dream, Donate today.
For information on legacy donations and naming opportunities, contact Ann O’Reilly, ([email protected]).
Ultimately, it is the goal of this Collaboration Agreement to duplicate the model of Catholic healthcare, executed so successfully by Padre Pio and his successors, for those in need of relief from suffering in various other areas of the world.