Monday, July 29, 2013
Beautiful videos of Poor Clare nuns, Italy
Here are two beautiful videos on some Poor Clares in Italy. Not sure which monastery, if I find out I'll update this post. The sisters are speaking Italian but someone speaking German posted them on YouTube, hence the title and text in German. I am so bummed it is not in dubbed in English or has English subtitles!
Part One
Part Two
For those who have the DVD "St. Clare of Assisi and The Poor Clares" (English narration and spoken English translation) that was put out by Oriente Occidente Productions, you might recognize one of the white veiled novices (young girl with heavy/thick eyebrows) who is in the above 2 videos as a black veiled nun in this DVD pictured below. This DVD is available at Amazon here.
(this is the cover of my DVD, but Amazon has a plainer cover for this DVD but also this cover for the Amazon Instant Video of this.)
St. Padre Pio Photo Album Part 7
"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."
"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.
St. Padre Pio Photo Album Part 6
Padre Pio's shoes - Because of the wounds of the
stigmata which pierced Padre Pio's feet, he had to wear specially made
shoes of soft leather with the top cut out. His feet were always very
swollen. His fellow Capuchins noticed that he sometimes rested his
weight on the edges of his feet and his heels so as to take the pressure
off of the center, where the wounds were. Padre Pellegrino who attended
him said, "Padre Pio's feet were very painful, so much so that I was in
a panic whenever I had to help him put on his shoes. It was enough to
touch his instep ever so slightly to cause him great pain."
"I am ready for anything as long as Jesus is happy
and will save the souls of my brethren, especially those He has
entrusted to my care."
-St. Pio of Pietrelcina
The beautiful sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace church
in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Padre Pio was sent to San Giovanni
Rotondo in 1916 and remained there until his death in 1968. Our Lady of
Grace is the Marian image most closely associated with Padre Pio. On
June 17, 2002, the day following Padre Pio's canonization, Pope John
Paul II spoke to a large gathering of pilgrims in Rome and said, "May
the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom Padre Pio called by the beautiful name of
"Our Lady of Grace," help us to follow in the footprints of this
Religious who is so beloved by the people."
"My heart is filled with a fire of love....It is a
delicate and very gentle flame which consumes without causing any
pain....this is a wonderful thing for me, something I will perhaps never
understand until I get to Heaven."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"I can only say that when I am close to Jesus in the
Blessed Sacrament my heart throbs so violently that it seems to me at
times that it must burst out of my chest. Sometimes at the altar my
whole body burns in an indescribable manner. My face in particular seems
to go on fire."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"The altar was Padre Pio's spring-board for personal
growth in sanctity. It was also the place where he bargained with God
for an endless number of graces and favors for his neighbor."
- Fr. Fernando of Riese Pio X
"Padre Pio, with his silence, his prayer, and his
suffering, was a mystery of love, expiation, and salvation, for Italy
and for the world."
- Giorgio Berlutti
"I have been very close to Padre Pio during the
celebration of his Mass, when he seemed, at the Elevation, to disappear
in the Eucharist."
- Ferdinando Gambardella
"God is continually fixed in my mind and imprinted on my heart. I never lose sight of Him."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"For the feast of the Infant Jesus, my wish for you
is that your heart may be His cradle adorned with flowers where He can
rest without the slightest discomfort."
St. Pio of Pietrelcina
This chapel was built by the local country people of
Pietrelcina in the spot where Padre Pio received the invisible
stigmata. The marks of Christ's Passion appeared intermittently on the
body of Padre Pio from 1910 to 1918. Even when the external signs of the
wounds were not visible, the pain was always present. This was
considered a period of preparation for the visible stigmata which
occurred on September 20, 1918 and which lasted 50 years (1918-1968).
Padre Pio said, "I am suffering, it is true, and suffering very much,
but I am extremely happy, for even in the midst of this suffering the
Lord never ceases to make me experience inexpressible joy."
"Jesus, be the comfort, support, and recompense in
time and in blessed eternity, not only for me, but also for all those
souls which I love with paternal tenderness."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"Since only God knows whether we will finish this
year, we should spend it in reparation for the past and in preparation
for the future."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
St. Padre Pio Photo Album Part 5
"A Christian soul never lets a day go by without meditating on the Passion of Jesus Christ."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"By his life given wholly to prayer and to listening
to his brothers and sisters, [Padre Pio] this humble Capuchin friar,
astonished the world."
- Pope John Paul II
"May the Lord confirm with His blessings, these
wishes of mine, for your happiness is very close to my heart and I work
and pray continuously for this end."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio celebrated Mass with an innate dignity.
During the Holy Sacrifice his face became ardent, pale, transfigured.
Great silent sobs shook him from time to time and he would wipe his
tears with a handkerchief. Everything about him spoke of how intensely
he was living the Passion of Christ.
Padre Pio shares a joyful moment with Padre Eusebio
Notte, his assistant and close companion for five years. Padre Eusebio
said, "My favorite reflection of Padre Pio is the kind of life he lived.
Not miracles or anything like that. You can find that in the lives of
all the saints. . . He would get up very early in the morning, at two
o'clock a.m. and say the rosary and meditate. Afterwards, Mass. Then for
many hours he heard confessions. When he finally went to bed at night,
he would break up his sleep to pray the rosary and other prayers. . . He
was a priest in whom God was particularly alive. He was like a lamp to
enlighten people and bring them on the right path to God."
In this photo, Padre Pio is visiting the sick in the
hospital which he founded, "The Home for the Relief of Suffering."
Today it is considered to be one of the finest hospitals in Europe.
Padre Pio never took any credit for the success of the "Home" but
referred everything to God. He said, "This is not my work but God's,
just as He shows me." To the doctors who were employed there he said,
"Bring God to the sick; this will help them more than any other remedy."
Padre Pio daily blessed many objects and images
which were brought to him for that purpose. We see him kissing a statue
of the Sacred Heart after having blessed it. Padre Pio prayed the novena
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus every day for all of the people who
requested his prayers.
Padre Pio kisses the statue of Our Lady of Fatima.
He said, "May Jesus always be the pilot of the little boat of your
spirit. May Mary be the star which shines on your path and may she show
you the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father."
"Live in such a way that your Heavenly Father may be proud of you, as He is proud of so many other chosen souls."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio embracing one of his spiritual sons. As a
spiritual director, he was understanding and paternal and at the same
time very strict. To one of his spiritual children Padre Pio once said,
"You understand and are perfectly well-aware of the responsibility I
have assumed before Jesus for you. If something evil takes place to your
spiritual detriment, Jesus will ask me to account for it directly."
St. Padre Pio Photo Album Part 4
Padre Pio's parents, Grazio and Maria Giuseppa
Forgione shared a long life of poverty and hard work on their tiny land
holding. Three of their children died as infants. Grazio went to America
twice to find work to sustain his family and to earn the needed money
for Padre Pio's seminary education, while Maria Giuseppa remained at
home to care for the family.
A photograph of Private Francesco Forgione (Padre
Pio). Padre Pio was already a priest when he was drafted into the
Italian army along with 60 other members of the Capuchin order. He was
called up for military service when Italy entered the First World War.
He was 30 years old and was assigned to the 10th Company of the Italian
Medical Corps in Naples. He prayed to Jesus to "have compassion on the
poor nations, so tried by the misfortune of war, and to cause His
justice to give way at last to mercy." Padre Pio experienced a divine
response to his prayers for Jesus appeared to him and answered him by
means of a gesture which communicated to him - "Slowly, slowly." This
divine visitation seemed to signal the approach of peace.
"May Jesus be the star which guides our steps
constantly in the wilderness of this present life and bring us without
delay to the haven of salvation."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
A photo of Padre Pio's hometown of Pietrelcina,
Italy, with the Capuchin friary in the background. On one occasion, in
1909, Padre Pio was walking in Pietrelcina with Don Salvatore Pannullo,
the parish priest of the town. Padre Pio told Don Salvatore that he
could hear angels singing and church bells ringing and he perceived the
fragrance of incense. Padre Pio said that someday a church would be
built on the very spot where they were standing, and would be for the
glory and praise of God. It was a prophecy that came to pass many years
later. Construction for a church and friary was begun in 1926, a gift to
Padre Pio from his American secretary, Mary Pyle. He named the friary,
"Holy Family."
"God chooses souls for Himself and in spite of my
unworthiness He has chosen even mine to help Him in the tremendous task
of human salvation."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"As long as there remains a drop of blood in our body, there will be a struggle between right and wrong."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
An early photograph of Brother Pio. One of his
classmates said, "He was always humble, recollected and silent. He had
something that distinguished him from others...He was very handsome. His
behavior which was so different from that of the others was admired by
everybody. He was not shy in character, but affable and very
simple...His personality was truly beautiful because of his countenance
and because of his self possession. He distinguished himself from other
students by his modesty, humility, and great piety."
On August 19, 1919, this exceptional photograph of
Padre Pio with his wounds uncovered was taken in the garden of the
monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo. It is the first document which could
be defined as official of the acknowledgement of the stigmata and was
made at the request of his Superiors, one year after the permanent
stigmatization. Padre Pio was thirty-two years old. The photograph was
taken by Padre Placido, a companion and fellow classmate of his. Notice
that Padre Pio's expression is rather sad. He did not want the
photograph to be taken.
"I don't know how to thank the Heavenly Father for
His mercy when He introduces souls to me to whom I can be helpful in
some way."
- St. Pio of Pietrelcina
"Jesus likes to give himself to simple souls; we
must make an effort to acquire this beautiful virtue of simplicity . . .
Jesus said, 'Unless you become like children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven.' But before He taught us this by His words, He had
already put it into practice. He became a child and gave us the example
of that simplicity He was to teach us later also by His words. . . We
must try to keep our thoughts pure, our ideas upright and honest, and
our intentions holy."
-St. Pio of Pietrelcina
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