I thought it might be a good time to write a few words about Padre Pio, a Humble country Friar who has been called the greatest Saint of the 20th century. First his back ground, very humble working , poor farming folk from a tiny little Italian village. Padre Pio was praying for his grandparents one time when someone asked if he did not mean he was praying for their souls as they were both then dead? Padre Pio said no that he was praying for them when they were living as God is Master of time. He went on to say that his grand parents lived in very great poverty and needed all the prayers they could get. For someone like Padre Pio who lived in poverty as a child himself to talk of his grandparents this way must only mean they lived a very hand to mouth existence indeed. Struggling to find things even such a the very means to keep themselves alive such as food itself. His own parents were so poor that his father had to travel to the USA to work to find the money to get Padre Pio the education he needed to be a priest. His mother pushed for this, his father being a little more reluctant to make such a big step. But the two of them made the most incredible sacrifices to help his with his vocation, little wonder Padre Pio loved them both so much. Especially I think his mother, he was pretty well knocked flat when she died. He looks so young and happy here! No beard! https://www.facebook.com/american.c...rgione-emigrated-to-the-uni/1206827528136462/ Young Padre Pio with his parents. His father Grazio Forgione emigrated to the United States multiple times, first in 1899, to earn money for his son's education to become a priest. He worked on farms and in places like Mahoningtown (New Castle) Pennsylvania.
Padre Pio was pretty well buried in Special Graces even from early childhood. What are, 'Special Graces'? Well things like visions, locutions miracles and so on. Padre Pio talked to Jesus and Mary all his life and even saw them . He was amazed when his Spiritual Director told him not everyone could do this. Most spiritual fathers agree folk are better of not having Special Graces. That there are all kinds of dangers such as pride connected with all this. Also as Jesus said to Doubting Thomas, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe. But the way I look at it is of God chooses to grant people Special Graces, fine and good. If he decides not to give special graces fine and good too. Whatever God wants . Padre Pio in speaking of this said such graces are not given for the sake of the person himself but for other peoples sakes. I think that is partly true. But only partly. Why do some people see beyond the veil and others, not? But there is one curious thing I notice from Black Magic and Satanism. There seems to be certain people who have special magical gifts. These folks are called Black Hats or Magicians. They are great at working spells, hexes, enchantments, curses talking to demons ansd so on. Kind of Black, 'Special Gifts'. So it occurs to me if these folks had walked the Path of Light they might have had Special Graces, that by being witches they are abusing natural gifts God granted to them. There are certain things I think can pre open special graces. For instance nearly dying or near death experiences. An encounter with something from the other side. Say like seeing a ghost or a demon. Or having a traumatic experience. Say someone actually saw Our Lady, for example. This being so the veil between this world and the next is torn so to speak and then you might see all kinds of things. But the major way I would guess is prayer. As you climb the mountain you might very well get Special Graces, or maybe not. But it is not having Special Graces that makes people Holy. It is loving that raises us up.
These Special Graces that Padre Pio was granted are a double edged sword. For as the veil opens to the other side it opens to heaven and the citizens of heaven it also opens to hell and the citizens or slaves of hell. So in the case of Padre Pio we see direct diabolic attack including physical , and a kind of whole shadow world of ghosts (the souls in purgatory) those who are possessed, discerning ouls that have died and gone to hell and on and on and on. Are these bad things? Well in the case of Padre Pio these doors were permitted to open by God. Padre Pio never actively looked for such things. They were granted. For myself I would say there lots of good things coming from the kind of Dark Side being shown. For instance diabolical attack. It is a great confirmation of Faith. Also as my spiritual director used to say it is a great compliment to yourself that the devil does such things. Another thing I would say about such things is that they are so interesting. Seeing such things are really, really great teachers. We should never ever seek such things of course, but on the other hand when God permits them H does so for very good reasons. Another thing about these praeternatural which is very curious I have found is that they can be very entertaining and funny. For instance if I am in Church and hear the demons discussing a lady, says call her Mr's Brown. The demons might be outraged at her and one screams complaining about the huge harm she is dong to their, 'Kingdom'. The other one agrees and asked about why the tempting demons who were supposed to stop her failed. A lot of whinging and whining and complaining about how holy this poor woman had gotten and how much harm she does to hell. I find this quite funny because it is the totatally opposite way we have in looking at things. But anyway looking at Padre Pio with all this, I am sure he got a lot of positive things about the Dark Side attacking, about the veil to hell pulling back a little.
Manuela – Repent, Do Penance, and Live in The Holy Sacraments Apparition of Saint Padre Pio to Manuela Strack on March 2, 2026 Saint Padre Pio comes to us surrounded by a beautiful light, and I greet him. He blesses us and says: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Friends of Jesus, it is so important that you pray for peace! This time of tribulation is the revelation of all evil. The time in which you are living is one of struggle, for this is the time of purification; but it is also the time of very great graces that the Lord bestows upon you! Thus, you are opposed when you live out your faith. It is good that you are in a struggle; for this shows that you are children of God and not children of the spirit of the age (Zeitgeist), who only bear the world in their hearts. Open your hearts to Jesus! Padre Pio speaks to M.: Look at my stigmata! M.: I see them, Padre! Saint Padre Pio says: I received them as a gift on earth. Out of pure love and devotion to the Lord, for I wanted to belong entirely to Him! Pray also for your spiritual fathers, that their hearts may also belong entirely to Jesus! The love of Jesus is gentle, strong, and full of fervor, taking hold of you in a wonderful way when you open your hearts. I gave my life to Jesus, and He lived in me through His grace. In His name, I ask you to convert with your whole heart—not just a fleeting infatuation. All these wars are happening because of your sins. It is you, children of God, who can change the world and enter into eternal life through these good works. I have warned you that you are facing great events, and I cannot say it enough: Repent, do penance, and live in the holy sacraments, in which the Lord is alive; and thus He will also live in you if you are full of contrition. Saint Padre Pio takes his leave and says that he will bless us later with the priest. His apparition is accompanied by the scent of roses. https://www.callofthekingdom.com/
This apparition of St. Padre Pio (which I hadn't seen before) took place on my birthday and the first day of retirement. I take this as a good sign. It was St. Pio who was mainly responsible for guiding me to a greater appreciation of the Mystery and Truth of the Catholic faith, when I started to learn more about his life and mission in the early 1980s. Recently I have been praying to him more and asking that he continue to guide and help us. This feels like it could a response to those prayers too. Saint Padre Pio, pray for us.
Saint Padre Pio is one f my favorite Saints and I bug Him daily. Many miracles! So glad that he has intercede for you so wonderfully!
My sweetest memory of my visit to San Giovanni Rotondo was to sit way back up in the upper wooden stall looking down on the picture of Our Lady of Graces were Padre Pio used to go to pray in peace and quiet and be by himself. No one else was there. I often think of Padre Pio kneeling there. It is over 40 years since I visited and looking at the recent videos the little village has grown to be huge. One person even described it as a city! But I am glad I got there when it was more like when he was alive.
Shared by the Irish Centre for Padre Pio Fb page, an RTE (Irish TV) news report on Padre Pio's beatification on 2nd May 1999: Fr. Brian Shorthall: "I was present in May 1999 with Eileen Maguire for this wonderful day and again in 2002 for the Canonization of Padre Pio. Eileen was asked by Fr Alessio Parente and the Friars in San Giovanni to read in English at the Liturgy. And our beloved Fr. Angelus is featured in this piece. St. Pio, Pray for us!" https://www.rte.ie/archives/2014/05...il_wiH9Kfaz9FWPpGw_aem_zDNas9oDE76Kzi9GXP9Cpg
Not a day goes past when I do not think of the saint. He is a great source of joy and peace and hope.
From Irish Centre for Padre Pio: "Lá breithe shona duit Padre Pio Buon Compleanno Happy Birthday Padre Pio."
From Totus Tuus page: "In the midst of life's storms—whether it's financial struggles, health concerns, family challenges, or the uncertainties that touch us all—Padre Pio reminds us of the powerful path to peace. This beloved saint, who bore the wounds of Christ and endured immense suffering with unwavering faith, taught that worry achieves nothing. It only clouds our minds and weakens our trust in God's providence. Instead, he invites us to pray with persistence, hope in the Lord's mercy, and surrender our anxieties into the hands of Divine Providence. ️ Why this matters today: - Prayer connects us directly to God's grace. - Hope anchors us in His promises. - Letting go of worry frees us to live in the present moment with joy and trust. Many of us carry heavy burdens in silence—perhaps you're facing one right now. Remember, Padre Pio himself faced trials far greater than most, yet his heart remained at peace because he clung to Jesus. A simple prayer for you: St. Padre Pio, intercede for us. Help us to pray, to hope, and to release our worries into the Heart of Jesus. Amen. What worry are you surrendering to God today? Share in the comments and let's support one another in faith!"
Do you know what fascinates me about Padre Pio? That he would probably have thrown 80% of us out of the confessional. He might have made some of us cry because of his raised voice or stern look. If we were creating an ideal image of a saint, we probably would not choose Padre Pio as the model not as an example to follow, but as a sample of what a saint should look like if we were judging only by a person's character. He could be quite sharp, sarcastic, and even cold in certain situations. Since Italy is our neighboring country, and we are both Mediterranean peoples, besides sharing 1,500 years of history including plenty of conflicts—we also share a certain mentality: on one hand, coffee, relaxed living, and taking life easy; on the other hand, a sudden, rebellious, passionate temperament. My own family is full of people like that, and I am like that myself. I can honestly say that we are often difficult by nature, but that is precisely part of God's beauty. God does not seek a perfect person. Padre Pio was far from perfect, and he knew it. In fact, on one occasion he scolded his nephew, calling him lazy and a good-for-nothing because he had dropped out of medical school. Later, when he learned that his nephew had been forced to leave because of epilepsy, which at that time made continuing such studies impossible, Padre Pio burst into tears because he had judged him without first understanding the situation. God does not require a perfect personality. Some of us are impulsive and temperamental; some lose their temper quickly. These are crosses on the path to holiness because they must be restrained and mastered. Yet in Padre Pio, God even incorporated that particular cross into his ministry as a confessor, so that the very thing he struggled with became a lesson that led many people back to God and to the faith. God gave the keys of Heaven to Saint Peter, who was impulsive and rebellious, entrusting him with the throne of His Church to guide and protect it. To John, the disciple whom He loved, He entrusted His and our Mother Mary, the symbol of sacrifice, love, and mercy. He did not ask Peter to become John, nor John to become Peter. Padre Pio may never have possessed the calmness with people that Saint Solanus Casey had, nor the gift of eloquence of the hopefully soon-to-be Saint Fulton Sheen. Yet God took him from a hidden and impoverished place and made him the most famous saint of the twentieth century and one of the most beloved saints of all time. God perfects us not by taking away who we are our character and spirit but by using who we are for our salvation and for the good of those around us. Padre Pio is a true example of that, and I would even say that this is why he often loved people who were rough around the edges. I do not know how familiar you are with this story, but when building what would become one of the largest hospitals in Europe at the time—the "Home for the Relief of Suffering"—Padre Pio entrusted the project to a rather shady little operator and photographer named Angelo Lupi. He had no university degree and earned a living photographing the deceased as keepsakes for grieving families. On one occasion, in a fit of anger, he even tied up eight friars because they had upset him. God does not ask for the best version of us before He can work through us. Rather, He takes us as we are—imperfect, flawed, carrying our weaknesses and when we allow Him into our lives, He accomplishes the best things with us and for us.
Orangina, I really really needed this post today. I can't even tell you what it means to me. I love Padre Pio for everything that he is, rough edges and all, but I get so hard on myself and think there's no way God is able to use me for much. It feels like I'm always getting in the way. But you're right. God can and will still use us if we love Him...even if we can't see it.
Padre Pio was once asked by his Spiritual Daughters not to be so hard on those who came to him for confession. He replied that sometimes you have to thresh the wheat in order to get the grain. Or another way of putting it is that being nice all the time doesn't always get things done. Bur I would say that usually he was sweet as honey. It takes a real spiritual Father to thresh the wheat. Real Fathers like this are so rare. Also sometimes we get the impression that everyone who entered the box had supernatural experiences. But I don't think so. I think most of them were just like any other. I think as St Francis De Sales once said you catch more flies with a spoonful of sugar than a barrel of vinegar and Padre Pio knew this. But he did go to town when he had to.
Padre Pio statue appears to weep blood in Italian parish A statue of Padre Pio in Italy has allegedly shed a tear of blood. The parish priest believes the phenomenon to be real, but the Church must investigate and verify. The St. Pio Foundation in the United States released photographs of Padre Pio in 2024. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the St. Pio Foundation By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú June 24, 2026 at 6:15 PM ET Santa Maria delle Grazie (Our Lady of Grace) parish in the small Italian town of Casalba has found itself in the media spotlight after a statue of St. Padre Pio appeared to show a tear of blood trickling down its face. The discovery was made in April, when a parishioner noticed an unusual detail on the face of the saint from Pietrelcina: A reddish tear, resembling blood, appeared to be falling from its left eye. The news quickly reached the parish priest, Father Girolamo Capuano, who went to the church to verify what had happened and attempt, without success, to clean off the stain. The statue of Padre Pio, which has stood at the entrance of this Italian church for two decades, has been removed for examination in order to determine the origin of the phenomenon. Speaking to Mediaset Italia’s program Mattino Cinque, Capuano urged prudence and emphasized that bringing the matter to public attention to clarify the facts “does not stem from any desire for popularity.” Furthermore, he insisted that such “signs” are “given to all so that they may be shared with prudence, love, and discernment,” while also stating that they should be made known “because many people begin a journey of faith” through them. The Italian priest, who verified via security cameras that no one had tampered with the statue, reiterated that in his view, it is “an authentic sign that comes from God,” although he asked people to wait for the necessary verification. “What convinces me the most is that we have a camera monitoring the statue day and night for more than 10 years. I have personally reviewed all the footage from April 1st to the 30th. The tear appeared on the 18th, or at least that was when we saw it. No one approached the statue, either by day or by night, to do anything to it. That reinforces my personal conviction and my faith in Padre Pio,” he said. The priest noted several striking elements: “The statue is made of fiberglass, and the reddish color of the tear raises questions. Furthermore, the path of the tear is so perfect that not even a painter like Michelangelo could reproduce something like it.” Regardless of the investigationʼs findings, which must determine whether the stain contains hemoglobin or another substance, Capuano insists that “they cannot take our faith away from us.” In 2015, a reported case of an image of the Virgin Mary weeping circulated in the same town, although investigations concluded that the phenomenon was caused by rainwater seepage. In accordance with the Vatican’s Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena, the bishop of the Diocese of Capua, Pietro Lagnese, will lead the preliminary investigation before submitting the findings to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF). According to these norms, published by the Vatican in 2024, it is up to diocesan bishop to examine cases in dialogue with his corresponding bishops’ conference and under the supervision of the DDF. Once the facts have been investigated, the bishop must send the results to the dicastery, which analyzes both the material received and the procedure followed by the prelate. Until the DDF issues a definitive judgment, the bishop “will refrain from any public declaration regarding the authenticity or supernaturality of these phenomena.” This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English. Almudena Martínez-Bordiú Almudena Martínez-Bordiú is Rome correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN. See full bio almumbordiu Weeping statuePadre PioDicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith Share this article RELATED ARTICLES RELATED Argentine archdiocese to study statue of the... RELATED Weeping Madonna of Syracuse commemorated in Sicily RELATED Bishop has not found 'natural causes' for... RELATED Sister Agnes Sasagawa, Our Lady of Akita...
One of my favourite stories of St. Padre Pio: "It was January 18, 1905. Padre Pio was not yet a priest, not yet the renowned friar with the stigmata and countless spiritual children. He was only a young Capuchin seminarian, Fra Pio. That evening, he was kneeling in the monastery choir. Without warning, the young friar was carried up in spirit. He described the experience: He found himself in the palace of a wealthy family, where the master of the house lay dying as his wife labored to bring forth a child. In that vision, the Blessed Mother appeared before him. With maternal gentleness, the Blessed Mother turned to Fra Pio and entrusted him with a mission: “My son,” she said, “I entrust this unborn child to your care. She will one day be a precious jewel, but right now she has no form. Shape and polish her. Make her as brilliant as you can, because one day I would like to have her in My court in heaven.” That very night, Giovanna Rizzani was born. Heaven intervened: A priest was permitted to baptize the fragile infant. In reality, he heard the Confession of Giovanna’s father, who died reconciled with God. In 1923, Giovanna traveled to San Giovanni Rotondo, where Padre Pio lived. The monastery corridor was crowded with pilgrims when suddenly Padre Pio stopped. His gaze fell upon Giovanna. He said: “I know you. You were born the day your father died.” The next morning, she went to Confession. Before she could speak, Padre Pio greeted her: “My daughter, finally you have come! I have been waiting for you so many years.” “But Father,” she whispered, “this is the first time I have ever met you.” Then he revealed the Blessed Mother’s words: “Before you were born, Our Lady brought me to your home. I witnessed your father’s death. She entrusted you to me. You are my responsibility.” From that day on, Giovanna became one of his most faithful spiritual daughters. This article is an excerpt from Susan De Bartoli’s book, "Padre Pio’s American Daughter: The Story of Mary Pyle."
