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Feast Day: September 23
Also known as
Francesco
Forgione; Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Profile
Born to a
southern
Italian
farm family, the son of Grazio, a
shepherd. At age 15 he entered the noviciate of the Capuchin Friars in
Morcone, and joined the order at age 19. Suffered several health problems,
and at one point his family thought he had
tuberculosis.
Ordained at age 22 on
10 August
1910.
While praying before a cross, he received the
stigmata on
20 September
1918, the first
priest ever to be so blessed. As word spread, especially after
American
soldiers brought home stories of Padre Pio following WWII, the
priest himself became a point of pilgrimage for both the pious and the
curious. He would hear confessions by the hour, reportedly able to read
the consciences of those who held back. Reportedly able to bi-locate,
levitate, and heal by touch. Founded the House for the Relief of
Suffering in
1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. In the
1920's he started a series of prayer groups that continue today with
over 400,000 members worldwide.
His canonization miracle involved the cure of Matteo Pio Colella, age 7,
the son of a doctor who works in the House for Relief of Suffering, the
hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo founded by Padre Pio. On the night of
20 June
2000, Matteo was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital
with meningitis. By morning doctors had lost hope for him as nine of the
boy´s internal organs had ceased to give signs of life. That night, during
a prayer vigil attended by Matteo´s mother and some Capuchin friars of
Padre Pio´s
monastery, the
child's condition improved suddenly. When he awoke from the coma,
Matteo said that he had seen an elderly man with a white
beard and a long, brown habit, who said to him: "Don´t worry, you will
soon be cured." The miracle was approved by the Congregation and
Pope
John Paul II on
20 December
2001.
Born
25 May
1887 at Pietrelcina, Benevento,
Italy as Francesco Forgione
Died
23 September
1968 of natural causes
Venerable
18 December
1997 by
Pope
John Paul II
Beatified
2 May
1999 by
Pope
John Paul II
Canonized
16 June
2002 by
Pope
John Paul II at
Rome,
Italy
Prayers
Chaplet of Padre Pio
Images
Gallery of images of Padre Pio
[32 images, 404
kb]
Readings
Look what
fame he had, what a worldwide following gathered around him! But why?
Perhaps because he was a philosopher? Because he was wise? Because he had
resources at his disposal? Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions
from dawn to dusk and was-it is not easy to say it-one who bore the wounds
of our Lord. He was a man of prayer and suffering.
Pope
Paul VI,
21 Febuary
1971, commenting on the life of Padre Pio
And you,
Blessed Padre Pio, look down from heaven upon us assembled in this square
and upon all gathered in prayer before the Basilica of Saint John Lateran
and in San Giovanni Rotondo. Intercede for all those who, in every part of
the world, are spiritually united with this event and raise their prayers
to you. Come to the help of everyone; give peace and consolation to every
heart. Amen!
from the homily of
Pope
John Paul II at the
beatification of Padre Pio
Stay with
me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget
You. You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may
not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without
fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and alway be in
Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of
consolation for You, a nest of Love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a
close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approaches. It is
necessary to renew my strenth, so that I will not stop along the way and
for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the
darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I
need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the
darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain
united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace,
Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other
reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and
continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen.
Padre Pio's Prayer After Holy Communion
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Padre Pio
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