Padre Pio

Today we celebrate a saint from the 20th century, and certainly one of the most fascinating in our tradition. Padre Pio was born on May 25, 1887 in Benevento, Italy. He was named Francesco in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. He was very devout as a child and at an early age drawn to the priesthood.

At the age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name Pio. He was ordained to the priesthood on August 10, 1910. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted during World War I. He was discharged after it was discovered that he had tuberculosis. In 1917, he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo.

On Sept. 20, 1918, while kneeling in front of a large crucifix, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the visible marks of the crucifixion, making him the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church.

The doctor who examined his wounds could find no natural cause for them. The stigmata (the wounds of Christ) remained open and bleeding for 50 years. Over those 50 years, doctors couldn’t find an explanation for the wounds, which never healed or became infected. They miraculously healed, however, upon his death.

Padre Pio rarely left the friary, but crowds of people came to see him. He woke up every morning at 4:00 am to pray before his 5:00 am Mass. Hundreds and sometimes thousands of people waited for the door of the Church to open to attend the Mass.

After Mass, he heard confessions until noon. After taking a little break to bless the sick, he went back into the confessional in the afternoon spending at times 10 hours per day. Padre Pio had the gift of reading souls of the penitents who came to him. He also had the gift of bilocation.

In 1946, ground was broken nearby the monastery for a modern hospital called “House for the Alleviation of Suffering.” Padre Pio died on Sept. 23, 1968 at the age of 81. About 100,000 people attended his funeral.

In 2002, over 300,000 of the faithful gathered in Rome to witness John Paul II proclaim Padre Pio a saint. Referring to Padre Pio, St. John Paul II says that we see the sweet yoke of Christ and how light burdens are when someone carries them with faithful love.

A fun fact is that Padre Pio suggested the name “Our Lady of Divine Providence” for the Carmelite Sisters’ convent in Lake Elmo.

For us today, may we be inspired by Padre Pio’s deep love for the Lord, including his willingness to share in Christ’s sufferings. He truly is an inspiration for us today. St. Padre Pio, pray for us!