St. Padre Pio

His life

Francesco Forgione was born in 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy. Devout and often ill as a child, he joined the Capuchins at fifteen, taking the name Pio. He became a renowned confessor and spiritual guide, spending twelve to fifteen hours a day in the confessional, and like St. John Vianney he suffered attacks from the devil because of the souls he reconciled. He bore unjust accusations and restrictions on his ministry in humble obedience. His maxim was "Pray, hope, and don't worry," adding, "Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer."

The stigmata and other gifts

In 1918 the wounds of Christ's crucifixion appeared on his hands, feet and side, and remained until his death in 1968. Despite skepticism and sanctions from superiors, including some Vatican officials, the Church came to recognize his stigmata and holiness as authentic. Reports abounded of other gifts: reading souls, bilocation, healing people before they asked, visions, and assaults from the devil, some of which he described in letters to his spiritual director.

His teaching

He stressed prayer and offering up suffering, which united to Christ's sacrifice can aid the salvation of souls (see 2 Corinthians 1:6). He always held a rosary, praying the full fifteen decades several times a day, and recommended weekly confession and examining one's conscience morning and evening.

Devotion and legacy

He is patron of civil defense volunteers, stress relief and adolescents. Many pray the Padre Pio Healing Prayer and novena for spiritual and physical healing. He built a hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he served most of his life and died. St. John Paul II, who sought his guidance and was devoted to him, canonized him in 2002. His shrine receives eight million pilgrims a year, second only to Guadalupe. St. Paul VI also admired him. Despite suffering and suspicion he never wavered, a model of total surrender to Christ.

Padre Pio Healing Prayer: 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.