| | At a young age Francesco Forgione (Padre Pio) had dedicated his life to God. His mother described him as a child that loved to go to church and pray. As a young boy, Francesco was able to see and communicate with his guardian angel as well as Jesus and Mary. | With his ordination to the priesthood in 1910, people were drawn to Padre Pio because of his piety and reverence in celebrating the Mass. Sometimes his masses would last several hours because of long silences he would take in prayer.
As the years passed, word about this holy man had stretched far and wide, and pilgrims from every corner of the world traveled to see him. For many, even a few moments in his presence proved to be a life changing experience | | Padre Pio suffered from poor health his entire life, however he offered all of his sufferings to God as a sacrifice for the conversion of souls. By the age of thirty, he had been living each day in almost continuous prayer, and at thirty-one, he became the first priest to receive the stigmata. On Friday, September 20, 1918, Padre Pio received the wounds of Christ while praying before a crucifix. Although he never had a fever or drops in blood pressure, his wounds bled day after day for 50 years. | In addition to the stigmata, God endowed Padre Pio with many other spiritual gifts including the gift of healing, bi-location, gift of tongues, and many other miracles. With all these gifts however, Padre Pio never felt worthy of having these abilities and always remained humble.
Each day he would rise at 2:30 a.m. and prepare for mass. Between Mass and confessions, Padre Pio served for 19 hours a day. For 51 years he never took a day of rest, and encompassed the Franciscan spirit of poverty and detachment from possessions and comforts. | | Padre Pio passed away on September 23rd, 1968 at the age of eighty-one. He died with a rosary in his hands, and his last words were, “Gesú, Maria” (“Jesus, Mary”). During his life, Padre Pio had often declared, “After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death.” | | |
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