Padre Pio was born in the small town of Pietrelcina, Italy, on 25 May 1887. Although his family were poor in material goods, they were certainly rich in their faith life and in their love of God.

As a young boy, Francesco had already shown signs of extraordinary gifts of grace and, at the age of five, he dedicated his life to God. From his early childhood, he showed a remarkable recollection of spirit and a love for the religious life. His mother described him as a quiet child who, from his earliest years, loved to go to church and to pray. As a young boy, he was able to see, and communicate with, with Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In his simplicity, Francesco assumed everyone had the same experiences.

When Francesco was 15 years old, he was admitted to the novitiate of the Capuchin Order of the Friars Minor in Morcone. One of the novices stated, “There was something which distinguished him from the other students. Whenever I saw him, he was always humble, recollected, and silent.”

At the age of 23, Padre Pio was ordained to the priesthood. The celebration of the Mass was, for Padre Pio, the centre of his spirituality. Everything about him spoke of how intensely he was living the Passion of Christ.

His parishioners were deeply impressed by his piety and, one by one, began to come to him, seeking his counsel. As the years passed, pilgrims began to come to him by the thousands, from every corner of the world, drawn by the spiritual riches which flowed so freely from his extraordinary ministry.

Padre Pio suffered from poor health his entire life. After his ordination to the priesthood, he remained in his hometown of Pietrelcina and was separated from his religious community for more than five years due to his precarious health. He experienced many spiritual sufferings as well. “I am fully convinced that my illness is due to the special permission of God” he said.

On 20 September 1918, while he was praying before a crucifix and making his thanksgiving after Mass, the marks of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appeared on Padre Pio’s body. He was 31 years old and became the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. With resignation and serenity, he bore the painful wounds in his hands feet and side for 50 years.

In addition, God endowed Padre Pio with many extraordinary spiritual gifts and charisms, including the gift of healing, bilocation, prophecy, miracles, discernment of spirits, the gift of conversions, the grace to see angelic beings in form, and the fragrance which emanated from his wounds and which frequently announced his invisible presence. When a friend once questioned him about these charisms, Padre Pio said, “You know, they are a mystery to me, too.” Although he received more than his share of spiritual gifts, he never sought them, nor felt worthy of them.

On 23 September 1968, at the age of 81, Padre Pio died in San Giovanni, Rotondo. His body was buried on three days later in a crypt in the Church of Our Lady of Grace. His Requiem Mass was attended by over 100,000 people. He says to us, “Jesus will assist you and give you the grace to live a heavenly life and nothing whatever will be able to separate you from His love.”

Why Padre Pio is important

A reflection from someone in our young Catholic community

I remember as a child going to Rome to see my grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. During our stay there, I would see pictures of this man hung in almost, if not every, church we visited. So I asked my mum who he was. She told me his name was Padre Pio.

He has been a saint that has been on my heart and mind for almost two decades. What I admire most about St Pio of Pietrelcina is his humility. He was gifted with many graces and spiritual blessings, but his desire was only to bring people to God. He used the gifts that God gave him to do that.

I know I cannot bilocate or see angelic beings, but God has given me blessings and he helped me to see that each person has God-given gifts and they are to be used for the unique purpose God has for you. That is why I love Padre Pio; because with humility he shows us the love of God and how important each one of us is.

Some quotes

“You say you are anxious about the future, but don’t you know that the Lord is with you always and that our enemy has no power over one who has resolved to belong entirely to Jesus?”

“My past, O Lord, to Your mercy; my present, to Your love; my future to Your providence.”

“He wants you entirely for Himself, He wants you to place all your trust and all your affection in Him alone and it is precisely for this reason that He sends you this spiritual aridity, to unite you more closely to Him.”

“Continue to be patient; it will all be for your good.”

“We have close to us an angelic spirit who never leaves us for an instant from the cradle to the grave, who guides and protects us like a friend or a brother.”

“Jesus speaks of nothing but love and gives us perpetual proof of His love.”