Saint Padre Pio
Priest, Religious, Mystic, Stigmatist, and Confessor, and "Saint of the Cross":
Beatified: May 2, 1999
Pope Saint John Paul II
Canonized: June 16, 2002
Padre Pio (Francesco Forgione) was born to Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, in the small farming town of Pietrelcina, Italy on May 25, 1887. Although the Forgione's were poor in material goods, they were certainly 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 remarkable recollection of spirit and a love for religious life. His mother described him as a quiet child who, from his earliest years, loved to go to church and to pray. As a young boy, he was able to see and communicate with, not only his guardian angel but also with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In his simplicity, Francesco assumed everyone had the same experiences. Once a woman who noticed his spiritual demeanor asked him, “When did you consecrate your life to God? Was it at your first Holy Communion?” and he answered, “Always, daughter, always.”
When Francesco was fifteen years old, he was admitted to the novitiate of the Capuchin Order of the Friars Minor in Morcone, Italy. He was admired by his fellow-students as well as by his Superiors for his exemplary behavior and his deep piety. One of the novices stated, “There was something which distinguished him from the other students. Whenever I saw him, he was always humble, recollected, and silent. What struck me most about Brother Pio was his love of prayer.”
On August 10, 1910, at the age of twenty-three, 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 called 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 like any other priest, but I cannot do it.”
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, 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.”
Padre Pio was disposed to a deep sense of spirituality right from his childhood. He was born to a simple peasant farmer at Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887, and was baptized with the name Francesco after St. Francis of Assisi. Having born in a prayerful family. The family devotedly prayed Holy Rosary daily, attended daily Mass and abstained from meat three days a week in dedication to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Though the parents were illiterates they recited to young Francesco and his siblings' several passages of the scriptures from memory.
In this atmosphere, the pious boy could see and speak with Jesus, Our Lardy, and his Guardian Angel on a daily basis in mystical experience. He also experienced heavenly visions and ecstasies in his youth and it lasted throughout his life. Seeing son's interest in joining religious life his father arranged for private tuition to make him qualified to join the seminary. Francesco entered Capuchin novitiate at the age of 15 and professed as a friar with a name Pio and later ordained a priest in 1910.
In the turbulent period of the First World War, he was drafted into military service briefly but was found unfit due to poor health. His experience of supernatural intensified during his priestly years. On September 20, 1918, while listening to Confession, he received the stigmata for the first time. He had bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in the locations corresponding to the crucifixion of Our Lord. He would experience the stigmata for fifty years until he neared his death. The blood flowing from his wounds gave off a perfume smell that was similar to flowers. He tried to live with it in secret but eventually described the experience to his superior and spiritual director.
He described seeing in a vision a mysterious person with hands, feet, and side dripping blood. He was terrified with the vision that caused him physical and spiritual pain, but after having strengthened by the Lord himself he came to possess the same wounds he saw in the vision. The bleeding intensified on Thursdays and Saturdays. He spoke to the Superior thus:
"Dear Father, I am dying of pain because of the wounds and the resulting embarrassment I feel deep in my soul. I am afraid I shall 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 from the embarrassment caused by these outward signs? I will raise my voice and will not stop imploring him until in his mercy he takes away, not the wound or the pain, which is impossible since I wish to be inebriated with pain, but these outward signs which cause me such embarrassment and unbearable humiliation…. the pain was so intense that I began to feel as if I were dying on the cross."
Padre Pio was always fascinated by the mystery of the Cross. But now was made to realize it intensely in his own body. The words of St. Paul came true in his life: "I count everything as loss for the surpassing knowledge of knowing Christ and him crucified." His life and spirituality began to be centered around the cross.
We cannot deny the extraordinary things that surround the life of Padre Pio. He touched the lives of many people both Catholics and non-Catholics through his grace of extraordinary charisms —bilocation, prophetic visions, healing, reading of consciences — and the stigmata. The tangible, captivating and spectacular. But we should not forget the underlying spirituality and the holiness of the saint. He bore his spiritual gifts with a calm manner and endured them great interior and mystical suffering that came with it. He always said, he wants to be remembered as " a poor friar who prayed" and nothing more than that. May he pray for us to become apostles of the cross. The saint died on 23 September 1968 and on this day his feast is celebrated.
PADRE PIO'S STORIES OF SOULS WHO VISITED HIM FROM PURGATORY
Close encounters of a special kind with Padre Pio:
He was alone in prayer when
a man appeared out of nowhere.
Padre Pio is known for his many mystical experiences during prayer, often piercing the heavenly veil while on earth. One such experience involved an unexpected encounter with a soul from purgatory.
One day while praying alone, Padre Pio opened his eyes to see an old man standing there. He was surprised by the presence of another person in the room and explained in his testimony, “‘I could not imagine how he could have entered the friary at this time of night since all the doors are locked.”
Seeking to unravel the mystery, Pio asked the man, “Who are you? What do you want?”
The man responded, “Padre Pio, I am Pietro Di Mauro, son of Nicola, nicknamed Precoco. I died in this friary on the 18th of September, 1908, in cell number 4, when it was still a poorhouse. One night, while in bed, I fell asleep with a lighted cigar, which ignited the mattress and I died, suffocated and burned. I am still in purgatory. I need a holy Mass in order to be freed. God permitted that I come and ask you for help.”
Pio comforted the poor soul by saying, “‘Rest assured that tomorrow I will celebrate Mass for your liberation.”
The man left and the next day Pio did some investigative work and discovered the veracity of the story and how a man of the same name died on that day in 1908. Everything was confirmed and Padre Pio celebrated a Mass for the repose of the old man’s soul.
This was not the only appearance of a soul from purgatory asking Padre Pio for prayers. Pio claimed, “As many souls of the dead come up this road [to the monastery] as that of the souls of the living.” Many times the souls would ask for a Mass to be said for them, highlighting the spiritual weight of a Mass and how it can lessen the time a person spends in purgatory before embracing the glories of heaven.
Around the same time, Padre Pio told Fra Alberto of another apparition of a soul from Purgatory which also occurred around the same time. He said:
One evening, when I was absorbed in prayer in the choir of the little church I was shaken and disturbed by the sound of footsteps, and candles and flower vases being moved on the main altar. Thinking that someone must be there, I called out, "Who is it?"
No one answered. Returning to prayer, I was again disturbed by the same noises. In fact, this time I had the impression that one of the candles, which was in front of the statue of Our Lady of Grace, had fallen. Wanting to see what was happening on the altar, I stood up, went close to the grate and saw, in the shadow of the light of the Tabernacle lamp, a young confrere doing some cleaning. I yelled out, "What are you doing in the dark?" The little friar answered, "I am cleaning."
"You clean in the dark?" I asked. "Who are you?"
The little friar said, ‘I am a Capuchin novice, who spends his time of Purgatory here. I am in need of prayers.’ and then he disappeared,"
Padre Pio stated that he immediately began praying for him as requested, and it is not known if he had any further dealings with this particular soul. However, in regards souls in Purgatory it is very interesting to note that later in life Padre Pio once said that ‘As many souls of the dead come up this road [to the monastery] as that of the souls of the living.” Without a doubt, many souls from Purgatory visited Padre Pio seeking his prayers, sacrifices and sufferings to obtain their release.
Everybody who met Padre Pio seemed convinced that he had a direct connection with the afterlife,
and asked him about a dead relative or friend. It was fascinating that there was always an immediate answer.
Gerardo De Caro had long conversations with Padre Pio in 1943. In his written notes he testifies:
"Padre Pio had an exact knowledge of the state of a soul after death, including the duration of the pain until reached total purification."
“More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers.”
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours,
because they are accompanied by their suffering.
So, let's pray for them, and let's pray them to pray for us."
"You will be surprised to find in Paradise souls you never expected to be there."
"Most of the saved pass through Purgatory before arriving at the fullness of beatitude."
Dec. 30, 1937 Padre Pio was praying in the choir with the other friars. Suddenly he said: "Let's pray for our Provincial Father
Padre Bernardo Apicella who is in agony." Noboby knew that he was sick. The day after they were told that he had suddenly died.
Pope Pius XII died in Castelgandolfo on October 9, 1958. On that day Padre Pio told a friar: "Pius XII is in heaven. I saw him during Mass."
Padre Pio was in a room at the convent. A strangere introduced himself: "I am Pietro Di Mauro. I died on September 18, 1908, in this room during a fire.
The Lord let me come from Purgatory. If tomorrow you say the Mass for me, I will go to Paradise."
Padre Pio reported: "I was agitated. I told the superior Father Paolino da Casacalenda what had happened and asked
to celebrate the Mass for Pietro." Father Paolino gave the permission and later went to consult the registry at City Hall.
In that date a fire had killed a man with that name in that room.
Padre Pio to Cleonice Morcaldi, a month after the death of her mother: "This morning your mom flew to Paradise. I saw her during Mass."
Padre Pio reported to Padre Anastasio di Roio: "one night I was alone in the choir and saw a friar cleaning the altar late at night.
I asked him to go to bed since it was so late. He said: "I'm a friar like you. I did here my novitiate and when assigned to take care of the Altar,
and I passed many times in front of the Tabernacle without making the proper reverence. For this sin I am in Purgatory, and the Lord sent me to you.
You decide how much longer I have to suffer in those flames." Padre Pio: " I told him: until the Mass in the morning. He said "Cruel" and disappeared.
I still have a wound in my heart.
I could have sent him immediately to Paradise, instead he had to stay one more night in the flames of Purgatory."
Padre Pio told Padre Onorato Marcucci who was helping him. "Last night I was not well and didn't make you sleep.
I have been thinking how to compensate you, so I took a plenary indulgence for your mother to send her to Paradise."
The following statement is taken from the book of John McCaffery "Tales of Padre Pio", Kansas City, 1979, pag. 67
There is no similar statement in any other book about Padre Pio.
However, given the reliability of the source i leave it to the reader.
John McCaffery in conversation with Padre Pio, and the cover of his book
"I believe that not a great number of souls go to hell.
God loves us so much. He formed us at his image. God loves us beyond understanding.
And it is my belief that when we have passed from the consciousness of the world,
when we appear to be dead, God, before He judges us, will give us
a chance to see and understand what sin really is.
And if we understand it properly, how could we fail to repent?"
Florence Fine Ehrmand's father contracted in 1965 a severe form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He asked for Padre Pio's prayers. Her father died in January 1966.
She went to Padre Pio in October 1967 asking if her father, a devout Jew, was saved. "Julius Fine is saved, but we need to pray a lot for him."
One night in 1944 the friars heard loud voices coming from downstairs saying "Viva Padre Pio". The superior Padre Raffaele da S. Elia a Pianisi told the doorkeeper
Fra Gerardo da Deliceto to let those people out and lock the door properly. Fra Gerardo went downstairs, didn't find anybody, and the door was double locked as it was supposed to.
He went back to report. Padre Raffaele was puzzled and went straight to Padre Pio asking if he knew something.
"Oh! Those were soldiers who had died on the battleground, and came to thank me for their salvation."
In 1945 Fra' Modestino asked Padre Pio a comparison between a fire on earth and the flames of Purgatory. "They compare like fresh water and boiling water."
One day Padre told his doctor: "I'm praying for the good death of my great-great grandfather". "But he died more than one hundred years ago!"
"Remember that for God there is no past and no future, and everything is present. So God made use at that time of the prayers I'm saying now."
In 1922 Bishop Alberto Costa asked Padre Pio if he had ever seen a soul in Purgatory. "I have seen so many of them that they don't scare me anymore."
A friar testified: We were all in the dining room when Padre Pio got suddenly up and walked at steady pace to the door of the convent. He opened it and started having a conversation.
The two friars that went with him didn't see anybody and started thinking that something might be wrong with Padre Pio. On the way back to the dining area Padre Pio explained:
"Don't worry. I was talking to some souls on their way from Purgatory to Paradise. They came to thank me that I remembered them today in the Mass."
Nina Campanile's brother Pasqualino died in combat on September 26, 1916. Her mom sent Nina with her teacher Vittorina Ventrella to ask Padre Pio if
Pasqualino was saved. " Yes he is saved, but he needs your prayers." She asked again on Christmas 1918, and the answer was: "He is up there!"
Carmela Marocchino's brother Padre Vittore da Canosa died suddenly on January 29, 1958. Carmela asked Padre Pio why the sudden death.
"Do you know what Jesus did of your brother? Jesus went into the garden, and there were many flowers, and one was more beautiful
than the others. He leaned on the most beautiful and picked it. " Is he saved?" Yes, but we need to pray for him." On July 29 she asked again if he was saved.
"My daughter, we priests are more responsible in front of God. Let's continue praying."
On December 29, 1958 she asked again were her brother was. "He is in Paradise."
Carmela Marocchino asked Padre Pio if her parents were safe. "Even if your parents are in Paradise we need to continue to pray.
If they don't need prayers the suffrages are applied to other souls."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported what he had heard from Orazio, Padre Pio's father. Orazio went to spend some few days with hi son in 1926. He was assigned the cell #10.
When he tried to enter the cell, two friars stood in front of the door, not letting him in. He explained who he was, to no avail. When he made a step to force himself in, the disappeared.
He was terrorized, and went to Padre Pio. "Dad, don't get agitated, those are two poor friars in Purgatory.
They have to serve their Purgatory in the spot were they disobeyed the rule of St. Francis."
Padre Francesco Napolitano reported that in 1945 Fra' Pietro, entering his cell at night, saw a young friar sitting on his desk, with the head down like he was meditating.
He asked who he was, but he disappeared. Terrorized, he run to Padre Pio. Padre Pio accompanied him back to his cell and said:
"That young friar is a poor novice who is serving his purgatory in this cell.
But don't worry he will not bother you again, and you will never see him again."
"The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them."
"When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back."
"The souls in Purgatory pray for us."
Padre Giuseppe Antonio da San Marco in Lamis was ill in the Foggia convent. On December 30, 1936 Padre Pio was asked to pray for him because his heath was deteriorating.
That night somebody knocked at Padre Pio's door. Padre Giuseppe entered in the room. Padre Pio: "How are you doing? They told me that you were gravely ill and now I see you here."
"I'm well, Padre Giuseppe replied. All my suffering has ended, and I came to thank you for your prayers." Than he disappeared.
Padre Pio told to the other friars what had happened. Nobody knew yet that Padre Giuseppe had died. Later they found out that he had died at the same time that he had visited Padre Pio.
Maria Pompilio, when her brother died, asked Padre Pio to intercede so that he could come in her dreams. Her brother came in a dream and said:
"Padre Pio assisted me in my agony. He stayed until the Judge judged me. I was given eleven years of Purgatory, but for intercession of Padre Pio the pain was reduced to one year.
Many mysteries in the life of Padre Pio will be known only in the other world."
The morning after Maria went to see Padre Pio. From afar he said: "Are you glad now?" "Yes, it seems that you are everywhere."
"What sense has for me being on Hearth if I can't go up and down. I know.
Your brother told you that the mystery of my life will be known only in Paradise."
PRAYER FOR THE POOR SOULS IN PURGATORY
Heavenly Father, in union with the merits of Jesus and Mary, I offer to You for the sake of the poor souls all the satisfactory value of my works during life, as well as all that will be done for me after death. I give You my all through the hands of the Immaculate Virgin Mary that she may set free whatever souls she pleases, according to her heavenly wisdom and mother's love for them. Recieve this offering, O God, and grant me in return an increase of Your grace. Amen.
.............
The only words Saint Padre Pio repeated before his death were Mary, Jesus, Mary.
Photograph of the body of St. Padre Pio exhumed on March 2, 2008, 40 years after his death on September 23, 1968.
Some Words of Padre Pio
What I want from you is, as the trial increases, your abandonment and trust in God may also increase.
And, everyday when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray.
God will never permit anything to happen to you that is not for your greater good.
Remember, the sinner who is sorry for his sins, is closer to God than the just man who boasts of his good works.
I am ready to suffer all things for the triumph of God’s glory.
It won’t be long before the sun shines through the darkness.
Don’t let the persecution of the world and all those who live without the spirit of Jesus Christ deter you from following the road troddrn by the saints. Continue to run up the steep path of holiness and don’t let the rough path dismay you.
The grain of wheat does not bear fruit if it does not suffer by disintegrating… and do people and countries even, need trial and suffering to come forth cleansed and renewed.
It is in testing that God binds His chosen souls to Himself.
I am more interested in spiritual than corporeal health.
Don’t worry, the Angel of The Lord will go with you.
Always walk under the eyes of The Good Shepherd and you will walk unharmed through evil pastures.
If certain thoughts bother you, it is the devil that causes you to worry and not God, Who, being the spirit of peace brings you tranquility.
Don’t be distressed on seeing yourself imperfect and so full of defects, nor should you be surprised at this, God permits this, in order to make you humble.
Don’t lose heart, if it is your lot in life to work a lot snd gather little. If you considered what one soul alone costs Jesus, you would never complain.
Come out of anxiety, because it is one of the greatest deceivers of true virtue and sound devotion.
We must place our trust only in God in the struggles of life, even when it seems heaven is closed to us.
Jesus permits the spiritual combat as a purification not a punishment, the trial is not unto death, but unto salvation.
Jesus is with you, even when you don’t feel His presence.
May your heart always be the temple of The Holy Spirit.
May Jesus always be the helmsman of your little ship.
May Mary always be the star that lights your path and May she show you a safe way to reach The Heavenly Father.
Prayer is the oxygen of the soul.
Live for Him Who died for you.
Only one thing is necessary, lift up your spirit and love God.
Pray, hope and don’t worry.
Keep your eyes always fixed on Him Who guides you and the heavenly homeland He wants to lead you.
PADRE PIO'S PRAYER AFTER MASS
Padre Pio Devotions Books
Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio – Book I
Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio – Book II
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