"Practice the little virtues which pertain to your
littleness - patience, tolerance with your neighbor, humility,
sweetness, affability, bearing your imperfections, and many others."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"May God see to it that you grow to be a beautiful
tree, divine heavenly seed. May God see to it that you produce mature
fruit, and when you have done so, may God preserve you from the wind
that makes the fruit fall to the ground......This desire must be within
you just like the orange trees of the Genoa Rivera, which are laden with
fruit, flowers and leaves combined, almost all year round so that your
desires may always bear fruit when the occasion presents itself, working
a little every day."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio spent up to fifteen hours a day hearing
confessions. His confessional was often called, "a tribunal of mercy and
firmness." Padre Pio was firm with the penitents. He would not allow
people to make excuses for their sins. People would sometimes wait seven
days or longer to make their confession to him. On the last day of his
life he was taken to the sacristy of the church in a wheelchair and
heard his last seven confessions. Pope Pius XII called Padre Pio "the
confessor of Europe."
A mosaic of St. Michael, the Archangel, in the
monastery church of "Our Lady of Grace" where Padre Pio celebrated Mass
for many years. Padre Pio had a great devotion to St. Michael and prayed
to him daily. He often encouraged people to visit the shrine of St.
Michael in Monte Sant' Angelo. He had made his own pilgrimage there as a
youth. For Padre Pio, the angelic realm was visible, real and very
near. From childhood, he could see his guardian angel in form, and often
conversed with him. At times, he spoke of the beautiful "celestial
choirs" which he could hear. Padre Pio lived his whole life, close to
God and in the company of angels.
This painting, "Our Lady of Purity" was a gift to
Padre Pio from an antique dealer. Padre Pio loved this painting of the
Madonna but hesitated to accept it as he felt it was too expensive a
gift to accept. He did however, accept it, and it hung on the wall in
cell number one, the cell where he lived for many years at the monastery
of Our Lady of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo. Ever encouraging people
to have devotion to the Virgin Mary, he once wrote to one of his
spiritual children, "You must remember that you have in Heaven, not only
a Father, but also a Mother.
Padre Pio's cell number one at the monastery of Our
Lady of Grace in San Giovanni Rotondo. Padre Pio had many devotional
objects in his cell including a crucifix, a painting of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus, a picture of the Holy Father and a picture of Our Lady
Liberatrix (the Madonna which was venerated in his hometown of
Pietrelcina). Also in his room was a photograph of his mother and
father, Maria Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, a photo of Mary Pyle, his
American secretary, and a picture of St. Bernadette of Lourdes. Above
his desk was a picture of the statue of St. Michael the Archangel, the
statue that is venerated in the shrine of St. Michael the Archangel,
near San Giovanni Rotondo. Opposite his bed hung the beautiful painting
of Our Lady of Purity.
A painting of Our Lady of Pompeii - Padre Pio had a
great devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii. He had made a pilgrimage to her
shrine near Naples, Italy when he was fourteen years old and on several
other occasions after he was ordained to the priesthood. He made
countless novenas to Our Lady of Pompeii throughout his life. Regarding
Our Lady, he used to say, "She treats me as if I were her only child on
the face of the earth. She comes to me whenever I need her."
An image of Our Lady Liberatrix (Our Lady of
Liberty), the patroness of Padre Pio's hometown of Pietrelcina, Italy.
Padre Pio had a great devotion to Our Lady Liberatrix and always kept a
picture of her in his cell. Many of the residents of Pietrelcina
observed that Padre Pio, as a newly ordained priest, spent many hours in
the parish church, in prayer before the beautiful statue of Our Lady
Liberatrix. He used to say, "Be very grateful to the Madonna, for it was
she who gave us Jesus."
Padre Pio passed away on September 23rd, 1968. In
death, he was serene and beautiful. In his hands were placed a crucifix,
a rosary and the Rule of St. Francis and around his shoulders was
placed his priestly stole. The Bishop of the Diocese, his Excellency
Andrea Cesarano, is seen at the bier. He had governed the diocese of
Manfredonia for more than thirty-five years and was called "Padre Pio's
bishop." Speaking about Padre Pio, he said, "I admired the serenity of
his spirit, the joviality of his character and his total submission to
the decisions of the Holy See concerning himself." On many occasions
this prelate of the Church would visit the monastery and instead of
giving his own blessing would take Padre Pio's hand and raise it in a
blessing.
The funeral procession for Padre Pio who died on
September 23, 1968. His casket was placed in an open hearse and driven
through the streets of San Giovanni Rotondo. The whole town was in
mourning. Over 100,000 people attended his funeral. Overhead,
helicoptors of the Italian Air Force showered flowers on the crowds
below. In Rome, Pope Paul VI celebrated a suffrage Mass for Padre Pio.
The Father Guardian of the monastery said of Padre Pio, "He desired to
die on his feet, at his place of work, after a day spent with others in
prayer and in his ministry for good."
Padre Alessio Parente, Padre Pio's secretary for many years, pauses to say a prayer at the tomb of his spiritual father.
"For many, death is a sorrowful event. For Padre Pio, it was like a
release from prison or a long awaited journey home. His life was
completely oriented toward attaining Heaven."
- Fr. Federico de Macchia Valforte
On June 16, 2002 Padre Pio was canonized in Rome.
Over 300,000 people attended, making it one of the largest canonization
ceremonies in the Vatican's history. Pope John Paull II announced that
St. Pio's feast day would be an obligatory memorial on the Roman
Calendar. This means that the feast must be observed in the Mass on the
day it occurrs unless a solemnity falls on the same day. St. Maximilian
Kolbe, priest and martyr, is the only other saint who died in the
twentieth century who is honored with an obligatory memorial.
On June 16, 2002 Padre Pio was canonized in Rome.
Over 300,000 people attended, making it one of the largest canonization
ceremonies in the Vatican's history. Pope John Paull II announced that
St. Pio's feast day would be an obligatory memorial on the Roman
Calendar. This means that the feast must be observed in the Mass on the
day it occurrs unless a solemnity falls on the same day. St. Maximilian
Kolbe, priest and martyr, is the only other saint who died in the
twentieth century who is honored with an obligatory memorial.
