Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Feast day: September 23
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, Capuchin priest who heard confessions and led many back to God (23/09)
Who is he?
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, usually called Padre Pio, was an Italian Capuchin Franciscan priest. He lived in the 20th century, and many people alive today met him. On 16 June 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized him.
Life story
He was born on 25 May 1887 in the village of Pietrelcina, in southern Italy, into a poor farming family, and his birth name was Francesco Forgione. Young Francesco loved to pray and to stay a long time in church. At 15, he joined the Capuchins and received the religious name Pio. On 10 August 1910, he was ordained a priest.
From 1916, he lived in the small friary of San Giovanni Rotondo, in the hills of Gargano, and stayed there for the rest of his life. On 20 September 1918, while he was praying before a crucifix, wounds like the five holy wounds of Jesus appeared on his hands, his feet and his side. He suffered from them for 50 years, but he never showed off; he wore gloves to cover them. The Church studied this very carefully for many years.
Huge crowds came to the friary. Padre Pio sat in the confessional for many hours every day, listening to each person and urging them to be truly sorry and to trust in God’s mercy. For a time, the Holy See did not allow him to celebrate Mass in public or hear confessions. He quietly obeyed; in 1933, the ban on Mass was lifted, and later he was allowed to hear confessions again.
He cared not only for souls but also for the sick. In 1956, he opened a large hospital called the “Home for the Relief of Suffering.” He also encouraged prayer groups, which are now found all over the world. On 23 September 1968, he died peacefully at 81 years old.
Why is he a saint?
The Church canonized Padre Pio not because of extraordinary signs, but because of his life of prayer, humility and obedience. He loved the Mass, suffered together with Jesus, and spent his whole life bringing sinners back to God’s mercy.
A lesson for you
- When you are worried, remember Padre Pio’s words: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
- Go to Confession often: God is always waiting to forgive you.
- Every day, pray at least one decade of the Rosary, like Padre Pio.
Identifying marks
- A brown habit with a knotted white cord: the habit of the Capuchin Franciscans, the order he joined at 15.
- Brown fingerless gloves: he wore them to cover the wounds on his hands, like the five holy wounds of Jesus.
- A Rosary: he prayed the Rosary a great deal every day and urged everyone to pray it faithfully.
- A hand raised in blessing, white hair and beard: the familiar picture of a kind old priest from photos and statues of him.
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