Padre Pio - Gift to the 20th Century

Throughout the centuries, God has granted numerous favors in the form of miracles to His church. It seems as though these come at times of greatest need, when to remain faithful to God is hardest. Certainly the twentieth century was one of those periods – a time when science and affluence combined to push religion toward a state of meaninglessness and obsolescence. A time when the filmmakers sold relativism and politicians encouraged worship at the altar of personal freedom.

In our judgment there were two such favors during the 1900's – Medjugorje and Padre Pio. Medjugorje, though still not officially recognized by the church, is the most recent and widely known. And, even if the events turn out to be a great hoax, the fruits and graces that have resulted from the "alleged" apparitions are substantial and remarkable. In many ways it was just what the second half of the century needed – the millions of conversions and spiritual cures.

Less known is the remarkable life of Padre Pio, the Capucian monk whose entire priestly life was spent in the obscure monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo on a sterile Italian mountainside. He was beatified on May 2, 1999, the second of the three steps in the canonization process (venerable being the first, and sainthood the third). This official recognition of the church adds greatly to the credibility of his saintly life of suffering and sacrifice for others.

Perhaps Father Pio is best known for the Stigmata that he bore – the five wounds of Christ that bled daily for fifty years. This incredible phenomenon was examined by numerous doctors and found to be unexplainable by medical science. He lost more than a cup of blood a day from September 20, 1918, when he received the wounds, until his death on September 23, 1968.

Pilgrims flocked to his daily mass, which lasted an hour and a half. The piety with which he prayed, particularly at the consecration, was an inspiration to all who attended. Following daily mass he heard confessions, often for twelve hours. The demand for this was so great that, in order to confess to him, an appointment was needed several days in advance. Sometimes he read people's souls and told them their sins when they forgot them or were reluctant to confess all. He was eagerly sought as a spiritual director both in and out of the confessional. His counsel was given to some in letters, some of which have been made public.

Pope John Paul II at Padre Pio's Tomb

Countless medical miracles and cures have been witness by those for whom Padre Pio prayed. On occasion he would appear to the sick hundreds or thousands of miles away to predict a healing. More often his presence was indicated by a celestial perfume that smelled like flowers or incense. The perfume would also be detected in his presence, coming from wounds of his Stigmata.

He exhibited extraordinary prophetic insight, not just about spiritual or medical matters, but also secular matters such as World War II. Some even felt that his prayers sparred towns from destructive bombings.

If you are planning to be on one of our pilgrimages that will visit Padre Pio's Friary in San Giovanni Rotondo, you might want to consider reading his life story. The best book that we've found is Padre Pio – The Stigmatist by Rev. Charles Carty. This book is available at Catholic bookstores, libraries and on the Internet. I've been asked whether it's better to read about a place before or after you visit it. And I honestly don't think it makes much difference. Reading and visiting complement each other in either order. The important thing is that the life of this "Gift to the Twentieth" Century will inspire your spiritual life and deepen your faith.

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