St. Pio of Pietrelcina

My parish priest, a Franciscan friar who is from San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy is now visiting his hometown to celebrate St. Pio's feastday. As a young priest, he would go to Padre Pio for confessions. I look forward to his return next week, God willing, as I know he will have many stories to tell.

Pope John Paul II called St. Pio a "model for priesthood". It was also reported that when John Paul II was a priest, he asked Padre Pio to pray for his friend who was suffering from cancer. He did and the Pope's friend was cured.

And now a short history on St. Pio...

Many people believe St. Pio was the greatest man of the 20th century.

On September 23rd 1968, a few weeks before Richard Nixon would be elected president of the United States, while the world was listening to the latest Beatles album, a man died in a small town in eastern Italy. He was born poor; he died poor. Many people mourned. Not just in Italy, but around the world. He was a man loved by God. He was a man who was given many supernatural gifts.

This 81 year old man, was a priest. The only priest in the nearly 2000 year history of the Catholic Church to bear the stigmata - physical wounds like those suffered by Jesus Christ. He had those painful wounds for a full 50 years. He was also believed to be the instrument of many miracles over the course of his long ministry.

The stories of his life are legendary: of his ability to read the souls of those who went to him for confession, so that he could recite their sins even before they opened their mouths. Of his gift of bilocation - the ability to be in two places at the same time. Of the healings that took place after his prayers to God. Of the magnificant hospital he built with the money people sent to him. And, most important of all, of his love for God.

In May of 1987, on the 100th anniversary of St. Pio's birth, Pope John Paul II, said: "How lively was his sense of justice and mercy, his compassion for those who suffered, and how concretely he committed himself to helping them. I wish to thank the Lord with you for having given us dear Padre Pio, for having given him to our generation in this very tormented century. In his love for God and for his brethren, he is a sign of great hope."

On Sunday, June 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II he proclaimed Padre Pio a saint: St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

Teachings of St. Pio

On Christian Perfection

Padre Pio encourages his spiritual children to practice externally the virtue of kindliness, to be agreeable and courteous. Polite manners draw others to imitate him in the devout life. If others do not respond to kindness, we need the virtue of forbearance. Never desist from one's effort to help others, even if they are not deriving benefit of our help.

Strive for meekness, which makes us stifle our anger when we see our efforts repaid with ingratitude, insults or offenses. Add faithfulness, by which the soul gains confidence.

Virtues which perfect the devout person with regard to control of his own senses are modesty, continence and chastity: modesty, governing all exterior acts; continence, restraint over senses of sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing; chastity, which ennobles our nature and makes it similar to the angels.

On Abortion: "A Great Sin"

Often Padre Pio seemed to know aspects of the lives of his penitents which they tried to hide from him or even from themselves.

Albert Cardone first learned of Padre Pio in 1944, when he was eighteen, through the testimony of a neighbor, whose name he could not disclose because she may still have been alive at the time when he related the incident in March 1990: "She went to confession. Padre Pio, before giving her absolution, said, 'Try to remember the other sin.' The woman said, 'Padre, I think I gave you all the sins I know and I think this is it.' Padre Pio said, 'Then, for your penance, go to the cross to say fifteen Ave Marias and fifteen Our Fathers.' Now the cross was at the top of the mountain. The penance was not the Aves or the Our Fathers, it was the journey to get there, as it was a very bad road... So she did that and said the prayers and went back to Padre Pio for a second confession and Padre Pio asked, 'Do you remember all your sins?' She said, 'Padre Pio, I've confessed everything.' Padre Pio said. 'No, you still don't remember all. You've got to go to the cross at the top of the mountain again.'

She went for the second time and when she still did not remember he sent her for the third time to the cross on the mountaintop. When she returned for the third time for confession, Padre Pio asked, 'So, do you remember everything now?' She replied, 'No, Padre, I don't have anything more to confess.' Then Padre Pio said in a loud voice, 'What do you mean, you don't remember anything? Don't you know he could have been a good priest, a bishop, even a cardinal?' She started to think and then began to cry, 'Father,' she said, 'I never knew abortion was a sin.' 'What do you mean,' he said, 'you didn't know that this was a sin? That's killing.' Then she said, Nobody knows about this, only me and my mother. How could you say it would have been a priest or a cardinal?' Padre Pio simply responded by saying, 'But it's a sin, a great sin.' "

The above [story] is taken from the book "Padre Pio: The True Story" by C. Bernard Ruffin, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1991.

Prayer to St. Pio

Beloved Padre Pio, today I come to add my prayer to the thousands of prayers offered to you every day by those who love and venerate you.

They ask for cures and healings, earthly and spiritual blessings, and peace for body and mind. And because of your friendship with the Lord, he heals those you ask to be healed, and forgives those you forgive.

Through your visible wounds of the Cross, which you bore for 50 years, you were chosen in our time to glorify the crucified Jesus. Because the Cross has been replaced by other symbols, please help us to bring it back in our midst, for we acknowledge it is the only true sign of salvation.

As we lovingly recall the wounds that pierced your hands, feet and side, we not only remember the blood you shed in pain, but your smile, and the invisible halo of sweet smelling flowers that surrounded your presence, the perfume of sanctity.

Padre Pio, may the healings of the sick become the testimony that the Lord has invited you to join the holy company of Saints. In your kindness, please help me with my own special request: (mention here your petition, and make the sign of the Cross).

Bless me and my loved ones.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Taken from: St. Pio Website and Padre Pio Foundation of America)