Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), priest, religious, mystic, O.F.M. Cap.

Real name Francesco Forgione

Saint

Feast day: September 23

* May 25, 1887 Pietrelcina, Italy

† September 23, 1968 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy

Meaning of name: pious, religious (Latin)

On May 25, 1887, in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina, Francesco was born to the family of farmer Grazia and his wife Giuseppa Forgione, named after St. Francis of Assisi. Even as a child, it was clear that he was an exceptional child of God. He was very pious and wanted to become a priest even as a boy. He became a Capuchin and donned the Capuchin habit in 1902 at the age of sixteen. Furthermore, he took the name Pio. After seven years of study, he was ordained a priest in 1910.

His entire life was marked by suffering and supernatural interventions. On September 20, 1918, Father Pio, kneeling before his large cross, received the stigmata—the wounds of the crucified Jesus Christ. This made him the first stigmatized priest in the history of the Church. The doctor who examined these wounds could only conclude that they were not of natural origin. Some time before his death in 1968, the stigmata disappeared, leaving no scars. The skin was completely restored. Many who met him said that the blood flowing from the stigmata had the scent of flowers. In addition to this supernatural fact, Padre Pio had the gift of bilocation and could also read people’s hearts. So many people came to see him that he often heard confessions for 10–12 hours a day. He correctly guessed what penitents needed and always found the right words to bring people closer to God.

He died on September 23, 1968, at the age of 81. About 100,000 people attended his funeral. He was beatified on May 2, 1999, and canonized on June 16, 2002, by Pope John Paul II. The places where Padre Pio lived are important destinations for pilgrims from all over the world.