Who Was Padre Pio?
St. Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione, is one of the most revered saints of the twentieth century. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans and became a renowned priest confessor and spiritual guide/teacher. He endured serious demonic attacks because of his fruitful ministry, similar to those experienced by St. John Vianney, a legendary priest confessor of the 1800s who also reconciled many souls to Jesus and his Catholic Church and provided faithful guidance. Padre Pio is also known for his great piety and humility, including obeying his superiors while bearing unjust accusations that severely restricted his ministry at times. Because of his remarkable holiness, Padre Pio received the stigmata and had other mystical experiences.
Life and Background
Born in 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy, Francesco Forgione exhibited a deep religious fervor from an early age, often spending hours in prayer. He also suffered from poor health, battling illness throughout his childhood. At age fifteen, he joined the Capuchins, taking the name Brother Pio. His life was marked by a commitment to simplicity and caring for his “flock of sheep,” the many people who sought absolution for their sins and his spiritual guidance. Padre Pio’s famous maxim, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” summarizes the way he lived his life—in humble obedience and trust, submitting himself to Christ’s mercy in spite of physical and other forms of suffering. “Worry is useless,” Padre Pio would add. “God is merciful and will hear your prayer.” He would spend twelve to fifteen hours a day in the confessional and endured attacks from the devil because of the many souls he reconciled through the sacrament.
Miracles and Stigmata
Padre Pio is famously associated with the stigmata—the wounds associated with Christ’s crucifixion, which miraculously appeared on his hands, feet, and side in 1918. The stigmata remained imprinted on his body until Padre Pio’s death in 1968. Despite skepticism, scrutiny, and severe sanctions that his superiors (including some Vatican officials) levied upon him at times, the Church came to recognize Padre Pio’s stigmata and holiness as authentic—and thus as powerful testimonies to his closeness with Christ.
An unchanged work by Jornal O Bom Católico from https://www.flickr.com/photos/obomcatolico/5653367733/
In the years after Padre Pio receiving the stigmata, reports abounded of miracles he performed, as well as other accounts of other mystical gifts. Those extraordinary gifts included his ability to read souls, bilocate, heal others before they even asked, and experience visions, including assaults from the devil. Pio himself wrote of some of these supernatural and preternatural experiences in letters to his spiritual director.
Supernatural Gifts and Miracles of Padre Pio
Spiritual Teachings
Padre Pio’s spiritual teachings emphasize the importance of prayer and offering up one’s suffering. He believed that suffering, when united with Christ’s one sacrifice of Calvary, could aid the salvation of souls (see 2 Cor. 1:6). Padre Pio always had the rosary in his hands and prayed a full fifteen-decade rosary multiple times a day. He recommended weekly confession and also twice daily examination of one’s conscience—once in the morning and once in the evening.
Novenas, Prayers, and Devotion
Padre Pio is also venerated for his healing prayers and the fruitfulness of his intercession. His devotees often recite the Padre Pio Healing Prayer or participate in the Padre Pio Novena, seeking spiritual and physical healing. His feast day of September 23 is a time of special devotion for many modern Catholics worldwide. St. Pio of Pietrelcina, also known as Padre Pio, is the patron saint of civil defense volunteers, stress relief, and adolescents.
Powerful Healing Prayer Attributed to St. Padre Pio
Heavenly Father, I thank you for loving me.
I thank you for sending your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the world to save and set me free.
I trust in your power and grace that sustain and restore me.Loving Father,
touch me now with your healing hands,
for I believe that your will is for me to be well in mind, body, soul, and spirit.
Cover me with the most Precious Blood of your Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.
Cast away anything that should not be in me.
Root out any unhealthy and abnormal cells.
Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild and replenish any damaged areas.
Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection
by the power of Jesus’ Precious Blood.
Let the fire of your healing love pass through my entire body
to heal and make new any diseased areas
so that my body will function the way you created it to function.
Touch also my mind and my emotion,
even the deepest recesses of my heart.Saturate my entire being with your presence,
love, joy, and peace, and draw me ever closer to you every moment of my life.
And Father, fill me with your Holy Spirit
and empower me to do your works,
so that my life will bring glory and honour to your Holy Name.
I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.Amen.
Download the PDF Prayer Attributed to Padre Pio
Healing Prayer Attributed to Padre Pio in Spanish
Padre Celestial, te doy gracias por amarme.
Te agradezco por enviar a tu Hijo,
Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, al mundo para salvarme y liberarme.
Confío en tu poder y gracia que me sostienen y restauran.Padre amoroso,
tócame ahora con tus manos sanadoras,
porque creo que tu voluntad es que esté bien en mente, cuerpo, alma y espíritu.
Cúbreme con la preciosa sangre de tu Hijo,
nuestro Señor Jesucristo, desde la cabeza hasta las plantas de los pies.
Expulsa todo lo que no debe estar en mí.
Arranca cualquier célula enferma o anormal.
Abre cualquier arteria o vena bloqueada y reconstruye y rellena cualquier área dañada.
Elimina toda inflamación y limpia cualquier infección
por el poder de la preciosa sangre de Jesús.
Que el fuego de tu amor sanador pase por todo mi cuerpo
para sanar y renovar cualquier área enferma
para que mi cuerpo funcione como tú lo creaste.
Toca también mi mente y mis emociones,
incluso los rincones más profundos de mi corazón.Satura todo mi ser con tu presencia,
amor, alegría y paz y acércame más a ti en cada momento de mi vida.
Y Padre, lléname con tu Espíritu Santo
y capacítame para hacer tus obras
para que mi vida traiga gloria y honor a tu santo nombre.
Te lo pido en el nombre del Señor Jesucristo.Amén.
Descargar Oración de Sanación Poderosa a San Padre Pío
Legacy and Impact
Padre Pio’s legacy continues to inspire millions worldwide, and his life’s work includes the building of a hospital in San Giovanni Rotlondo, Italy, the town where he served most of his life and also died. Pope St. John Paul II canonized him a saint in 2002, and the faithful continue to flock to his gravesite, seeking his intercession and learning from his faithful witness. The Shrine of St. Padre Pio receives eight million pilgrims each year, second only to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
Many films and documentaries have presented Padre Pio’s remarkable life. One notable movie is Padre Pio: Miracle Man, with Sergio Castellito giving an outstanding performance in the title role. Viewer discretion when watching any movie, even one on a Catholic saint, is recommended. The EWTN version is particularly recommended. In addition, the final Mass Padre Pio offered, only days before his death, was recorded:
Pope St. John Paul II himself had a deep devotion to Padre Pio and sought his guidance during challenging times. He often spoke of Padre Pio’s influence on his life and pontificate. Pope St. Paul VI and other Church leaders also admired Padre Pio’s faithfulness and spiritual wisdom.
Beacon of Faith
Despite undergoing many hardships, sufferings, and suspicion from Church officials, Padre Pio never wavered in his faith. St. Padre Pio remains a beacon of faith and a model of total surrender to Christ in the modern world. His dedication to Jesus through prayer, his miraculous stigmata, and his profound spiritual teachings continue to touch the lives of believers and non-believers alike, offering solace in our troubled modern world.
Additional Resources
Quick Q&A
Catholic Encyclopedia
Mystical Stigmata – Treatment of the mystical phenomena of stigmata
Books
Padre Pio: Stories and Memories of My Mentor and Friend
20 Answers the Communion of Saints
Illustrated Lives of The Saints
Persecuted from Within: How the Saints Endured Crises in the Church
Rosaries
Padre Pio Medal – A handsome medal of St. Padre Pio will keep your favorite Saint over your heart and on your mind.
Lifetime Rosaries in Black—Every detail of this glorious sacramental was designed with heartfelt, prayerful intention. The Latin prayers on the crucifix, “Deliver me, Jesus” and “Have mercy on me, Jesus” come from the Litany of Trust. Jesus’ halo is a symbol of the Holy Eucharist. The interwoven intricate design on the back surrounds the Star of the Sea and represents the eternal nature of God. This black and silver rosary manages a sleek, modern look without sacrificing any of the ancient beauty inherent in this holy sacramental.
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