23 September: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Living Image of the Suffering and Risen Christ
“I only want to be a poor friar who prays”, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, in the world Francesco Forgione, would say as he waved aside the thousands of faithful who followed him. Why was a simple Capuchin from a small village on the Gargano so popular? The secret is that everyone who met him, could glimpse a living image of the Suffering and Risen Christ, in him.
Padre Pio was born on 25 May 1887 in Pietrelcina, in the province and Diocese of Benevento. At the age of five, he began to feel the call to religious life. Struck by the example of Br. Camillo da Sant’Elia a Pianisi, a Capuchin who begged for alms in his town, he wished to follow his example. On 6 January 1903, he entered the novitiate of the Friars Minor Capuchins of the religious province of Sant’Angelo-Foggia in Morcone, a few kilometres from Pietrelcina. On 22 January, he took the habit and changed his name to Brother Pio. On 27 January 1907, he made his perpetual vows. Due to health reasons, he was forced to leave the convent and his studies, and return home. On 10 August 1910, he was ordained a priest of Benevento.
On 6 November 1915, during World War I, he was enlisted, but he suffered from a mysterious illness that caused high fever, with temperatures reaching over 50 degrees.
On September 1916, he was sent to San Giovanni Rotondo convent, where he remained until his death. On 16 March 1918, he was discharged due to broncho-alveolitis in both lungs. Between 5 and 7 August 1918, he experienced the mystical phenomenon of transverberation. And on 20 September in the choir of the small Church in the convent, he received the stigmata.
News of this mystical experience travelled rapidly and hundreds of pilgrims began to head to San Giovanni Rotondo. Between 1919 and 1920, by order of his Superiors, he was visited by three medical luminaries. To avoid too much publicity, a decision was made to move Padre Pio elsewhere, but the faithful prevented this from happening. In May 1931, the Holy See forbade him to exercise all the functions of his priestly ministry with the exception of Mass, which he could only celebrate in private in the convent’s internal chapel. On 14 July 1933, the Holy See lifted the ban.
His daily life was marked by prayer and penance, starting with the celebration of Mass in the morning. He spent the whole day in the Confessional, at times for longer than 12 hours. Accustomed to obeying his Superiors, he did not rebel when he was under investigation and limited in exercising his ministry, accepting everything with humility and resignation. Even when faced with slander, he preferred to be quiet and to pray.
With regards to charity, he wanted to meet the problems of many families, by founding the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (hospital), whose cornerstone was laid on 16 May 1947. At the same time, Prayer Groups began to emerge.
There were so many pilgrims that the church in the convent had become too small to contain them and in 1954, Padre Pio had to celebrate Mass in the parvis outside the Church.
The Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza was inaugurated on 5 May 1956. The following year, the Saint asked Pius XII to entrust the management of the hospital to the Third Order of Franciscans. He also asked that the stocks be deposited at the Institute for Religious Works, and that upon his death, the assets of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza be transferred to the Holy See.
Unfortunately, in 1960, more slanderous remarks led the Superior General of the Capuchins to ask John XXIII for an Apostolic visitation to the Convent of San Giovanni Rotondo and the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza. Once the visit was completed, priests and bishops were banned from celebrating Mass with Padre Pio. He was ordered to celebrate Masses lasting a maximum of 30-40 minutes, which were to be held at different times, not regularly. Paul VI eliminated these obligations a few months after he was elected as Pope.
In 1966, due to health problems, he was allowed to celebrate Mass while seated. As of March 1968, he was confined to a wheel chair.
On 22 September, he celebrated his last Mass. He died in the morning of 23 September, with the names of Jesus and Mary on his lips. The stigmata on his body had disappeared without leaving any trace. His funeral was attended by crowds of faithful. On 16 June 2002, in Saint Peter’s Square, John Paul II proclaimed him a Saint.