SAINT PADRE PIO – Priest, Mystic
Born: May 25th, 1887
Died: September 23rd, 1968
Canonized: June16, 2002 by Pope John Paul II
Feast Day: September 23rd
Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina, a small town in southern Italy on May 25th, 1887. His father, Grazio Forgione was a farmer. His mother, Giuseppina Di Nunzio, was a woman of great faith and mercy. Padre Pio was baptized “Francesco” in their parish church Our Lady of the Angels. Although the Forgiones were poor in material goods, they were rich in their faith life and in the love of God.
Even as a young boy, Francesco had already shown signs of extraordinary gifts of grace. At the age of five, he dedicated his life to God. From his early childhood he showed a kind of recollection of spirit and a love for the religious life. His mother described him as a quiet child who, from his earliest years loved to go to church and to pray. Because he was able to see and communicate with, not only his Guardian Angel, but also with Jesus and the Virgin Mary as a young boy, Francesco assumed everyone had the same experiences. Once a woman who noticed his spirituality asked him, “When did you consecrate your life to God? Was it at your first Holy Communion?” He answered, “Always, daughter, always.”
When he was fifteen years old he was admitted to the Capuchin Order of the Friars Minor in Morcone, Italy. On January 22, 1903, he was given the habit of Saint Francis and was called Brother Pio. He was admired by is Superiors and fellow students for his exemplary behavior and his piety. One of the novices stated, “There was something which distinguished him from the other students. Whenever I saw Brother Pio was his love of prayer.” After finishing the year, he took simple vows and started his studies to become a priest.
On January 27, 1907 he took solemn vows entering the Order forever. Unfortunately due to his poor health he was obliged to alternate monastic life and periods of convalescence at home. On August 10, 1910 at the age of twenty-seven, Padre Pio was ordained to the priesthood. The celebration of the Holy Mass was for Padre Pio the center of his spirituality. Due to the long pauses of contemplative silence into which he entered at various parts of the Holy Sacrifice, his Mass could sometimes last several hours. Everything about him spoke of how intensely he was living the Passion of Christ. The parish priest in Pietrelcina call Padre Pio’s Mass “an incomprehensible mystery.” When asked to shorten his Mass Padre Pio replied, “God knows that I want to say Mass just any other priest, but I can’t.”
His parishioners were deeply impressed by his piety and one by one they began to come to him, seeking his counsel. For many, even a few moments in his presence proved to be a life changing experience. As the years passed, pilgrims began to come to him by the thousands from every corner of the world. They were drawn by the spiritual riches which flowed so freely from his extraordinary ministry. To his spiritual children he would say, “It seems to me as if Jesus has no other concern but the sanctification of your soul.” During World War II Padre Pio met many American Soldiers who came to him whenever they could. He loved them and they loved him and helped him in any way they could. Joe Peluso and his family were accepted by Padre Pio as his spiritual children. Joe was a GI serving in Italy. He frequently served Padre Pio’s Mass, standing at the “Epistle” side of the altar. He was so close to the Friar that he could see right through the wounds on the friar’s hands. Joe said, “It would have been possible to read the words in the Mass Book that was situated on the other side of his stigmatized hands.” Padre Pio loved the United States and the” Americanas” and he wanted them all to be his spiritual children. According to Joe Peluso’s wife, Padre Pio was with Joe the last four hours of his life and took him home to the Father.
Padre Pio is understood above all else as a man of prayer. Before he was thirty years old he had already reached the summit of the spiritual life known as the “unitive way” of transforming union with God. He prayed almost continuously. His prayers were usually very simple. He loved the Rosary and recommended it to others. To someone who asked him what legacy he wished to leave to his spiritual children, his brief reply was, “My child, the Rosary.” He had a special mission to the souls in Purgatory and encouraged everyone to pray for them. He used to say, “We must empty Purgatory with our prayers.” Padre Agostino, his confessor, director and beloved friend said, “One admires in Padre Pio, his habitual union with God. When he speaks or is spoken to, we are aware that his heart and mind are not distracted from the thought and sentiment of God.”
Padre Pio suffered from poor health his entire life, once saying that his health had been declining from the time he was nine years old. After his ordination to the priesthood he remained in his hometown of Pietrelcina for more than five years due to his precarious health. Although the cause of his prolonged and debilitating illnesses remained a mystery to his doctors, Padre Pio did not become discouraged. He offered all of his bodily sufferings to God as a sacrifice for the conversion of souls. He experienced many spiritual sufferings as well. “I am fully convinced that my illness is due to a special permission of God,” he said.
Padre Benedetto Nardella, in which he asked permission to offer his life as a victim
Shortly after his ordination he wrote a letter to his spiritual director, “For a long time I have felt in myself a need to offer myself to the Lord as a victim for poor sinners and for the souls in Purgatory. This desire has been growing continually in my heart so that it has now become what I would call it a strong passion. It seems to me that Jesus wants this.” The marks of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appeared on Padre Pio’s body on Friday, September 20, 1918, while he was praying before a crucifix and making his thanksgiving after Mass. He was thirty-one years old and became the first stigmatized priest in the history of the church. With resignation and serenity, he bore the painful wounds for fifty years. True to form it was not until a month after the even that Padre Pio found the courage to reveal to his director, Padre Benedetto, what had occurred. In a letter dated October 19, 1918, he briefly mentioned that he was bleeding. Padre Benedetto immediately wrote back and told Padre Pio, “Tell me everything quite frankly with no allusions.” Padre Pio replied in his now famous letter of the 22nd in which he described in detail what had transpired in the presence of the mysterious personage. In the same letter he lamented not only his physical pains and agony, but the embarrassment and humiliation of bearing about him these visible signs.
“I am afraid I will bleed to death if the Lord does not hear my heartfelt supplication to relieve me of this condition. Will Jesus, who is so good, grant me this grace? Will He, at least, free me of the embarrassment caused by these outward signs? I will raise my voice and not stop imploring Him until in His mercy He takes away, not the wound or the pain, but these outward signs which cause me such embarrassment and humiliation.”
In addition, God endowed Padre Pio with many extraordinary spiritual gifts and charisms including the gift of healing, bilocation, prophecy, miracles, discernments of spirits, the ability to abstain beyond man’s natural powers from both sleep and nourishment, the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues, the gift of conversions, levitation, multiplication of food, the grace to see his guardian angel and other angelic beings in form and the fragrance which emanated from his wounds and which frequently announced his invisible presence. When a friend once questioned him about these gifts, Padre Pio said, “You know, they are a mystery to me too.” Although he received more than his share of graces he never sought them, never felt worthy of them. He never put the gifts before the Giver. He always remained humble, constantly at the disposal of Almighty God.
His day began at 2:30 a.m. when he would rise to begin his prayers and to make his preparation for Mass. He was able to carry on a busy apostolate with only a few hours of sleep each night and an amount of food that was so small (300-400 calories a day) that his fellow priests stated it was not enough food even to keep a small child alive. Between Mass and confessions, his workday lasted 19 hours. He very rarely left the monastery and never read a newspaper or listened to the radio. He cautioned his spiritual children against watching television.
In his monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo, he lived the Franciscan spirit of poverty with detachment from self, from possessions and from comforts. He always had a great love for the virtue of chastity. His behavior was modest in all situations and with all people. In his lifetime, Padre Pio, reconciled thousands of men and women back to their faith.
SATAN’S ATTACKS ON PADRE PIO
In a letter to his spiritual director, Padre Agostino, Padre Pio wrote, “I must tell you what has happened to me during the past two nights. I had a very bad time the night before last, from about ten o’clock, until five o’clock in the morning that wretch did nothing but beat me continually. He presented to my mind many diabolical suggestions, thoughts of despair, distrust in God. But praise be to Jesus, for I defended myself by saying to him repeatedly; “your wounds are my merit.” Many of us are familiar with Padre Pio’s encounters with the devil still it’s hard for us to imagine the violence of the physical attacks that left him bloodied, bruised and swollen.
Not so evident, but even more devastating were the attacks on his soul. Those “thoughts of despair, distrust in God.” Padre Pio did not lose heart or hope. “Do you not recognize the ogre?” he asked. Padre Pio fought back with the rosary. He prayed constantly to his guardian angel and Saint Michael the Archangel.
THE BLESSED MOTHER AND PADRE PIO
Padre Pio said, “Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother.”
When one acknowledges the importance of the Blessed Mother in Her Immaculate Conception, it is the first step on the path of salvation.”
“Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today.”
“All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”
He always said: “The Blessed Mother is the mother of all mothers.”
Padre Pio often told his fellow priests when they asked him of the Blessed Mother and if she was with him during Mass. “The Blessed Mother accompanies me to the altar and remains at my side while I offer up the Holy Mass.”
A priest, a member of the monastery, asked Padre Pio: “Does the Blessed Mother ever come to your room?” Padre Pio replied, “Why not ask me instead, ‘does she ever leave my room’?”
To those who” came to Padre Pio to thank him for favors granted, he said, All thanks must be given to the Blessed Mother since she is the Mediatrix of all Graces.
On Friday, September 20, 1968 he celebrated Mass as he usually did at 5:00 a.m. He was extremely weak and was helped to the altar in a wheelchair. He celebrated the Mass while seated, with the permission of his spiritual son , Pope Paul VI.
Despite his weakness he heard confessions until his superior ordered him to rest. On Saturday he was so weak he had to spend the day in bed. The crowds gathered in Our Lady of Grace Church to pray for Padre Pio’s recovery. God had healed him before, surely He would do so again.
On Sunday, the 22nd, he did celebrate his 5:00 a.m. Mass for all his prayer groups. Again he was wheeled into the church and celebrated Mass while seated. His voice was weak. It was apparent he had little strength. In fact, at the end of Mass he almost collapsed. He was helped from the altar by his brother friars and as he was wheeled into the sacristy he was heard to whisper, “Oh, my children.”
On this Sunday, the crypt which had been made for Padre Pio was blessed by the Bishop. Some years earlier, in 1959, Padre Pio had said, “When the crypt is blest God will call Padre Pio home.” At that time no one had remembered the prophesy.
About 1:00 a.m. the following morning Padre Pio rang the little bell beside him. He was seated in an arm chair dressed in his Franciscan habit. His superior sent immediately for the doctor. Padre Pio went to confession. His Capuchin brothers administered the last rites. He renewed his Franciscan vows. His rosary was in his hands as it always was. He fingered the beads. He was unable to say the Hail Mary, but he repeated over and over again the names of Jesus and Mary. About 2:30 a.m. he opened his eyes very wide and said, “I see two mothers” (His earthly mother and his Heavenly). As he exhaled his last breath, he whispered “Maria.”
Later his superior said that his head fell gently to his chest and that “he died like a little bird.” For a few moments his cell was blooming with the heavenly fragrance that so often came from his wounds during his fifty years of suffering.
Pope John Paul II canonized Padre Pio on June 16, 2002.
There is so much to write about Padre Pio that this article only gives you a glimpse into his life. To emulate his we need to pray the rosary always. Pray to St. Michael the Archangel and to unite ourselves with Padre Pio in reciting daily the Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Padre Pio had often declared that “After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death!”
RESOURCES
Padre Pio and America by Frank Rega
http://myhomewithgod.com/israel/padrepio/
http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/index.asp?pagename=biography
http://www.padrepio.com/app1 1.html
http://www.padrepio.com/app14.html
http://www.padrepio.com/app18.html