St. Padre Pio Feast Day September 23

Tough Start St. Padre Pio was raised in a poor family in Italy. He was often very ill.

Ambition His dream was to become a priest. At 15 years old, he joined one of the priestly orders and continued to serve for nearly fifty years.

Stigmata In addition to his priestly collar, Padre Pio bore another sign of his strong faith. Padre Pio had the stigmata. The stigmata are wounds in the exact same places as Christ’s wounds from when he was on the cross. These wounds never heal. As a result, Padre Pio is often seen with gloves to cover the wounds on his hands

Empathy Instead of worrying about his own problems, Padre Pio spent his time praying for others. He also raised funds for a new hospital to treat the poor in Italy

Standing Still Padre Pio didn’t travel much but he still met plenty of people. People came from great distances based on stories they heard about Padre Pio.

Hard Work Padre Pio spent two hours each morning preparing for Mass. He would then spend up to two hours celebrating these daily Masses.

Forgive Me, Father After Mass, Padre Pio would spend several hours each day listening to confessions. Padre Pio could read the hearts of those who were confessing.

Special Appearance During World War II, American pilots were on a mission to bomb Padre Pio’s home village. However, when they tried to drop the bombs a vision of Padre Pio appeared and their bombs failed to drop.

Last Rites The wounds on Padre Pio’s hands and feet bled everyday of his life. However, when celebrating his last Mass his wounds stopped bleeding. Doctors examining his hands confirmed that the wounds from which he bled were not man-made.