Anecdotes from the Home for the Relief of Suffering

On Inauguration day, May 5, 1956, Padre Pio celebrated Mass on the steps of the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

Francesco Lotti was just a teenager when he met Padre Pio for the first time. After Francesco’s father had passed away, he and his mother traveled to San Giovanni Rotondo from their home in the north of Italy. During the visit, Padre Pio said to Francesco, ‘I will now be your new father.’

On another visit, Francesco noticed that Padre Pio was looking out the monastery window and seemed to be deep in thought. Padre Pio then pointed to the mountain and said to Francesco, ‘Someday a large hospital will be built on that mountain. You will be one of the doctors who will work there.’ But Francesco did not believe that would ever happen. He had already made a decision to pursue a career in the military. However, later he changed his mind and decided to study medicine. Eventually he became the head physician in Pediatrics at the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

For a time, Francesco Lotti was Padre Pio’s doctor. Even so, Dr. Lotti never saw his stigmata. Padre Pio never mentioned it, nor the suffering it caused him. Nevertheless, Dr. Lotti was very much aware of the suffering that Padre Pio endured because of the stigmata. Sometimes he saw the painful expression on Padre Pio’s face when someone shook hands with him. The only time that Dr. Lotti ever caught a glimpse of the stigmata was when Padre Pio’s hands were exposed at Mass.

By living and working in San Giovanni Rotondo, Dr. Lotti learned many things about Padre Pio. For one, he became aware of Padre Pio’s unusual eating habits. He came to the conclusion that Padre Pio’s daily intake of food was insuf­ficient to sustain life. Padre Pio had his own theory about it. He likened the body to soil. Some soil needed a lot of fertilizer in order for crops to grow. There was other soil that was so rich, it needed no fertilizer at all. Padre Pio said that his body was like the latter. He remarked that on one occasion he was unable to eat for three days due to an intestinal problem. At the end of the three days, he had gained six pounds. ‘That is what I mean by fertile ground,’ he remarked.

It was certainly true that Padre Pio’s physical constitution seemed to defy science. As impossible as it sounds, at times his heart rate would not be synchronized with his pulse. Padre Pio once told Dr. Lotti that he needed only half the dosage of medicine that is prescribed to a child. On one occa­sion, when Padre Pio was suffering from bronchitis, he had to be seen by a new doctor because Dr. Sanguinetti, his regular doctor at that time, was out of town. The medicine that Padre Pio was prescribed made him ill. When Dr. Sanguinetti returned and heard what had happened, he was upset. ‘That would never have happened if I had been here,’ Dr. Sanguinetti said. He felt that he understood Padre Pio’s unique constitution and knew how to treat him for illness.

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In 1950, during the time that Padre Pio’s hospital, the Home for the Relief of Suffering was being built in San Giovanni Rotondo, a small office was set up near the monastery. The purpose of the office was to collect donations for the hospital. People who visited the office could also subscribe to a small publica­tion that the Capuchins made available. The publication kept people informed about the progress and the development of the construction of the hospital. All of the money that was collected from the subscriptions was given to the hospital.

On one occasion, a woman visited the office and asked that her name be removed from the subscription list. She no longer wanted to receive the hospital publication. While she was talking to the office clerk about her sub­scription, she showed him a lovely religious article which she had recently pur­chased as a gift for Padre Pio. She was planning on going to the monastery that very day to give it to him. The obvious question in the office clerk’s mind was why the woman wanted to give a gift to Padre Pio if she felt so strongly about not receiving the publication about his hospital. It did not seem to make sense.

Not only had the woman decided to withdraw her support from the hospital, she went so far as to try to persuade others to do likewise. On one occasion, the woman had discouraged one of her friends from making any contributions to Padre Pio’s hospital. She told her friend that it would be much better for people to give their money to their home parishes rather than to the hospital fund.

A little later on in the day, the woman returned to the office. The clerk noticed that the woman had tears in her eyes. ‘Please put my name back on the subscription list for the hospital publication,’ the woman said. She explained the reason. When she went to the monastery, she happened to see Padre Pio standing in the corridor. She went up to him to greet him but he would not acknowledge her presence. She presented the gift to him but he looked at it with an expression of great consternation. He refused to accept it. It then dawned on the woman that her prior actions had been wrong. She had no business discouraging people from helping such a worthy cause as the Home for the Relief of Suffering. She got the message loud and clear.

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During the Holy Year of 1950, Dorothy Gaudiose and her two sisters, Helena and Carmelita were making preparations to travel to Rome. When Dorothy read an interesting article about Padre Pio in the newspaper, she decided to add San Giovanni Rotondo to the itinerary.

When the sisters arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo, they saw many pilgrims both inside and outside the church. At that time, the wait to go to confession to Padre Pio was ten days. Dorothy told one of the Capuchins at the monas­tery that she and her sisters were hoping that they could have a word with Padre Pio. The Capuchin told her that Padre Pio would soon be passing from corridor of the church into the monastery. They could wait for him there but they would need a ticket in order to do so.

With their tickets in hand, Dorothy and her sisters waited in the corridor where a large crowd of women and children had already assembled. When Padre Pio appeared, the women became very excited. Many of them tried to press toward Padre Pio and to touch him. Padre Pio was patient and humble and did not show any annoyance.

When Padre Pio saw Dorothy and her two sisters standing with the oth­ers, he smiled and spoke to them briefly. He asked them where they were from and he was happy to learn that they were Americans. Dorothy imme­diately felt the strength of his character as well as his deep piety. Then he surprised Dorothy and her sisters by making a humorous remark. All of the other women who were in hearing distance began to laugh.

Dorothy and Helena began to visit San Giovanni Rotondo every sum­mer. Since they were both teachers who had extended summer vacations, it worked out well. In 1961, Dorothy and Helena took a sabbatical from their teaching positions and spent one full year in San Giovanni Rotondo. They were able to attend Mass each day and also felt blessed to be able to make their confession to Padre Pio. Once, Helena confessed that she had missed Mass on Sunday. To her great surprise, Padre Pio told her that she had already confessed that sin. It was true. While in Rome, she had gone to confession and mentioned it at that time.

During that year, Dorothy and Helena became good friends with Mary Pyle. They helped Mary sort the tremendous amount of mail that came into the monastery. It was usually an all day project. Mary shared many incidents from Padre Pio’s life with Dorothy and Helena. She told them that on occa­sion, when the doctors at the Home for the Relief of Suffering had a difficult surgery to perform, they would first go to the monastery to see Padre Pio and ask him to bless their hands.

Dorothy and Helena were both fluent in Italian as well as English. When Mary Pyle was occupied with other matters, she often sent them in her place to assist as Padre Pio’s language translators. When the English-speaking pil­grims were visiting with Padre Pio, Dorothy and Helena would translate for them.

Dorothy felt the graces of being in such close contact with Padre Pio. She told him that she was considering a permanent move to San Giovanni Rotondo. ‘No,’ he answered. ‘That would not be a good idea. You will do many good works in the United States. You must return.’

One day Helena asked Padre Pio if there was any other way that she could help him in his important apostolate. ‘Yes, there is,’ he answered. ‘Try to do something for the Home for the Relief of Suffering, even if you have to make sacrifices in order to do so.’ Helena thought about his words and finally decided what she wanted to do. She told Padre Pio that she owned a home in the U.S. which she had decided to put up for sale. Once the house sold, she wanted to donate the money to the hospital. She was a widow and she had no children. She was also secure financially. Padre Pio asked her three times if there was anyone in her immediate family, like a brother or a sister, who might need her property. Helena assured him that none of her relatives needed it. Finally, he said that he would accept her gift and he expressed his gratitude to her for her generosity. He also predicted accurately the price that her house would sell for.

Dorothy too wanted to do something more to help Padre Pio. Unlike her sister, Dorothy did not have any property that she could donate. She won­dered what she could do to help. The thought occurred to her that she might be able to write a biography of Padre Pio’s life. She worked as an English teacher in a public school and through the years, she had taken many courses in creative writing. She knew that she had the ability to write.

Dorothy spoke to Padre Pio about her idea. She told him that when the book was completed, she wanted to donate half of all the royalties to the Home for the Relief of Suffering. Dorothy was certain that she would encounter many difficulties along the way. She believed that finding a publisher might be the greatest challenge of all. She asked Padre Pio to guide her and to help her find a publisher. Padre Pio replied with a single word, ‘Spera’ (Have hope).

Altogether, it took six years before Dorothy’s book was made available to the public. During the very difficult time of trying to find a publisher, she remembered Padre Pio’s words. She waited in patience and never lost hope. Her interesting and well-researched book, Prophet of the People became very popular. Many people told Dorothy that the book proved to be a great help to them in their spiritual journey. At home in the United States, Dorothy did much to spread the message of Padre Pio. She gave talks on his life and spirituality at churches, on university campuses, and even at prisons and detention facilities. Everyone was inter­ested in what Dorothy had to say.

After Padre Pio’s death, Dorothy became one of the promoters of his cause for canonization. She circulated a petition and collected signatures, requesting that the formal proceedings begin. She asked a number of bishops if they would be willing to sign the petition and many of them agreed to do so. Other bishops said that they could not sign the petition because they did not know anything about Padre Pio. Dorothy then sent a gift copy of her book to 300 bishops. She also wrote fifty letters and sent them to bishops in each of the fifty states in the United States. Included with an offering was a written request that the bishop say a Mass for her special intention. Her special inten­tion was that Padre Pio’s cause for canonization would proceed smoothly and successfully.

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Mr. Valentino, of Milan, Italy, used to take his wife to San Giovanni Rotondo so that she could attend Mass and make her confession to Padre Pio. His wife was a person of deep faith and piety. In many ways she was just the opposite of her husband. She had a reserved and gentle nature and was respectful and polite. Her husband, on the other hand, was an arrogant and proud man who had an open hostility toward religion. He especially felt a strong dislike for Padre Pio. Mrs. Valentino prayed continually for the conver­sion of her husband.

Whenever they made the trip to San Giovanni Rotondo, Mr. Valentino refused to step inside the church of Our Lady of Grace. Instead, he waited for his wife in the square just outside where he drank coffee and smoked cigaret­tes. He was not afraid to tell people openly that Padre Pio was not the holy man they thought him to be.

One icy and windy winter’s day when Mr. Valentino was waiting for his wife in the square, the cold temperature made him so uncomfortable that he felt compelled to go inside the church in order to warm up. When he entered the church, he happened to catch a glimpse of Padre Pio. Their eyes met for just a moment. Mr. Valentino was so taken by the experience, that he had a sudden and dramatic change of heart. He knew then that he had been mista­ken in his estimation of Padre Pio.

From that day forward, Mr. Valentino attended the various prayer ser­vices at Our Lady of Grace while he waited for his wife to make her confes­sion. He never missed a single one. He was able to make his confession to Padre Pio as well. Feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the blessings he had received, he wanted to do something to help Padre Pio and wondered what he could do. At the time, Padre Pio’s hospital was still under construction. Mr. Valentino bought the first pine trees that were planted on the grounds of the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

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In 1956, Dr. Vito Tricarico, an Orthopedic specialist, was hired to work at the Home for the Relief of Suffering. One of the first people that Dr. Vito met after moving from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo was Carlo Campanini. One day, Carlo took Dr. Vito over to the monastery and introduced him to Padre Pio. During the conversation, Padre Pio asked Dr. Vito about his family. When he told Padre Pio that his parents were both farmers, Padre Pio seemed genuinely pleased. Padre Pio then told a joke that made everyone laugh. He embraced Dr. Vito and sent him off with his blessing. For the next eight years, Dr. Vito would see Padre Pio almost every evening. He and the other doctors met with Padre Pio in order to discuss important matters deal­ing with the new hospital. They also discussed various clinical cases with him.

In 1961, Dr. Vito’s wife was admitted to the labor and delivery ward of the Home for the Relief of Suffering. Because Dr. Vito was their colleague and because it was his wife’s first baby, the doctors on duty in labor and delivery felt somewhat nervous. Dr. Vito was nervous as well. His friend Carlo Campanini told him that they should go and have a word with Padre Pio. Perhaps it would calm Dr. Vito’s nerves. Dr. Vito agreed to go. When they arrived at the monastery, they found Padre Pio reading the Bible. Padre Pio was happy to learn that Dr. Vito was about to become a father. He said to Dr. Vito, ‘If you want to form a good Christian family, you must start with a daughter. Congratulations. Everything went well!’ When Dr. Vito walked back over to the hospital, he learned that his wife had just given birth to a baby girl. He was informed that ‘everything had gone well.’ They named their beautiful new daughter, Chiara Pia.

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A procession with the Blessed Sacrament through the wards of the Home for the Relief of Suffering with many patients participating.

On many occasions, Padre Pio demonstrated that he was intuitively attuned to the needs of the Home for the Relief of Suffering. An incident involving his spiritual daughter, Amalia Pagani, is one case in point. One day when Amalia was in the church of Our Lady of Grace, Padre Pio looked directly in her eyes and said to her, ‘Go outside!’ Amalia could not under­stand why Padre Pio would say such a thing. Three times he repeated the words to her. Feeling hurt and rejected by his strong command, Amalia was in tears as she left the church.

As soon as Amalia stepped outside, she saw one of the Capuchins who was walking toward her and appeared to be in a hurry. ‘Why are you crying?’ he asked. Amalia repeated what Padre Pio had told her in the church. ‘Would you be willing to follow me quickly over to the hospital?’ the Capuchin asked. ‘There is a little boy in the emergency room and he is fighting for his life. The doctors are working on him at this moment and he is in need of blood. We are searching for a blood donor who has his blood type,’ the Capuchin explained. Amalia was happy to agree to the Capuchin’s request and quickly followed him over to the hospital. As it turned out, Amalia had the exact blood type that was needed. She was very glad that she had been able to help the young boy. She then understood why Padre Pio had insisted that she leave the church immediately.

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Dr. Luigi Pancaro was one of the doctors who worked at the Home for the Relief of Suffering. He was also the designated doctor for many of the Capuchins who were in residence at Our Lady of Grace monastery, including Padre Pio. Dr. Pancaro usually went to the monastery each day at noon in order to join Padre Pio as he recited the Angelus in front of the church.

Living in San Giovanni Rotondo, Dr. Pancaro heard many amazing stories about Padre Pio. A number of people told Dr. Pancaro that they were miraculously healed by Padre Pio. Others spoke of his gifts of bilocation, reading of hearts, and perfume. Dr. Pancaro always had doubts about such stories, believing them to be pure fantasy. He would sometimes say to himself, ‘If these astonishing things that I hear about Padre Pio are actually true, why doesn’t he remove the strong doubts from my mind?’ But the doubts held on and would not leave.

Dr. Pancaro had read a number of articles in newspapers and magazines about Padre Pio’s charismatic gifts. Much of what was written about Padre Pio seemed to be pure sensationalism and he remained skeptical about such stories. Nevertheless, Dr. Pancaro held Padre Pio in the highest esteem. He admired him for his great piety and for his compassion for the poor and the sick. In his estimation, those were the true marks of spirituality.

May 28, 1958, was to be an important day for the Pancaro family. Dr. Pancaro’s daughter, Caroline, was to be married on that day at Our Lady of Grace church and Padre Pio had agreed to perform the wedding ceremony. The morning of Caroline’s wedding, the Pancaro family attended Padre Pio’s 5:00 a.m. Mass. During the Mass, Dr. Pancaro’s mind was filled with doubts about the Catholic teachings on the Eucharist, especially the transubstantia­tion. To Dr. Pancaro, the theology of the transubstantiation seemed ridicu­lous. He simply did not believe it. He made an effort to banish his negative thoughts during the Mass but he did not succeed.

After Mass, Dr. Pancaro greeted Padre Pio and tried to kiss his hand but Padre Pio would not allow him to do so. Padre Pio whispered in his ear, so that no one else could hear, ‘My son, what bad thoughts you had at Mass this morning! When are you going to stop thinking like that?’

The next day, the doctor had an opportunity to speak to Padre Pio once again. ‘Now listen to me attentively,’ Padre Pio said. ‘I am not at all offended by what you think of me. But to doubt the great mystery of the transubstantia­tion is the greatest offence you could commit against God!’ Padre Pio looked deep into Dr. Pancaro’s eyes. ‘Now are you convinced?’ Padre Pio asked. And yes, at last Dr. Pancaro was convinced.

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On one occasion, Father Eusebio Notte, who lived in residence at Our Lady of Grace monastery, was invited by one of the doctors at the Home for the Relief of Suffering to be present during an operation, a simple appendec­tomy. Father Eusebio agreed to observe the surgery.

Everything seemed to be going along just fine with the surgery when sud­denly complications arose. It was obvious that the doctor in charge was very worried. Father Eusebio began to pray with great fervor to Padre Pio, beg­ging him to intercede. The patient’s condition did not improve. Father Eusebio continued to lift up his prayers to Padre Pio with even greater intensity. Finally, the doctor breathed a sigh of relief. From that point on, everything went well. The crisis had passed and the patient was out of danger.

Father Eusebio went quickly back to the monastery to tell Padre Pio the news. ‘Thank you so much, Padre Pio, for interceding and for answering my prayers,’ Father Eusebio said. ‘I did not have much choice,’ Padre Pio answered, ‘You deafened me!’

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Padre Pio Devotions Publications:
1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1
2. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II
3. Daily Reflection: 365 Reflections from the Saints and Other Holy Men and Women of God
4. They Walked with God Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney, St. Damien of Molokai, St. André Bessette, Bl. Solanus Casey
5. They Walked with God Book 2: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, St. John Bosco

Padre Pio’s Hospital – The Home for the Relief of Suffering – Part II

Doctors from Padre Pio’s Hospital – The Home for the Relief of Suffering – carry a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in procession on the hospital grounds.

(Continued from Issue 78) On one occasion, a very wealthy man sent a telegram to Our Lady of Grace monastery with a prayer request. He explained that his wife had a terminal illness. He wanted Padre Pio to pray for his wife’s healing. If his wife was cured, he intended to give a large sum of money to the Home for the Relief of Suffering. Upon hearing the man’s proposal, Padre Pio became upset. He would never accept a donation with strings attached. ‘One does not bargain with the Lord,’ Padre Pio said.

A great effort was made to make the Home for the Relief of Suffering look cheerful and welcoming so that the patients would feel comfortable for the duration of their hospital stay. Fresh and fragrant flowers graced the rooms and care was taken to remove the unpleasant antiseptic and medicinal odors common to hospitals. It was never to be referred to as an institution or a clinic or a hospital. It was to be called a Home.

At the request of Padre Pio, the hospital furnishings were chosen with great care to counteract the typical hospital ‘look’ which is often severe and depressing. ‘Make it beautiful,’ Padre Pio said to the designers. There were to be no wards, but instead, rooms which had plenty of large, sunny windows. Soft pastel colors were chosen for the interior. The attractive mosaic floors were laid down by some of the local girls of San Giovanni Rotondo. The exterior of the hospital was faced with beautiful pale rose Trani stone. Green marble was chosen for the stairways and red Carso marble for the foyers. There was a large library as well as an auditorium which was equipped to show movies. Terraces and gardens contributed to the overall beauty of the Home.

Dr. Sanguinetti was instrumental in having a parcel of land near the hospital designated as a farm. It would provide the patients with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, cheese, and eggs. He also had hundreds of tons of rich soil hauled up the slopes near the hospital on the backs of mules. He planted 10,000 trees, mostly pines and cypress, on the side of the mountains. Truly, in San Giovanni Rotondo, the desert had flowered. Through Padre Pio’s efforts, it flowered charitably, scientifically and also spiritually.

Dr. Carlo Kisvarday told Padre Pio on one occasion that too much money was being spent on nonessentials, in other words, items to enhance the Home’s outward beauty. Padre Pio responded, ‘No, that is not true. If it were possible, I would make the Home out of pure gold. Nothing is too good or too beautiful for the sick and suffering because in reality the sick person is Jesus.’ And to a priest who made a critical remark because he thought that the Home looked too luxurious, Padre Pio responded, ‘Too luxurious? Not at all. A hospital is a tabernacle. Christ is in the sick.’

As the days drew closer to completion, Padre Pio could hardly contain his joy. Everything seemed to be falling into place. Twenty-four doctors had put in their applications to work at the Home. A man brought his paralyzed son to the monastery to see Padre Pio. Padre Pio greeted the man with great kindness and said to him, ‘Do not give up hope. The hospital will be opening in just a few months. You will be able to bring your son to the children’s clinic for medical treatment.’ Padre Pio made it clear that no one who was in need of care was to be turned away due to lack of money.

People with serious illnesses came regularly to the monastery of Our Lady of Grace to ask Padre Pio to pray that their health would be restored. Many of the people who came to see him had cancer. As he formulated the plans for the Home, he expressed his desire for the establishment of a can­cer-research center.

The official inauguration ceremony for the opening of the Home for the Relief of Suffering took place on May 5, 1956, sixteen years after the first committee meeting. At the inauguration, Padre Pio offered Mass at an altar that was set up between the two pillars of the hospital entrance. An estimated crowd of 15,000 people was present. During the inauguration, the choir sang the beautiful hymn, Where There is Charity and Love, There is God.

Dozens of bishops and priests were in attendance as well as the Mini­ster General of the Capuchin Order, numerous prelates from the Vatican, the president of the Italian Senate, the Minister of State, and other dignitaries of the Italian government. In the crowd were nine hundred representatives from the Padre Pio prayer groups in Europe, South America, India, the United States and other countries. World famous doctors from many parts of Europe were also in the audience. Dr. White, the personal physician of the President of the United States, at that time President Eisenhower, was there to repre­sent the United States.

The new hospital looked magnificent. Three hundred flags of the nations were displayed across the front of the hospital. The American flag was in the center and flew beside the flag of Italy. Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro, was the Pope’s official envoy for the occasion. He spoke to the huge gathering and said:

I have been reminded of the words of our sacred liturgy, Where char­ity and love dwell, God is there. It is equally true that where God is, there charity and love are found together … Have you not noticed it here in San Giovanni Rotondo? Yes. The whole world has noticed it!

A message from Pope Pius XII was read by the Minister General of the Capuchin Order. The Holy Father also sent his apostolic blessing. During the ceremonies, military airplanes from the nearby Amendola air field repeatedly flew over the hospital as a sign of support for the new hospital.

Padre Pio rarely spoke in public but he did so on the occasion of the inauguration. Deeply and visibly moved, he addressed the huge crowd at the conclusion of the Mass and said:

The Home for the Relief of Suffering is complete. I thank the bene­factors from every part of the world who have contributed to its con­struction. This is what Providence, also with your support, has created. I give it to you. Admire it and bless it together in the name of God.

A seed has been placed in the earth which He will warm with his rays of love. A new army formed through sacrifice and love is about to rise up to the glory of God, and to the comfort of sick souls and bodies. Do not deprive us of your help; collaborate with this apostolate for the relief of human suffering, and the Divine Charity which knows no bounds and which is the very light of God and the Eter­nal Life, will accumulate for each one of you, a treasure of graces, to which Jesus made us inheritors on the Cross . . . May this work become a center of the Franciscan spirit in action, a place of prayer and science where the human race can be united in Christ Crucified, as a single flock under one Shepherd . . .

May God bless those who have worked, are working, and will work for this Hospital. May he recompense you a thousand times in this life and with eternal joy in the next life. May the Blessed Virgin of all Graces and our Seraphic Father, St. Francis in heaven and the vicar of Christ on earth intercede for us so that our wishes may be granted.

Padre Pio, together with Cardinal Lercaro, then cut the traditional rib­bon leading into the hospital. Together, they went inside and blessed the vari­ous rooms and departments.

While the inauguration day was a day of tremendous joy and celebration, it was also bittersweet. Dr. Sanguinetti and Dr. Sanvico, who had labored tirelessly from the very beginning to help Padre Pio accomplish his dream, were not present. Both had passed away before the Home was completed. Dr. Kisvarday, who had worked closely with Dr. Sanguinetti and Dr. Sanvico for years, was overcome with emotion during the inaugural ceremonies. He sat close to Padre Pio and cried through most of the Mass. Angelo Lupi, whose skill and genius had created the magnificent structure, would die in the Home in 1969.

On May 6, 1956, the day after the inauguration, Padre Pio spoke briefly to the doctors who assembled at the hospital for the International Seminar of the European Society of Cardiology. He said:

You have come into the world as I have, with a mission to fulfill. Take note. I am speaking to you about duties, at a time when every­one speaks only of rights. I, as a religious and a priest, have a mis­sion to accomplish. As a religious and a Capuchin, I am bound to the perfect and strict observance of my Rule and vows. As a priest, mine is a mission of atonement, of propitiating God for the sins of mankind.

All this may come to pass if I am in God’s grace . . . You have a mission to cure the sick. But if you do not also bring love to the patient’s bedside, I do not think that your medicines will be of much use. I can prove this from my own experience. During my illness in 1916-1917, my doctor, while treating me, first expressed words of comfort to me. Love cannot do without words. And you your­selves, how can you, other than by words, bring spiritual comfort to a patient? . . . Bring God to your patients; that will help them more than any other cure.

The first sick person was admitted to the hospital on May 10, 1956. More were admitted during the month of May, but the numbers were much lower than expected. It was a deep concern to the administrators. On the feast of Cor­pus Christi, 1956, Padre Pio went to the hospital and carried the Blessed Sacra­ment in procession through all of the wards. Right after that, the hospital started to fill up. After only three years, the Home had to be enlarged and a new wing had to be added in order to accommodate the growing numbers of the sick.

Dr. Carlo Kisvarday gave more than twenty years of his life to serving the Home. His esteem for Padre Pio was so great and his dedication to the work was so total that he knew he would never leave San Giovanni Rotondo. His workday began at 5:00 a.m. and rarely ended before midnight. He felt a compelling force, always urging him forward in his efforts. His one fear was that old age and declining health might someday force him to cut back on his working hours.

One day Padre Pio said to Dr. Kisvarday, ‘Carletto, the Lord has estab­lished the date of everyone’s death. He alone knows the length of time each of us has on this earth. I am praying for you so that the Heavenly Father might give you one added year of life.’ The doctor did not know quite what to make of the mysterious comment. Shortly after that, Dr. Kisvarday had a health crisis. He was unconscious when he was taken to the Home for the Relief of Suffering. He remained in a coma for three days.

When Dr. Kisvarday was out of danger and on the road to recuperation, he told his nurse that Padre Pio had come in bilocation to his bedside and had spoken to him. Almost a year later, Dr. Kisvarday passed away. He had been given one extra year of perfect health, thanks to the intercession of Padre Pio.

Padre Pio asked Father Innocenzo of Campobasso to assist as the full-time chaplain at the Home. Father Innocenzo said Mass in the hospital chapel, heard confessions, and visited the sick. He also gave spiritual direction to the nuns who worked at the hospital. He made a holy hour every day in front of the Blessed Sacrament on behalf of all the patients. He served as the chaplain at the Home for 40 years.

Through the years, Father Innocenzo had many beautiful experiences in his capacity as chaplain. He used to enjoy telling Padre Pio about his encoun­ters with the patients. Padre Pio always loved to listen to the stories that Father Innocenzo shared with him.

Once, a woman greeted Father Innocenzo and told him how much his spiritual counsel had helped her when she was a patient in the Home. Dur­ing her hospital stay, she became desperate when she was told by the doctors that she would never recover. ‘Father Innocenzo, I have never forgotten your words to me, words that changed my life,’ the woman said. ‘And what did I say to you?’ Father Innocenzo asked her. ‘You told me that Jesus continues to suffer in the sick,’ the woman replied. ‘Since then, I have been able to accept my condition. Thanks to you Father, I now pray and meditate every day and I am content to suffer.’

The patients in the Home felt blessed that Father Innocenzo was there to pray with them and to administer the sacraments. On one occasion, there was a man who spent many months in the Home with a very serious illness. Finally, one day he asked for Father Innocenzo. He then made a sincere con­fession. The very next day he went into a coma and received the Last Rites. Later that day, the man regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he saw Father Innocenzo sitting beside his bed. ‘Father, what a beautiful thing you did for me!’ the man said. ‘I am so grateful that you heard my confession.’ Right after that, the man lost consciousness and he died within the hour.

There was another patient at the Home for the Relief of Suffering whom Father Innocenzo visited regularly. Day after day, the man put off making his confession. Finally, one day he decided that he was ready. After he made his confession, he felt such a sense of happiness that he began to cry. From that time forward, every time he saw Father Innocenzo, he expressed his gratitude to him. ‘I have found life again here at the Home for the Relief of Suffering,’ the man said. ‘I must thank God and I must thank Padre Pio that I was able to come here.’

Father Innocenzo once told Padre Pio that he believed that those who were sick had an opportunity through their illness, to receive abundant graces from the Lord. ‘Many graces indeed come to the sick,’ Padre Pio said. ‘In the Home for the Relief of Suffering, there flows a grace that sustains, comforts, and gives strength to the sick. It is a grace which flows silently, secretly. Of course, there are always a small number who resist the mercy of God, but even among those, I believe that grace usually triumphs in the end.’

Someone suggested to Padre Pio that it would be a blessing to invite an order of nuns to work at the hospital. Several different religious congregations were put forward to him as possibilities. Padre Pio said that the Lord had let him know many years before which nuns to invite. Padre Pio chose the Missi­onaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a nursing order of nuns.

The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus had served in San Giovanni Rotondo from 1909 to 1920. They assisted in a training school, a school for girls, and a home for the elderly. In 1920, the nuns were called away from San Giovanni Rotondo to serve in another area. When they went to say goodbye to Padre Pio, they felt a sadness in their hearts. He had been their confessor since the time of his transfer to the monastery of Our Lady of Grace.

Padre Pio told the nuns that he was sorry to see them leave but he was certain that they would return someday. He pointed to a nearby mountain and said, ‘When you return, you will work in a big hospital that will be erected where that mountain now stands.’ Padre Pio’s prophecy was fulfilled thirty-five years later, when the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus returned to San Giovanni Rotondo to work at the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

Sister Miriam Brusa was one of the nuns of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart who worked at the hospital. She used to say that the Home was built on Padre Pio’s tears. Father Agostino also expressed the same sentiment. He wrote in his diary, ‘Padre Pio always suffers for the hospital.’ Indeed, it was true. No one knew the difficulties and setbacks that occurred regarding the hospital better than Padre Pio.

Once, when Sister Miriam was taking care of the hospital bookkeeping, she noticed that there was a shortage of five million lire for the monthly expenses. She was worried that the employees might not be able to receive their paychecks on time. Sister Miriam decided not to tell Padre Pio about it. Knowing that he had many other difficulties to deal with, she tried to protect him from the day to day problems of the hospital. Sister Miriam determined not to tell anyone about the worrisome matter just yet. Padre Pio always called the Home a work of ‘Divine Providence.’ Sister Miriam would place her trust in Divine Providence and petition God through prayer for a solution.

In just a matter of days, Sister Miriam received the exact amount of money that was needed for the monthly expenses. Angela Lazzarini, who played a part in the acquisition of the needed funds, explained to Sister Miriam the details of how the generous donation came about. ‘I was very surprised when Padre Pio told me that he needed money,’ Angela said. ‘As you know, Padre Pio never asks for anything. But he explained to me that the hospital was in need, although he didn’t specify the amount. I did not have the money myself so I asked a friend to write a check. When my friend asked me the amount to write, for a reason that I cannot explain I felt urged to say, ‘˜five million lire.’ My friend wrote the check for that amount and I took it to Padre Pio. When Padre Pio looked at the check, he told me that it was the exact amount that the hospital needed.’ It was then that Padre Pio had the money delivered to Sister Miriam. That month, the workers were paid on time, the bills were paid, and all was well.

John McCaffery, who enjoyed Padre Pio’s friendship for many years, was well aware that the Home was a work of God and a gift of Divine Providence. John said:

If one thinks just for a moment of what is implied by the set­ting up of a modern four hundred bed hospital, the immensity and complexity of the task is evident. Situate it then, in the middle of nowhere; make all its prodigious running costs dependent more or less on haphazard charitable donations; consider that it was so con­structed as to be capable of harmonious expansion to its present num­ber of a thousand beds. And then ask what force created it.

No amount of thought and planning or even of human blood, sweat, and tears, ever produced that vast and continuing phenom­enon. It took a vision not of this world to foresee it all, and a power­house of prayer and suffering to bring it to fruition.

Through the years, Padre Pio visited the Home for the Relief of Suffering to pray at the bedsides of the seriously ill and on special feast days, he would occasionally say Mass in the hospital chapel. He took part briefly in the Cath­olic Doctors Convention that was held at the Home in 1957.

Santa Claus never fails to keep his appointment at the Home for the Relief of Suffering on Christmas day.

At Christmas time, he loved to view the large and impressive Christmas Crib that was dis­played on the third floor of the hospital. At times, he attended special meet­ings of the Third Order of St. Francis at the Home. He also enjoyed attending the religious plays that were held in the hospital auditorium. He was there to bless the first stone which marked the work of enlargement and expansion of the hospital. On one occasion, when Padre Pio was ill, he was admitted as a patient to the Home.

On the 10th anniversary of the Home for the Relief of Suffering, May 5, 1966, Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro, as distinguished guest of honor, celebrated Mass on the portico of the hospital. In his homily that day, he spoke beautiful and inspiring words about Padre Pio’s great work of charity. He said:

I was hungry, says the Lord, and you gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink: I was naked and you covered me: I was in prison and you came to me, sick and you visited me. Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick and we aided thee? As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. Christ, therefore, is present in suffering. It is he who receives our attention, our generosity, our charity, who implores it. It will be he who will reward it one day, on the great day of his return in glory. It will be he who will reward it, and will reward it with a kingdom, not a human, fleeting one, but one prepared by God . . . From this presence of Christ in a brother who suffers is born for each of us, the duty to bring relief for suffering . . . The Home which rises here and which we inaugurated ten years ago has interpreted and interprets well, in the wealth of resources, scientific and technical, and in the decorum of the construction, this spirit of devout service to the suffering members of Our Lord.

We cannot offer Christ the crumbs which fall from the table of one who is satiated. The crumbs, in the words of the Gospel, are for the dogs. But when he who hungers is Christ, when the homeless one is Christ, what would we not do for him, and what can ever be wor­thy of him no matter what we do?

Padre Pio was present along side of Cardinal Lercaro for the 10th anni­versary celebration. He spoke briefly to the large crowd that day and said:

Infinite thanks to the Lord and to the Blessed Virgin, and blessed be those that in any way have cooperated with the Word. My mind and my paternal thoughts go in a special way to the Prayer Groups, now spread all over the world and here today for the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Home for the Relief of Suffering and for their second International Convention. Together with the Home for the Relief of Suffering, they are the advanced guards of this citadel of charity, alive with faith, centers of love, in which Christ himself is present every time they meet to pray and to celebrate the Eucharist under the auspices of their pastors and spiritual directors.

It is prayer, this united strength of all good people, which moves the world, which renews minds, which sustains the Home, which comforts the suffering, which heals the sick, which sanctifies work, which elevates medical assistance, which gives moral strength and Christian resignation to human suffering, and which spreads the smile and benediction of God on every languor and weakness.

Pray a lot my children. Pray always, without ever tiring, because it is to prayer that I entrust this work, which God has wanted and which will continue to progress and prosper thanks to the help of Divine Providence and the charitable and spiritual contribution of all those who pray. May the almighty and merciful God, who accepts for himself every good that is done to our suffering brethren, recom­pense you a thousand times over, in the fullest and most abundant measure.

Padre Pio’s plans to further help the people of San Giovanni Rotondo inclu­ded a number of other charitable works. He outlined his desires but did not live to see all of them realized. He wanted to build a home for the elderly, a home for retired priests, day care centers and nursery schools, a clinic for spastic and retarded children, a center for the prayer groups, a retreat house for the clergy, a retreat house for the laity, a Way of the Cross, a nursing school, and an international center of studies for doctors. He said, ‘We are building not only the Home for the Relief of Suffering, but also other facilities on the whole mountain . . . They are not only my works, but God’s, just as he shows me.’

When Padre Pio made out his last will, he donated the Home for the Relief of Suffering to the Holy See. He wanted to make sure that his great work of charity would be secure and would continue for future generations. The Vatican became the owner of the largest and finest hospital in Italy. Padre Pio said:

Notice that I made a will leaving everything to the Church, for I am a son of the Church. And when I no longer manage anything, my Mother will have to answer for all the offerings, even the coins, that souls from all over the world donate to the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

Padre Pio remained the administrator of the Home for the Relief of Suf­fering until his death. Some predicted that after Padre Pio’s passing, his hospi­tal would diminish and eventually close. How wrong they were. It has con­tinued to grow and expand through the many years since his death. Although Padre Pio has gone to his eternal reward, his spirit lives on in the Home for the Relief of Suffering. In the bright corridors, in the lovely gardens, and in the quiet chapels, one can pause and sense that Padre Pio is very near. He is still present, still working for the higher good.

Pope John Paul II visited the Home for the Relief of Suffering on May 23, 1987. He greeted the medical personnel, toured the various departments, and also visited the patients. He spoke to all who were gathered and said:

Padre Pio’s great insight was to unite science in the service of the sick, with faith and prayer: medical science in the always advancing fight against sickness; faith and prayer to transform and sublimate that suffering, which despite all the progress of medicine, will always, to a certain measure, remain an inheritance of life in this world.

Padre Pio, from the very beginning, put his Home under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He promised that Mary would always be present in his ‘hospital city’ where countless lives would be helped and saved. Padre Pio said:

May Our Lady of Grace, who is the Queen to whom every day and many times in the day, we manifest our love, and of whom we ask her maternal assistance, reign always in the city that will rise here, and may she assist all of you. May the Madonna intensify the love of her children for the Vicar of Christ on earth, and one day may she show us Jesus in the splendor of his glory. Amen

To Be Continued:

Padre Pio Devotions Publications:
1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1
2. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II
3. Daily Reflection: 365 Reflections from the Saints and Other Holy Men and Women of God
4. They Walked with God Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney,
St. Damien of Molokai, St. André Bessette, Bl. Solanus Casey
5. They Walked with God Book 2: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, St. John Bosco

Padre Pio’s Hospital – The Home for the Relief of Suffering

Padre Pio greeting patients at the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

In July 1916, Father Paolino of Casacalenda, the superior of Our Lady of Grace monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo, traveled to the Capuchin monastery of St. Anne in Foggia in order to preach for the feast of St. Anne. Padre Pio lived at St. Anne’s monastery at that time. During his visit, Father Paolino noticed the poor state of Padre Pio’s health. He was extremely weak and frail and was unable to keep any food on his stomach. At that time, he was also suffering from the intense summer heat in Foggia.

Padre Paolino invited Padre Pio to visit the Capuchin community in San Giovanni Rotondo, thinking that the change of climate might do him good. Padre Pio accepted the invitation with gratitude. At the time, Padre Pio was twenty-nine years old.

Our Lady of Grace monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo was one of the poorest and oldest monasteries that the Capuchins possessed. It was also one of the most isolated foundations in the province. A profound silence surrounded the old whitewashed monastery and the small church that was attached to it. In the distance, the clang of sheep bells could be heard as shepherds took their flocks to graze on the mountain just behind. People from the town rarely walked up the long dirt path to the top of the hill in order to attend Mass at Our Lady of Grace.

Padre Pio loved the solitude and peace that the monastery provided, saying to one of his confreres, ‘The silence here is beautiful.’ He also enjoyed the Capuchin community of priests and brothers who lived at Our Lady of Grace and they in turn enjoyed his company.

Padre Paolino wrote a letter to Padre Agostino who was in residence at the Capuchin monastery in Foggia, giving him an update on Padre Pio’s visit. He wrote:

He is happy with us, with the air, the residence, the quiet, the solitude, and everything. And with the exception of the interior trials with which the Lord tries him, it can be said truly that he is happy . . . We ourselves are very happy with him.

While in San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio felt the beneficial effects of breathing the fresh mountain air. The higher altitude seemed to agree with him and the cooler climate was a welcome break from the hot weather in Foggia. In the eight days that Padre Pio spent there, his health showed a marked improvement.

When Padre Pio returned to Foggia, he asked for permission to make another trip to San Giovanni Rotondo. He wrote to the Provincial and said:

I am going to ask a favor of you and I ask it because Jesus compels me to. He tells me that I must strengthen my body a bit in order to be ready for other trials to which he intends to subject me. The favor I want to ask is to let me spend some time in San Giovanni Rotondo, where Jesus assures me I will feel better. I ask you not to refuse me this charity. (Letters I)

Padre Pio received the permission from his superior and returned to the monastery of Our Lady of Grace in September 1916. He would live with the Capuchins there for the next fifty-two years.

The people who lived in San Giovanni Rotondo were mostly poor farmers and manual laborers. It was hard for them to eke out a living in the impoverished area. San Giovanni Rotondo, which was considered to be one of the most backward regions of southern Italy, lacked even the most basic health care for its residents. If a person had a medical emergency, the only recourse was to go to the small hospital in Foggia, some twenty-five miles away. It was generally a twelve-hour journey by horse and cart on a dirt road that was very difficult to travel. Many sick people died on the way to the hospital.

Padre Pio heard many tragic stories regarding far too many people who lost their lives because of the inadequate health care in San Giovanni Rotondo. One man, who had a terrible accident, was taken to the hospital in Foggia for emergency treatment. Unfortunately, no beds were available at the time he was admitted. He was placed on a cot in the hall and had to wait more than a week before being treated for his injuries. Word got back to Padre Pio about the incident and he became very upset. Unfortunately, the man’s story was not unique. Padre Pio knew that something had to be done to remedy the situation. He continuously thought about the need for a hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Along with the help of several collaborators, Padre Pio opened a small hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo in 1925. He named it the St. Francis hospital in honor of his spiritual father, St. Francis of Assisi. With only two wards and twenty beds, the hospital was very inefficient according to modern standards. An earthquake in 1938 caused so much damage to the structure, that the little hospital finally had to close its doors for good.

The lack of adequate health care in San Giovanni Rotondo continued to be a serious problem. As more and more people learned of Padre Pio, they visited Our Lady of Grace monastery in increasing numbers. Many were suffering from serious and often life-threatening illnesses. It was obvious to Padre Pio that San Giovanni Rotondo needed a hospital that would be able to provide, not only for the medical needs of the residents, but also for the pilgrims who visited. Padre Pio felt strongly that the future hospital would have to be large and fully-equipped, with state-of-the-art technology that could handle medical emergencies of any kind.

When Padre Pio discussed his dream of building a hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, many people scoffed at the idea and considered it to be absurd. A number of reasons were put forth as to why it would not work: Padre Pio’s religious community did not have the financial resources for such an undertaking; the population of San Giovanni Rotondo was too small to justify the building of a large hospital; people would not want to come to a hospital in such a remote and isolated location; the rocky and mountainous region, sometimes referred to as a ‘graveyard’ was not suitable to build on; Italy was in the midst of an economic crisis; it was the wrong time and the wrong place to consider such a monumental undertaking. In the minds of many, the hospital project was doomed to failure.

The objections that Padre Pio heard regarding the hospital did not discourage him. If anything, the objections caused him to desire the hospital even more. He knew that if he waited until the ‘right moment’ when everything was in good order, the hospital would never be built. ‘It is so pressing that we do something for the sick people here in San Giovanni Rotondo,’ he said to a friend. The need for a hospital was constantly before his mind. ‘We will do it with the help of God,’ he often repeated.

One day, Capuchin Father Alberto D’Apolito brought a man who was sick to see Padre Pio. Padre Pio’s heart was deeply touched when he met the man. He felt very sorry for him. He gave the man his priestly blessing and assured him of his prayers. After the man left, Father Alberto heard Padre Pio quietly pray, ‘Oh God, there is so much suffering, so much sickness. Please take away the sufferings of that poor man and give them to me.’ Padre Pio became ill right after he prayed. Father Alberto learned later that the man had made a complete recovery.

In his own life, Padre Pio knew, not only physical suffering, but spiritual suffering as well. ‘I endure terrible hours of sadness,’ he once wrote to his spiritual director. His own trials enabled him to have great compassion for those who were sick, especially children. Sometimes he seemed almost paralyzed by the suffering he saw all around him. He often cried unashamedly for those who were ill.

Pope John Paul II visits the patients in the men’s ward at the Home for the Relief of Suffering.

Padre Pio continued to work out the step by step plans for the hospital. He carefully chose the men and women who would play key roles in the leadership and administration of the hospital. There is reason to believe that Padre Pio had certain people marked out for the tasks before they had even met him. To the casual observer, his selection of certain individuals seemed on occasion, to be impractical. But time and time again, his judgment proved to be correct.

Dr. Guglielmo Sanguinetti was one of the men who was hand-picked by Padre Pio to play a major role in the construction of the hospital. Dr. Sanguinetti’s introduction to Padre Pio came about in an unusual way. One day, Dr. Sanguinetti asked his wife, Emilia, what kind of a gift she would like for their wedding anniversary. Emilia told him that more than anything else, she would like to go to San Giovanni Rotondo to see Padre Pio. Dr. Sanguinetti met the idea with great resistance. ‘Emilia, please don’t ask me to take you there,’ Dr. Sanguinetti said. ‘Ask me for anything but that. You know how much I dislike religion!’ As a fallen-away Catholic, he made a conscious effort to stay far away from churches and any type of religious gatherings. He especially made an effort to distance himself from priests. But he had asked his dear wife what she wanted for an anniversary gift and he felt that he had to honor her wishes. He finally agreed to take her to San Giovanni Rotondo.

Visiting the church of Our Lady of Grace and meeting Padre Pio turned out to be a far different experience than what Dr. Sanguinetti had expected. He attended Mass and the following day had the desire to make his confession to Padre Pio. He had not been to confession in twenty-five years.

Not long after, Dr. Sanguinetti made a second trip to visit Padre Pio. Padre Pio then told the doctor about his desire to have a hospital built in San Giovanni Rotondo. He urged the doctor to move to San Giovanni Rotondo and help him. ‘You will be the doctor who will help supervise the building project,’ Padre Pio said to Dr. Sanguinetti. The doctor was dumbstruck. ‘But that would be impossible!’ Dr. Sanguinetti replied. ‘I am neither an architect nor an engineer. I am a physician. My study has been the human body, not buildings. I know nothing about buildings.’ ‘Don’t worry about that,’ Padre Pio said. ‘That will all be taken care of.’ ‘Still, it is unthinkable,’ Dr. Sanguinetti answered. ‘I am a country doctor. I cannot afford to retire from my medical practice in Mugello. I do not have the financial means.’

Padre Pio then asked Dr. Sanguinetti to explain to him in detail, the particulars of his financial situation. Dr. Sanguinetti told Padre Pio that he earned a modest salary but had no investments and few assets. Padre Pio made light of his financial situation. ‘Don’t worry. All of those matters will be worked out,’ Padre Pio replied. ‘You will soon be receiving a ticket. You will see.’ Dr. Sanguinetti had no idea what Padre Pio was speaking of when he talked about a ‘ticket.’ He gave the matter no further thought.

Dr. Sanguinetti and his wife continued to visit Padre Pio from time to time. Whenever they visited, Padre Pio always asked them when they would be moving to San Giovanni Rotondo permanently. ‘Never,’ was the answer that was in Dr. Sanguinetti’s mind and heart. He had no intention of moving to San Giovanni Rotondo. The whole idea seemed absurd.

Padre Pio told Dr. Sanguinetti that he would one day practice medicine in San Giovanni Rotondo. He also told him that he would keep very busy with the actual building work of the hospital. He was specific in detail as well, even as to the type of truck the doctor would use while supervising at the construction site. He also told him that he would have a driver who would take him where he needed to go. To Dr. Sanguinetti, they were very strange statements, and he did not know what to make of them. Sometimes it seemed like Padre Pio was joking, and at other times, he seemed perfectly serious.

Even if Dr. and Mrs. Sanguinetti did not always understand Padre Pio, there was no denying that they felt the unmistakable spiritual blessings of being in his presence. They also felt his protection on numerous occasions, especially during the time of the Second World War. During the war, more than fifty bombs had exploded in their town. One day, Emilia Sanguinetti expressed her deep fears to Padre Pio. ‘You will be protected,’ Padre Pio said to her. As the war continued, all of the surrounding houses in their neighborhood were either destroyed or badly damaged. Not one bomb ever touched their home.

One day, Dr. Sanguinetti was surprised to get a call from his bank. He was informed that one of his government bonds drew a very large sum of money in the state bond lottery. It happened on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. He remembered that Padre Pio had spoken of a ‘ticket’ that would come to him. Dr. Sanguinetti saw the hand of God in the unexpected financial gain. After he gave up his medical practice, he and his wife moved to San Giovanni Rotondo. Right away he started working in earnest with Padre Pio on the plans for the hospital. Each one of the prophecies that Padre Pio had made to him would be realized in the years ahead.

Dr. Carlo Kisvarday, a chemist from Zara, Yugoslavia, also played a key role in the early development of the hospital. He first learned of Padre Pio when he and his wife Mary were making a trip to Germany to see the famed stigmatist and mystic, Therese Neumann. Therese had a reputation for holiness which drew thousands to travel to her home in the small farming town of Konnersreuth. Her life was dedicated totally to God. Many who met her described her as having a childlike purity and humility that was very uplifting to the spirit.

Therese was making plans to join the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict when she was struck down by an accident on the family farm. After the accident, her health took a sharp decline and she soon became bedridden. Concerning the tragic turn of events in her life, she showed heroic acceptance of the will of God. Later, she had a vision of Christ kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane and she heard his prayers. When Christ turned and looked at her, she felt a very sharp pain in her heart. It was the first imprint of the stigmata. Later, she would receive the wounds of Christ in her hands and feet as well. Like Padre Pio, Therese Neumann was a victim soul who offered her sufferings in reparation to the Lord. After her death in 1962, Padre Pio told a friend, John Sienna, that Therese often assisted him from heaven.

Dr. Kisvarday and his wife were very close to Konnersreuth when they made a short detour. A stranger happened to strike up a conversation with them and told them a few facts about Padre Pio. Dr. Kisvarday became so intrigued that he decided to change course and to travel the eight hundred miles to San Giovanni Rotondo. Feeling a kind of urgency, he cut the conversation short and left immediately for his new destination.

When Padre Pio met the doctor, he hugged him and held him close to his heart. Dr. Kisvarday could not explain it but he had the strange feeling that Padre Pio had been expecting him. One month later, Dr. Kisvarday made a second visit to the monastery. ‘I want you to make your home here,’ Padre Pio said to Dr. Kisvarday. ‘I want you here beside me.’ Dr. Kisvarday ran out of the monastery to tell his wife the good news. ‘Mary, Padre Pio just told me that he wants us to move here!’ Dr. Kisvarday said. ‘He wants us to live close to him and help him with the hospital!’ Mary Kisvarday was just as happy as her husband was. Dr. Kisvarday and his wife were able to build a home very close to the monastery. As time passed, the doctor’s love for Padre Pio became so strong that he felt like he never wanted to be parted from him.

Many of those who were chosen by Padre Pio to be the organizers of his great work were willing to leave the security of a good job, a steady income, and a comfortable lifestyle. They were ready to work without a salary on a monumental project that would take years to complete and there was no guarantee that the project would be completed. Why were people willing to give up so much and work so hard? It was because of their esteem for Padre Pio. He had asked for their help and they wanted to help him. They felt honored to be called to the task.

Dr. Mario Sanvico, an industrialist from Perugia, Italy was another one of the pioneers of the hospital. Like Dr. Sanguinetti and Dr. Kisvarday, Dr. Sanvico was chosen by Padre Pio to have an important role in the first beginnings of the hospital. After much discussion with Padre Pio, Dr. Sanvico called a committee meeting on January 9, 1940 to formalize the plans. Padre Pio was named founder of the hospital. It was decided that Dr. Sanvico would act as secretary. Dr. Sanguinetti would be the Technical Medical Director. As time passed, Dr. Sanguinetti also worked as the building foreman, driver, adviser, and editor of a popular publication regarding the hospital. Dr. Carlo Kisvarday was designated to be the accountant and treasurer. The Director of Internal Affairs was Miss Ida Seitz. It was understood that Padre Pio would have to approve all decisions made by the committee before any action could be taken.

Later on in the day, Dr. Sanvico and Dr. Kisvardy visited Padre Pio in his cell and reported to him all that had transpired in the committee meeting. Padre Pio was very happy with the news and said, ‘This evening my earthly work has begun. I bless you and all those who will contribute to this work.’ Dr. Sanvico and Dr. Kisvardy knelt as Padre Pio spoke to them. Padre Pio wanted to make the first offering for the hospital. He took a coin out of his pocket and handed it to the two doctors. Pietruccio Cugino, Padre Pio’s longtime friend, made the second humble donation. Padre Pio spoke to the men from his heart and said:

To God we owe all our love, which, to be adequate, ought to be infinite . . . We must at least give our whole being to love, to charity . . . To carry out this ideal of Our Lord, we must be quite forgetful of self. Rising above selfishness, we must bow down to the sufferings and the wounds of our fellow men. We must make them our own, knowing how to suffer with our brethren for the love of God. We must know how to instill hope into their hearts and bring back a smile to their lips, having restored a ray of light into their souls. Then we shall be offering God the most beautiful, the most noble of prayers, because our prayer will have sprung from sacrifice.

Shortly after the first committee meeting, Dr. Sanvico asked Padre Pio what name he planned to give the hospital. Padre Pio said that he would think about it. Three days later, he told Dr. Sanvico the name he had decided on -the Home for the Relief of Suffering. During the time of the Second World War, the plans for the construction of the hospital had to be put on hold. But Padre Pio never lost sight of his dream. He waited and continued to pray.

When the war finally came to a close, Padre Pio pressed for immediate action. He urged his good friend, Father Giuseppe (Peppino) Orlando to help him. Padre Pio had known Father Peppino from the early days, when they had both lived in Pietrelcina. Padre Pio used to frequently repeat to Father Peppino, ‘We must start the work on the hospital now, Father Peppino!’ ‘But we’re not ready. We don’t even have a blueprint or a design drawn up. Everyone will laugh at us!’ Father Peppino would reply. However, Padre Pio was persistent. He would frequently nudge Father Peppino with his elbow and say, ‘Peppino, when are we going to start the work? We must get started!’ Although the amount of money that had been collected for the project was much smaller than hoped for, Padre Pio felt an urgency to begin.

On occasion, Father Peppino would try to avoid Padre Pio, knowing that the future hospital would always be the topic of his conversation. Finally, Padre Pio won out. One day Father Peppino said to him, ‘Ok, I will do what you have asked me to do. Tomorrow I will begin. I will start work on the road.’ Father Peppino bought two skeins of string, and gathering twenty laborers together, he began to prepare the road. Each day, Padre Pio watched the workers from his monastery window and was elated to see the progress of the building of the road. In the evenings, when Father Peppino came in from the work site, he was covered in dust. Padre Pio, with great satisfaction, would always make it a point to brush off the dust from his cassock.

Angelo Lupi of Pescara, Italy was chosen to be the chief designer and builder of the hospital. He had been selected over many others who wanted the job. He was talented and hard-working and was considered by many to be a genius in his field. Although he was the principal designer, Angelo Lupi did not have a diploma or a degree in architecture. For that reason, he seemed to be a risky choice. He was frequently doubtful about his ability. He was also worried about the lack of proper equipment and materials for such a huge undertaking. For his drawing board, Angelo used an ordinary kitchen table. He knew that he would have to improvise on many occasions and use all of his creative abilities in order to see the work to its completion.

Angelo Lupi shared his anxieties about the project with Padre Pio who simply listened and smiled. ‘Padre Pio,’ Lupi said, ‘I feel daunted by this huge undertaking. I don’t even have a degree in architecture and I am being criticized because of it.’ Some people had reported Lupi to the authorities because he did not have the appropriate certification. ‘Do not worry about what people say,’ Padre Pio told him. ‘The person who complained about you has received his degree from men. But you have received your degree from God.’ Padre Pio was always there to encourage him and to dispel his fears. Later, Angelo Lupi was awarded an honorary degree.

One of Padre Pio’s spiritual daughters, Maria Basilio, donated the land that the hospital was to be built on. The location was right next to the monastery of Our Lady of Grace. Maria was a wealthy woman who lived in Turin. She met Padre Pio in the early days, shortly after he was transferred to San Giovanni Rotondo. When Maria decided that she wanted to live closer to Padre Pio, he advised her to buy the land that was next to the monastery. It seems certain that Padre Pio was guided, even then, to lay the plans for what was to come in the future. Step by step, he prepared for the ‘great work’ of the hospital, down to the last detail.

Cleonice Morcaldi, another one of Padre Pio’s spiritual daughters, once saw Padre Pio standing in front of the desolate mountainside on the spot where the future hospital would one day be built. With deep concentration, he gazed silently at the mountain, and then, touching his fingers to his lips, he blew a kiss to the area.

The designated place where the hospital was to be built posed many problems for Angelo Lupi. For one thing, the Mount Gargano region was greatly lacking in natural resources. The aqueduct of Apulia was tapped for a supply of water. To obtain even more water, Lupi built large cisterns to collect rain water. A homemade power plant was used to produce electricity. A lime kiln was built in order to extract the lime that was needed for the plaster. It was an exciting day for the people of San Giovanni Rotondo when Padre Pio came down to the work site in order to bless the lime kiln. Later a stone-crushing machine was acquired.

Tons of the mountainside had to be blasted with dynamite. For many months, explosions were set off twice each day. At times, as many as 350 men were at work on the mountain under the direction of Angelo Lupi. They shoveled, dug, and broke up the stony ground with their pick axes and sledgehammers. Farmers, shepherds, former servicemen, and even ex-convicts were hired for the labor-intensive work.

A carpentry area and a mechanical workshop were soon added to the building site. The simple farmers, shepherds, and others, were taught the skills of bricklayers, painters, blacksmiths, and woodworkers. While much of Italy suffered from unemployment, there was no unemployment problem in San Giovanni Rotondo. The poor people in the area were deeply grateful for the steady employment which enabled them to provide for their families. With great joy, Padre Pio continued to watch the progression of the work from his monastery window.

During the years that the hospital was being built, the spiritual development of the construction workers was always provided for. A special Mass was held on the first Friday of each month. At the end of the day, a large bell was sounded and summoned all who were involved with the work for the hospital to the church for Mass.

Difficulties were encountered in all stages of the construction work. But those difficulties paled in comparison to the problem of the lack of money. Dr. Kisvarday, who was in charge of the accounts, felt a growing anxiety. He meticulously recorded all donations in an ordinary school copy book. For the most part, the donations that were received were quite modest. The citizens of the town had little extra money to give, even to such a worthy cause.

Members of the hospital committee tried to think of creative ways to solve the money problem. Lotteries, raffles and other fund-raisers were held. Plays with spiritual themes were presented and the proceeds were given to the hospital. Almost every shop in San Giovanni Rotondo possessed a small donation box for the hospital.

Padre Pio made it clear that he would not consider taking out loans to finance the hospital. He advised that the work should be done gradually, as the money came in. When the donations slowed, so did the work. He always saw the work of the hospital as supported by prayer. ‘This is God’s work,’ he would repeat. ‘It is not mine. God will see to the money.’

Nevertheless, Dr. Sanguinetti, Dr. Kisvarday, and Dr. Sanvico became deeply concerned about the lack of funds. After much analysis of the incoming donations and the outgoing expenses, they realized that there would not be enough money to build the hospital. It seemed that the whole project was doomed to failure. However, through the blessing of Divine Providence, things were about to change.

Barbara Ward, the British journalist and economist visited San Giovanni Rotondo in 1948. Some of Barbara’s friends in Rome had told her about Padre Pio and she had a great desire to meet him. With great interest, she viewed the construction work that was being done for the hospital.

During her visit to the monastery, Barbara was able to speak to Padre Pio briefly. She talked to him about her fiancé, Commander Robert Jackson. ‘I would like to ask for your prayers. I am engaged to be married,’ Barbara said. ‘My fiancé, Robert, is a Protestant and I am a Catholic. I would like Robert to be converted to Catholicism.’ ‘If it is the Lord’s will, he will be,’ Padre Pio answered. ‘But when will it be?’ Barbara asked. ‘If it is the Lord’s will, right now,’ Padre Pio replied.

When Barbara returned to London, she was surprised to find that Robert had already been received into the Catholic Church. He explained to Barbara that he was walking past the Jesuit parish in the city of Mayfair one day when he suddenly felt a great longing to go inside. Once inside, he called for the parish priest and explained that he wished to take instructions in the Catholic faith. This occurred on the day that Barbara had spoken to Padre Pio about her desire for Robert to become Catholic.

Barbara told her fiancé about her visit to Padre Pio’s monastery and the important work of the Home for the Relief of Suffering. She asked him if he might be able to find a way to assist Padre Pio. Robert was the deputy director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA). The goal of UNRRA was to give aide for purposes of redevelopment to countries that had suffered from the war. Italy had definitely suffered from the war.

Robert set about to present a summary of the hospital’s need for financial aid. The project was brought before the U.S. Congress and was approved. UNRRA designated 400 million lire to the Home for the Relief of Suffering. Of that sum, the Italian government took 150 million lire. Padre Pio was very upset by the government’s actions, considering it a great impropriety to take part of the funds that had been designated to the hospital. The hospital received 250 million lire which was still a huge sum of money in 1948. Barbara and Robert stepped in at the right time. With the grant, the work would be able to continue until the hospital was completed.

In consideration of the large gift that had been given, UNRRA requested that Padre Pio name the hospital, the Fiorello Henry La Guardia Hospital. Fiorello La Guardia, who had died a short time before, had been UNRRA’s Director General and was considered to be one of its most outstanding benefactors. Padre Pio had already decided on the name that he wanted for the hospital and he would not agree to change it. He did however, have a large plaque with an inscription of gratitude and a dedication to Fiorello LaGuardia erected in the Home.

In 1950, when Barbara visited San Giovanni Rotondo again, she was delighted to see how the work had progressed and how the grant funds had been used. A big surprise awaited her when she went into the hospital’s chapel. There, in one of the beautiful stained glass windows, the artist had etched Barbara’s face to portray the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Barbara’s lovely face, which revealed kindness and great compassion, was the perfect model for the chapel’s Madonna window. Because of her very important financial assistance, Barbara Ward was frequently referred to as the ‘godmother’ of the hospital.

Not everyone who learned of Padre Pio’s great work had the exemplary qualities that Barbara Ward possessed. One family in San Giovanni Rotondo decided to raise funds for the future hospital. However, their intentions were far from honorable. Instead of turning the donations over to the hospital, they used the money to build a home for themselves. Soon Padre Pio was informed about the matter. The next day, their brand-new house collapsed on its foundations.

To Be Continued:

Padre Pio Devotions Publications:
1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1
2. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II
3. Daily Reflection: 365 Reflections from the Saints and Other Holy Men and Women of God
4. They Walked with God: Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney,
St. Damien of Molokai, St. André Bessette, Bl. Solanus Casey
5. They Walked with God Book 2: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, St. John Bosco

Padre Pio’s Holy Death

For many, death is a sorrowful event. For Padre Pio, it was like a release from prison or a long awaited journey home. His life was completely oriented toward attaining Heaven.
– Father Federico de Macchia Valforte

Archbishop Andrea Cesarano stands beside the casket of Padre Pio. The two were very close friends in life. People used to call Archbishop Cesarano, “Padre Pio’s Bishop.”

Padre Pio’s health steadily declined during the last years of his life. In 1968, the year that Padre Pio died, Father Carmelo, the superior of the monastery, was keenly aware of Padre Pio’s deteriorating condition. He told Padre Pio that he did not want him to overtax himself and that he could dispense with hearing confessions if he wanted to. But Padre Pio would not even consider it. He never wanted to ‘retire’ from his priestly ministry. He wanted to work right up until the end and that is exactly what he did. A few days before his death, although weak and extremely ill, he insisted on hearing confessions. ‘He desired to die on his feet, at his place of work, after a day spent with others in prayer and in his ministry for good,’ Father Carmelo said.

The Capuchins who lived with Padre Pio observed the decrease in his physical strength in his later years. On one occasion, Padre Rosario gave Padre Pio a Rosary as a gift. Shortly after, Padre Pio returned it to him. He explained that it was too heavy and he did not have the strength to hold it. Padre Rosario said, ‘He seemed always at the extreme limits of his strength and he was in constant expectation of death.’ When saying goodnight, Padre Pio often asked his Capuchin brothers to recommend him to the Lord because he was not sure if he would be alive in the morning. ‘Padre Pio was not frightened of death, but he felt it looking over his shoulder, ready to snatch him away,’ Padre Rosario said.

Several months before his death, Padre Pio asked that a picture of St. Joseph be hung near his cell. His confreres noticed that he would stop every day before the picture and gaze at it in silence. It was only later that they learned that Padre Pio had been praying each day to St. Joseph for a happy death.

Some of the Capuchins also stated that for a number of weeks before Padre Pio’s death, the monastery of Our Lady of Grace seemed to have an altogether different feeling about it. The corridors, the rooms and gathering areas, and the monastery itself seemed to be pervaded by what was described as a ‘mystical silence.’ At that time, no one knew that Padre Pio would soon be passing away.

The painting of St. Joseph that Padre Pio prayed before during the last months of his life.

When Padre Pio knew that his end was approaching, he immersed himself in prayer. One of his spiritual sons said, ‘Padre Pio’s life was dedicated to prayer, from the solitary prayers he learned as a child in Pietrelcina, to the Our Father which he prayed in his cell during the last hours of his life, when he was perfectly conscious of his imminent departure. In his temptations he prayed, in his joys he prayed, in the many vicissitudes of life he prayed, in his illness he prayed. God imbued his whole existence and his every action with prayer.’

In a sense, Padre Pio had always looked forward to the end of his earthly pilgrimage. He longed to return to his true home, Heaven, where he could be united to God for eternity. He wrote a letter to Padre Agostino and said:

Living here below is wearisome to me, my dear Father. It is such a bitter torment to me to live in exile that I can hardly go on any longer. The thought that at any moment I could lose Jesus terrifies me in a way I cannot explain. (Letters I)

Not long before Padre Pio passed away, he spoke to Brother Modestino Fucci and asked him to assist him with his prayers. ‘But Spiritual Father,’ Brother Modestino said, ‘it is you who must pray for me.’ Padre Pio answered him, ‘My son, I tell you that the justice of God is severe. Pray for me.’ Brother Modestino understood then that Padre Pio was speaking of his death. Padre Pio also spoke about his death to his friend, Carlo Trabucco. He said to Carlo, ‘When my time comes to leave this life, if my heavenly Mother is not there to hold my hand, how will I have courage?’ Carlo then began to contemplate the thought of his own death, knowing that he too, would have to render an account to God. As Carlo thought about it, he began to tremble.

There were many indications that Padre Pio had knowledge of the time and date of his death. To his niece, Pia Forgione Pennelli, he said in 1966, ‘I will not be alive in two years.’ He would die in 1968. He told his friend Pietruccio Cugino that he would die in his eighty-first year, and indeed he did.

Padre Pio was very close to Father Onorato Marcucci, who assisted him in the last three years of his life. When Father Onorato had to travel to Montecatini a short time before Padre Pio’s passing, Padre Pio said to him, ‘Son, I beg you to return as soon as possible!’ He wanted to have those he loved near him at the time of his death.

Padre Pio told his spiritual daughter, Josephine Bove, that he would die when the crypt in the church of Our Lady of Grace was built. He knew that the Capuchins were planning to build a crypt for his burial. Nevertheless, he indicated that it was not his desire to be buried in a specially made crypt. Rather, he wanted to be buried in a simple grave. The construction of the new church of Our Lady of Grace was finished in 1959. Josephine Bove was afraid that the completion of the new church might in some way be a signal of Padre Pio’s death. But the building of Padre Pio’s crypt was put on hold for a number of years. It was finally completed and was blessed on September 22, 1968. Padre Pio died sixteen hours later.

Shortly before his death, Padre Pio conveyed the message that he would soon be entering eternal life to a number of his spiritual children. One was a woman who lived in Catania, Sicily. She visited San Giovanni Rotondo on September 8, 1968 and made her confession to Father Alberto D’Apolito. She asked Father Alberto for a favor. She told him that she had a great desire to see Padre Pio, even if only for a moment and to kiss his hand. Father Alberto told her that it would be impossible. There were too many pilgrims in the church that day. However, he could arrange for her to see Padre Pio on the following day.

The woman explained to Father Alberto that she had made the long journey to San Giovanni Rotondo from Sicily. She was poor and had made great sacrifices to get to the monastery. She did not have enough money to stay overnight in a hotel but would have to return to Sicily that very day. All of her life, she had wanted to see Padre Pio but could never afford to make the trip. A few days before, she had a vivid dream. In her dream Padre Pio said to her, ‘If you want to see me, come to San Giovanni Rotondo immediately because in a few days I will die.’ She had to borrow the money for the travel expenses.

Father Alberto was skeptical about the woman’s words. He believed that she was making up the story for her own purposes. He heard the same type of requests day in and day out and the more desperate the people were, the more they tended to exaggerate the truth. He had no indication that Padre Pio was going to die any time soon. When the woman began to cry, Father Alberto’s heart softened and he decided to help her. He led her through a corridor of the monastery to the elevator and told her to wait there. Padre Pio would be coming that way shortly. The woman knelt down and waited. When Padre Pio passed by the area where she was kneeling, he stopped. He looked at her with great tenderness and spoke to her. She was deeply moved when he placed his hands on her head, giving her a blessing. Before leaving the monastery, she returned to the confessional to speak to Father Alberto. With tears in her eyes, she thanked him with all her heart for arranging the meeting. It was just fifteen days later that Padre Pio passed away.

September 20, 1968 was the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio’s stigmata. For Padre Pio, it would be a day like any other day, a day devoted to Mass, prayer, and service to the Lord. But it was not a day like any other day for his spiritual children from around the world. Many had come great distances to be present for his anniversary. The Mass on September 20th was at the usual early morning hour of 5:00 a.m. and the church was filled to capacity. Many people had to stand outside during the Mass. In keeping with Padre Pio’s wishes, there were no speeches, no festivities, no celebration. There was only one exception to the rule and that was the hundreds of deep red roses that decorated the sanctuary of the church. The crucifix in the choir loft before which Padre Pio received the stigmata on September 20, 1918, was also adorned with beautiful red roses.

Father Armand Dasseville, OFM Capuchin, was one of the many pilgrims that day who attended the Mass that commemorated the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio’s stigmata. An active promoter of Padre Pio prayer groups in the United States, Father Dasseville had traveled from New York City to attend the Mass. Father Dasseville said:

It is hard to put my impressions of Padre Pio’s Mass into words. All I had heard and read about his masses were true. I was touched by the humility, the sincerity, and the great faith of this man of prayer. He seemed oblivious to the noises and exclamations, the pushing and shoving that was going on in the church as people edged closer to get a better look at him. He literally lived the Mass. He relived the Passion of Christ. From the expression on his face, he actually suffered with Christ. As far as I could judge, the sufferings of Padre Pio were greatest at the moment of the consecration of the Mass. His eyes sometimes would close, his face would contort in pain, and his lips would tremble. Frequently I saw him wipe tears from his eyes with his handkerchief. He was seated for the Mass and faced the people. In obedience to his superiors, the Mass lasted only a good half hour.

Like Father Armand, Dorothy Boes was another one of Padre Pio’s spiritual children who attended the Mass on September 20. Dorothy had always had a great desire to visit Padre Pio and when she heard that there would be a Mass at Our Lady of Grace monastery celebrating the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio’s stigmata, she immediately applied for a passport to travel to Italy. She received it just in time. Dorothy and her friend Mary arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo on September 19. Knowing how crowded the Mass would be the next morning, they decided to get to the church at 2:30 a.m. to wait for the doors to open. When the church finally opened, the two women were almost knocked down by the crowds who rushed in all at once. Nevertheless, Dorothy and Mary managed to find good seats in the front.

Afterwards, Mary and Dorothy along with some of the other pilgrims in attendance were taken to a room in the monastery where Padre Pio was brought in to greet them. Dorothy said, ‘Padre Pio looked directly at Mary and I and said, ‘I knew for a long time that all of you would be coming to see me.’ Then he called us his children.’ Shortly after, Dorothy and Mary left San Giovanni Rotondo to return home. Just a few days later they learned that Padre Pio had passed away.

Mr. Gino Pin and his family also came to attend the 50th anniversary Mass of Padre Pio’s stigmata. Gino had a great devotion to Padre Pio and was a tireless worker for the Padre Pio prayer groups in Biella, Italy. Father Alberto D’Apolito was very happy to greet Gino when he arrived. He felt sorry for Gino because he knew that he had experienced many difficulties in his family life. Padre Alberto went to Padre Pio with a request. He handed him a holy card and asked him to write a devotional message on the back. He did not tell him who he was going to give it to. He knew how much it would mean to Gino to have a prayer card that Padre Pio had inscribed. Padre Pio kissed the holy card and blessed it and wrote on the back, ‘May Jesus and Mary always sweeten your sorrows.’ When Father Alberto read the message, he was disappointed. He did not want Gino to be reminded of his ‘sorrows’ for he had experienced one trial after another in recent years. He decided not to give the holy card to Gino.

Instead, Father Alberto arranged for Gino to see Padre Pio personally. He took him to the veranda of the monastery so that he could greet Padre Pio. Padre Pio spoke to him with affection and said he would pray for his intentions. Before Gino left, Padre Pio gave him a blessing.

Afterward, Father Alberto decided to give Gino the holy card that Padre Pio had signed. Gino read the message on the back of the card and his eyes filled with tears. He said to Father Alberto, ‘Did you see the message that Padre Pio wrote to me?’ indicating the reference to his ‘sorrows.’ Father Alberto encouraged Gino by saying, ‘Be strong. Padre Pio is with you. He will help you.’ Later that evening, Gino came back to the monastery to see Father Alberto. He was crying as he told Father Alberto that his daughter, Maria Pia, had just been admitted to the hospital and was in very serious condition. The doctors suspected that she had a tumor or possibly peritonitis.

The next morning, Maria Pia’s condition was even more desperate. Gino wondered if he should take her back home to Biella to receive medical treatment there. He asked Father Alberto to explain the situation to Padre Pio and ask for his advice. Father Alberto went at once to look for Padre Pio and found him on the veranda, praying the Rosary. Father Alberto spoke to him about Gino, but he did not reply. It did not seem as though he was even aware of Father Alberto’s presence, for he was deeply immersed in prayer.

Father Alberto finally tapped Padre Pio to get his attention and he then looked up in surprise. ‘Padre Pio,’ Father Alberto said. ‘Gino’s daughter, Maria Pia, is in the hospital in very serious condition. She may need an operation. Gino needs your advice. He wonders if he should take her back home to Biella. What should he do?’ ‘She should not be moved from the hospital,’ Padre Pio replied. ‘If she needs an operation, she should be operated on here and not in Biella.’ ‘Gino is a poor man,’ Father Alberto said. ‘He cannot afford to have his daughter remain in the hospital and he cannot afford the cost of an operation. Can’t you invoke a cure from the Blessed Virgin for Maria Pia so that she doesn’t have to have an operation?’ ‘Yes, I will pray about it,’ Padre Pio answered.

Several hours later when Dr. Gusso, the head physician of the Home for the Relief of Suffering examined Maria Pia, he found that she was completely well. She was immediately discharged from the hospital. The miraculous recovery of Gino Pin’s daughter occurred on September 22, one day before Padre Pio’s death. It is considered to be possibly the last miracle, the last grace invoked by Padre Pio to the Blessed Virgin, before he died.

Marissa Liberati, a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio, used to travel from Rome to San Giovanni Rotondo twice a month to make her confession to Padre Pio. She told him that she would like to bring her two nieces, Lucia and Anna to the monastery to receive their first Holy Communion from his hands. Padre Pio told her to have the girls receive their religious instruction in Rome and when it was completed he would be happy to give them their first Communion. Lucia and Anna attended catechism classes and completed their sacramental preparation but their parents kept delaying the date for the trip to San Giovanni Rotondo. Marissa frequently spoke to Padre Pio about the situation.

Toward the middle of September 1968, Marissa had a vivid dream. In her dream, Padre Pio told her to bring Anna and Lucia to San Giovanni Rotondo as soon as possible. There was an urgency in his words. When she woke up, she reflected on the dream and decided to cancel the pilgrimage that she was planning to make to Lourdes. Instead, she purchased the first Holy Communion clothing for her nieces and along with their mother, took the girls to San Giovanni Rotondo.

Padre Pio was extremely weak and ill on the day that Marissa arrived with her nieces and their mother. It was September 22 and the church was full to overflowing. The members of Padre Pio’s worldwide prayer groups were present at the Mass that morning. They had come to San Giovanni Rotondo to attend the International Prayer Group Congress. Padre Pio said Mass on that day in thanksgiving for the prayer groups and in special thanksgiving for the official approval and recognition they had recently received from the Holy Office in Rome. It was a great joy for Padre Pio to know that his prayer groups were established on a firm foundation and were flourishing worldwide.

At the Mass, Padre Pio gave Communion first to Lucia and then to Anna. Anna Fanoni was the last person to receive Holy Communion from Padre Pio’s hands for he died the very next day. As he left the altar, he almost collapsed. Several of the Capuchins who assisted at the Mass aided him and kept him from falling. Padre Pio looked out at the sea of people, and in a broken and shaky voice called out, ‘My children, my children.’ Later, he went to a window of the monastery to greet and bless the prayer group members who were gathered in the piazza below. He was so weak that he had to be supported by two of his brother Capuchins.

That evening about 9:00 p.m. Padre Pio used the intercom to call Padre Pellegrino to come to his room. Padre Pellegrino, who took turns with Padre Onorato and Padre Mariano in assisting Padre Pio, was assigned to the evening duty that night. When Padre Pellegrino answered Padre Pio’s call and entered his room, he found him in bed and noticed that his eyes were red with tears. Padre Pio had called him because he wanted to know what time it was. Padre Pellegrino dried Padre Pio’s tears with a handkerchief and told him the time. After he checked to make sure that Padre Pio was all right, he went back to his room.

During the evening, Padre Pio called Padre Pellegrino to his room five or six times asking for small necessities. Every time he entered the room, he noticed tears in Padre Pio’s eyes. Nevertheless, Padre Pio joked with him by calling him Don Pellegrino rather than the usual, ‘my son’ or ‘my brother.’ He always called him Don Pellegrino whenever wanted to make him laugh.

Around midnight, Padre Pio asked Padre Pellegrino if he would stay on in his room with him, and he was happy to do so. Usually Padre Pellegrino sat in the armchair but on this night, Padre Pio wanted him to sit right beside his bed. He took Padre Pellegrino’s hand in his and held it tightly. Padre Pio began to tremble like a frightened child. Every few minutes he wanted to know the time. Padre Pellegrino did not know what to make of it. It almost seemed as though he had an appointment with someone. He continued to wipe the tears from Padre Pio’s eyes and to stay close beside him.

A little after midnight, Padre Pio asked Padre Pellegrino if he had celebrated Mass. ‘Spiritual Father, it is too early to say Mass,’ Padre Pellegrino answered. ‘Today you will celebrate the Mass for me,’ Padre Pio said. Padre Pellegrino did not understand Padre Pio’s words and replied, ‘But I say Mass every day for your intentions.’ ‘Today you will say Mass for my soul,’ Padre Pio said. The words sounded strange to Padre Pellegrino but he did not ask for an explanation.

He then asked Padre Pellegrino to hear his confession. Padre Pellegrino was not his regular confessor but he had heard his confession many times in the past and he heard it on this night. ‘If the Lord calls me today, ask the Brothers to forgive me for all the trouble I have been to them and ask them and all my spiritual children to pray for my soul,’ Padre Pio said. Padre Pellegrino assured him that he had no need to worry for he still had a long time yet to live. Nevertheless, Padre Pellegrino added, ‘But if it is indeed near the time of your death, I ask you for a last blessing for the Brothers and for all of your spiritual children.’ Padre Pio answered, ‘I bless them all and I ask you to have the superior give them this last blessing for me.’

Padre Pio then said that he wanted to renew his religious vows. At these words, Padre Pellegrino grew frightened because in the Capuchin tradition, the only time the vows of religious profession are renewed is when one is on his death bed. Padre Pio was putting everything in order, down to the last detail. Padre Pellegrino listened as Padre Pio renewed his vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Padre Pio said:

I, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, vow and promise to Almighty God, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to our Holy Father, Saint Francis, to all the saints and to you, Father, to observe all the days of my life, the Rule of the Friars Minor, confirmed by Pope Honorius, and to live in obedience, without property, and in chastity.

Padre Pellegrino spoke the response, ‘If you abide by this, on behalf of God, I promise you eternal life.’ Padre Pio said that he could not breathe well in bed and wanted to get up. ‘Are there any stars in the sky tonight?’ Padre Pio asked. ‘Yes, indeed. The sky is studded with stars tonight,’ Padre Pellegrino replied. ‘Let us go to the veranda then and see,’ Padre Pio said. Padre Pio had severe arthritis and at eighty-one years of age, his posture was stooped and bent. Because it was very painful for him to walk, he used a wheelchair most of the time. But on this night for some reason, he was able to stand up straight and he walked briskly and with great ease, to the veranda, needing no assistance. To Padre Pellegrino, he suddenly looked twenty years younger.

When Padre Pio got to the veranda, he reached over and turned on the light. That was something he had not done in so long that Padre Pellegrino could not even remember. He knew from personal experience that unusual things often happened in Padre Pio’s presence and he reasoned that this night was no exception. Padre Pio then began to stare intently at a particular area on the veranda. Padre Pellegrino could not understand what he was looking at with such concentration, but soon he would understand. He was staring at the exact place where the Capuchins would carry his lifeless body in just a few short hours.

Suddenly Padre Pio began to feel very ill. He wanted to go back to his room but he was too weak to stand up. Padre Pellegrino quickly went to get a wheelchair. Meanwhile, all of the color had drained out of Padre Pio’s face and he was growing weaker by the minute. He began to repeat the words, Jesus . . . Mary . . . over and over. All the while, his voice was growing fainter.

Padre Pellegrino took him back to his room in the wheelchair but had great difficulty getting him into his armchair. Once he finally got him settled, Padre Pio began to stare intently at a picture that was hanging on the wall. He wanted to know who it was. Padre Pellegrino answered, ‘Those are photographs of your mother and father.’ ‘But I see two mothers,’ Padre Pio said. ‘No, there is only one mother there,’ Padre Pellegrino replied, pointing to Giuseppa Forgione. ‘Don’t worry,’ Padre Pio said, ‘I can see very well but I can see two mothers.’

Padre Pellegrino had lived with Padre Pio for a long time. He knew that Jesus and the Virgin Mary often appeared to him. Padre Pio also had the rare gift of being able to see his guardian angel in form. Many times, when he was in prayer, he seemed to be having a conversation with someone, someone that he could see but that no one else could see. Padre Pellegrino was convinced that the Virgin Mary was present in his room at that moment and that Padre Pio could see her.

Right after Padre Pio spoke of seeing ‘two mothers’ he seemed to grow weaker. He broke out into a cold sweat and his lips began to turn blue. Padre Pellegrino became alarmed and started to go to get assistance. ‘I do not want you to disturb anyone,’ Padre Pio told him. ‘Do not waken anyone.’ But Padre Pellegrino insisted on getting help and quickly left the room. He woke up Brother Bill Martin and told him to place a call to Dr. Giuseppe Sala immediately. After that, Padre Pellegrino woke up all the other Capuchins and told them to hurry to Padre Pio’s cell. Dr. Sala arrived in less than ten minutes and realized that Padre Pio was having a severe bronchial asthma attack. He gave him an injection as well as oxygen in an attempt to ease his breathing which had become difficult and labored.

By that time, Father Mariano, Brother Bill Martin, Father Carmelo and the other Capuchins had gathered in Padre Pio’s room. Dr. Giovanni Scarale and Dr. Giuseppe Gusso soon arrived as well as Mario Pennelli, Padre Pio’s nephew. While the doctors were doing their very best to help Padre Pio, the Capuchins knelt down beside him and prayed the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the prayer for a holy death, and the prayer to St. Joseph, patron of the dying. Together, the Capuchins repeated, ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, assist me in my last agony. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, may my soul peacefully expire in You.’

The Holy Oils were prepared and Father Paolo gave Padre Pio the Last Rites. Padre Pio was fully conscious and was very much aware of all that was happening. His feet and hands were becoming very cold and he was perspiring heavily. When the doctors realized that he was having a heart attack, he was given an injection directly into his heart. With his eyes closed, he continued to repeat the words, Jesus . . . Mary . . . Toward the end, his lips formed the words but he could make no sound, not even a whisper. The Capuchins called out to him, ‘Padre, Padre!’ He opened his eyes one last time and looked at his dear Brothers. At 2:30 a.m. with his Rosary clasped in his hands, Padre Pio gently bowed his head and died. Dr. Gusso, who had been present during Padre Pio’s final moments, stated that it was the most gentle and beautiful passing that he had ever witnessed. Padre Pio had lived a holy life and he had died a holy death.

During the months that preceded his death, Padre Pio’s stigmata had been slowly disappearing, beginning with the wounds on his feet. The Capuchins who attended him noticed that his wounds were bleeding less and less. The bandages that had to be changed regularly were significantly less bloodstained. On September 22, 1968, the day before Padre Pio’s death, his left palm still had a raised scab. During the Mass that morning, two scales fell from his hand.

When Dr. Sala and Father Carmelo examined Padre Pio’s body after his death, they discovered that the stigmata on his hands, feet, and side had disappeared completely. His skin was now smooth and regenerated in the places where the wounds had once been. There was no scarring whatsoever. The skin looked as fresh as that of a newborn baby. Dr. Sala noticed the beautiful fragrance of orange blossoms in the room. He had perceived the fragrance on many occasions when in the presence of Padre Pio. As the two stood together and looked at Padre Pio’s lifeless body, a scab detached and fell from his left hand. It was the very last sign of the wounds of Christ which he had carried on his body for fifty years.

The news of Padre Pio’s death spread quickly. No one had anticipated it or had any reason to expect that he would die on September 23. The world was shocked and in mourning. In his hometown of Pietrelcina, the bells of the parish church tolled every half-hour.

Many who had come to attend Padre Pio’s 50th Anniversary Mass as well as the International Prayer Group Congress, were present at his funeral. It was as if Divine Providence had arranged for Padre Pio’s spiritual children from all parts of the world to be nearby at the time of his passing.

Padre Pio looked beautiful and serene in death. A Rosary was placed in his hands as well as a crucifix and the Rule of Saint Francis. Around his shoulders was draped his priestly purple stole. Before the funeral began, the casket that contained Padre Pio’s body was placed in an open hearse. Slowly and solemnly it made its way through the narrow streets of San Giovanni Rotondo, stopping in front of the Home for the Relief of Suffering for a last salute. The funeral procession took more than three hours. Air force and police helicopters flew overhead, dropping flowers and prayer cards on the huge crowd below. It is estimated that one hundred thousand people attended Padre Pio’s funeral Mass. His body was placed in a granite crypt and buried directly below the main altar of the church.

Padre Pio assured his spiritual children that his death would not end their bond but that he would be ever ready to intercede and to help them from Heaven. On one occasion, Father Costantino Capobianco told Padre Pio that he hoped that he would die before Padre Pio did. ‘Why is that?’ Padre Pio asked. ‘It is because I would like you to be with me to assist me at the time of my death,’ Father Costantino replied. ‘But don’t you know that I can help you from Heaven?’ Padre Pio replied.

Bishops gather in San Giovanni Rotondo to pray at the tomb of Padre Pio.

The stories that attest to Padre’s intercession since his passing are too numerous to count. One impressive testimony concerns a woman named Constance Woloskiuk who turned on her television set on September 23, 1968. She learned the news that Padre Pio has passed away that very morning and saw the crowds of people in San Giovanni Rotondo, all gathered to pay their last respects. Constance had been suffering for a long time from a very painful lower back condition. As she listened to the report of Padre Pio’s death on her television set, she sent up a heartfelt prayer to him, asking for healing. Immediately, she noticed that all the pain in her lower back had vanished. Almost in disbelief, she kept getting up out of the chair and sitting back down again. That was something that previously, she could only do with great difficulty. It was a true miracle.

Another remarkable testimony concerns Mrs. Roversi who, along with her husband, owned a religious goods shop near the monastery of Our Lady of Grace. In addition to the rosaries and medals which were sold in their shop, literature about Padre Pio was also available, as well as his photographs and prayer cards.

When her husband passed away, Mrs. Roversi was put in a difficult situation. She needed an income to support her two children but had no knowledge of how to run the store. Her husband had always handled all aspects of the business. Mrs. Roversi went to Padre Pio’s tomb and prayed, ‘Padre Pio, I do not know how to manage the business. I need to support my children and I pray for your intercession. I need your help!’ Immediately after the prayer, she felt a deep sense of peace and was greatly strengthened in spirit.

That night Mrs. Roversi had a dream in which she saw Padre Pio standing in front of her. He said, ‘Look, I can help you now much more than I could when I was on earth.’ His hands were open and she saw that he no longer had the stigmata. In her dream, she said to him, ‘I know nothing about running the store and I am afraid that I will not be able to do it.’ Padre Pio said to her, ‘Go forward with it. I will help you.’ He showed her his hands and for the second time she saw that the wounds of the stigmata were gone. Then she woke up. Mrs. Roversi acted upon the advice that Padre Pio had given her in the dream. She learned how to manage the store and everything went smoothly from that time on. The business did well and she was able to provide for her two children.

Once, a sick man who knelt at the tomb of Padre Pio, prayed for healing. He rose from his knees to find that he had been miraculously cured. He noticed a tiny rose petal on the top of the tomb and took it home to a friend. She too was healed.

‘I will be able to help you more from Heaven that I can on earth,’ Padre Pio often said to those who sought his counsel. And it is from Heaven that he has been helping so many of his spiritual children from every part of the world.

______________________________

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
– Philippians 1:21

Padre Pio Devotions Books by Diane Allen
1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1
2. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II
3. Daily Reflection: 365 Reflections from the Saints and Other Holy Men and Women of God
4. They Walked with God Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney, St. Damien of Molokai, St. André Bessette, Bl. Solanus Casey
5. They Walked with God Book 2: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, St. John Bosco

Padre Pio’s Love for the Blessed Virgin Mary – Part 2

May Jesus always be the pilot of the little boat of your spirit. May Mary be the star which lights the path for you and shows you the surest way to reach the Heavenly Father.

– St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Padre Pio’s love for prayer embraced his whole life. When someone inquired how he was able to pray so many rosaries each day, he answered, ‘The Lord asks this of me. He does not ask the same of you.’ Once when he was ill, he confided to his superior, ‘What made me suffer the most was not being able to say even one Hail Mary.”

At the end of each day, Padre Pio and his fellow Capuchins gathered together in the church for evening prayers. After the Rosary, they would pray St. Alphonsus de Ligouri’s prayer, the ‘Visit to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament’ and the ‘Visit to Our Blessed Lady.’ Often Padre Pio’s voice was broken by sobs as he recited the beautiful prayers to Jesus and Mary. The Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus followed and was prayed for the intentions of all who had requested prayers. After the evening prayers, the members of the Capuchin community went to dinner in the refectory. Padre Pio, who had only one meal a day, at noontime, remained in the church to pray.

When Padre Pio finally retired to his cell at night, one or two of the Capuchins would usually stop by to bid him goodnight. They would always recite a Hail Mary together before parting. Padre Pio kept a Rosary on the table by his bed and one under his pillow, always close by and ready for use.

One evening Father Carmelo stopped to visit Padre Pio in his cell. Padre Pio told Father Carmelo that he was going to say several more rosaries and then go to bed. ‘How many rosaries have you said today?’ Father Carmelo asked. Because Father Carmelo was his superior, Padre Pio felt obliged to answer. ‘I have prayed thirty-four rosaries today,’ Padre Pio said.

Padre Pio’s favorite month was the month of May because it is the month that is traditionally dedicated to Mary. How fitting that Padre Pio was born on May 25, during the month when Mary is honored throughout the Church. He used to say that May was the most beautiful month of all because it brings to mind, ‘the tenderness and beauty of Mary.’ In a letter to Padre Agostino, Padre Pio wrote:For me, the month of May is a month of graces . . . Poor dear Mother, how you love me! I observed it once more at the dawn of this beautiful month. What great care she took to accompany me to the altar this morning. It seemed to me that she had nothing else to think about but myself as she filled my whole heart with sentiments of holy love. (Letters I)

Padre Pio loved to say Mass at the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Mass of the Immaculate Conception was the Mass that he celebrated most frequently. To a spiritual daughter who asked him for a thought on the Madonna, he said, ‘My daughter, it is enough for you to know that Mary is the Mother of Jesus . . . She loves us so much that she offered to God the Father, his only natural Son to save his adopted sons . . . She is a great and inestimable treasure who encloses in herself an infinite treasure, the Son of God.’

Padre Pio had a tender devotion to Our Lady of Pompeii and he prayed the novena to Our Lady of Pompeii throughout his life. A beautiful shrine that is dedicated to Our Lady of Pompeii is located in southern Italy, near the ancient city of Pompeii. The shrine was founded by the great friend of God, Blessed Bartolo Longo. After a dramatic conversion back to his faith, Bartolo became a Third Order Dominican and took the religious name Fratel Rosario (Brother Rosary) in honor of the Rosary. He dedicated the rest of his life to spreading devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Blessed Bartolo Longo, often called the Apostle of the Rosary, dedicated his life to spreading devotion to the Virgin Mary. Padre Pio had the highest esteem for him and corresponded with him.

On one occasion, Bartolo was given a painting of the Madonna. The painting was in very poor condition for through the years it had become stained and torn in places. Bartolo decided to have the painting refurbished. He wanted to build an altar in the parish church and place the painting of the Madonna on it. He requested permission from the bishop. The bishop told Bartolo that what was needed much more than an altar was a larger church. He asked for Bartolo’s help and he agreed to do whatever he could to assist the bishop. After much hard work, Bartolo completed the building project. He had the painting of the Madonna restored to its original beauty. Jewels were embedded into the painting as well as a crown which was placed on the Madonna. The image was put on a special altar in the new church.

Bartolo realized that there was something altogether unique about the painting, something which, as he said, ‘impressed the soul.’ And it was true. Visitors to the new shrine, upon seeing the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, knelt down and began to pray. The painting came to be known as the Madonna of Pompeii. Soon cures and favors were reported by those who prayed before the painting. One of the first reported miracles was the complete healing of Bartolo’s own mother, who had been on her deathbed. Bartolo decided to document the favors that were being received and it was not long before he had recorded more than 900 miracles. Bartolo also composed a novena to the Virgin of Pompeii which became widely circulated. As the word spread, more and more people had the desire to visit the shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii and it became the destination of thousands.

Bartolo Longo was beatified on October 26, 1980 by Pope John Paul II, who called Bartolo the ‘Apostle of the Rosary.’ Pope John Paul II had made a visit to the shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii one year before he declared Bartolo blessed. The Holy Father returned to the shrine in 2003 to pray for world peace. More than four million people visit the shrine each year.

Padre Pio made a number of pilgrimages to the shrine of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii. When he was fourteen years old, he traveled there with seven of his classmates and his teacher, Angelo Caccavo. He also made several visits to the shrine after his ordination to the priesthood. He had a great admiration for Bartolo Longo and on one occasion he sent him a holy card on which he inscribed on the back, ‘For Bartolo Longo – May Mary always look down on you with a maternal eye and comfort you in your afflictions.’ Bartolo once wrote a letter to Padre Pio asking for his advice on a personal matter and Padre Pio wrote back to him, offering his spiritual counsel.

Throughout his life, Padre Pio made countless novenas to Our Lady of Pompeii. When he needed a special grace for himself or for someone else, he would frequently ask people to pray to Our Lady of Pompeii for his intentions. He wrote to his spiritual daughter, Raffaelina Cerase, ‘I should like to ask you, if it is not inconvenient, to do me the kindness of making three consecutive novenas to the Virgin of Pompeii for a grace to be obtained for me from her Son, a grace which will mean a great deal for a certain soul.’ (Letters II)

Padre Pio also wrote to Paolo Bavassano, thanking him for his prayers to Our Lady of Pompeii. He wrote, ‘I thank you for the novenas you made for me to Our Lady and I would ask you, if it is not inconvenient, to continue, because I am in great need.’ (Letters IV)

It was the Virgin Mary who came to the aide of Padre Pio and assisted him in the many trials of his life, including the times when he was attacked and tormented by the devil. One night in 1964, the superior of the monastery was awakened by a terrible noise coming from Padre Pio’s cell. When he rushed to see what had happened, he found Padre Pio lying on the floor. He was bleeding from a gash on the right side of his face, above his eyebrow. His face was swollen and there were black circles under his eyes as though he had been punched. Bruises were observed on his shoulders. Underneath his head was a pillow. When the superior asked Padre Pio what had happened, he said that the devil had come in his cell and attacked him. The superior asked him who had put the pillow beneath his head and he replied, ‘The Madonna.’ She had taken it from his armchair and placed it under his head.

Padre Pio was unable to celebrate Mass for one week while recuperating from his injuries. The superior decided not to disclose the full facts of the story to the public. The people in San Giovanni Rotondo were told simply that Padre Pio was unable to say Mass because he had fallen out of bed and injured himself. Right before this assault, Padre Pio had been praying intently for a woman who was in great need. She was believed to have been a victim of diabolical possession.

Padre Pietro Tartaglia, who served as the Father Guardian of the monastery of Our Lady of Grace, left a beautiful reminiscence of Padre Pio. He wrote:

I can see him today as he appeared to me when I was a youngster. It was beautiful to see him there in the silence of his cell when we Capuchin aspirants went to him for confession. The dim light gave a mystical touch to his emaciated but radiant countenance. Near him was a photograph of his mother who had died a short time before, and a little statue of Our Lady. He spoke about her to us and taught us to love her. At a certain hour he used to walk in the friary garden, absorbed in his sufferings and his love while the beads slipped through the fingers of his wounded hands. And how full and ardent was his voice when he recited the Angelus with the others, in the garden, in the choir or at the window. Who could fail to be moved by the sight of him as he walked with painful steps toward the altar for evening devotions and in a voice breaking with emotion recited the Visit to Our Blessed Lady.

The Bishop of Foggia, Most Reverend Msgr. Paolo Carta shared a close friendship with Padre Pio and visited him on a number of occasions. One day he invited the Auxiliary Bishop of Pisa, Italy, Most Reverend Msgr. Antonio Angioni, to accompany him to San Giovanni Rotondo to see Padre Pio. He assured Msgr. Angioni that if he accepted the invitation, it would be an experience he would cherish for the rest of his life. Msgr. Angioni agreed to go.

When the two bishops arrived at the monastery, the evening devotions had already begun. The church was filled to capacity but they managed to find seats on the last bench, in the gallery of the church. Because they were sitting in the back, they were not able to see the Capuchin who was leading the evening prayers. However, they were able to hear him clearly. Bishop Paolo Carta said:

At the moment of our arrival, the priest was reciting the prayer to Our Blessed Lady. As I have said, we didn’t see him, but in the mystical silence of the little church, his voice reached us clearly and distinctly . . . That voice was so striking as he recited the prayer in vibrant and moving tones that it caused Msgr. Angioni to marvel. He turned to me and asked, ‘Who is reciting the prayer?’ to which I replied, ‘Padre Pio.’ How well Padre Pio prayed. One felt that he put his whole heart into it, his whole soul, his whole self . . . Msgr. Angioni, who is blessed with a delicate spiritual sensitivity, was at once aware of something exceptional, something extraordinary. It was the intense vibration of a soul filled with faith, the sweet outpouring of a heart full of love for Our Lady. Padre Pio pronounced each word very distinctly and in such tones as to touch the hearts of all present, even to the point of tears.

On another occasion, Bishop Carta visited Padre Pio’s monastery and brought a friend with him, an officer from the province of Cagliari, in Sardinia. Bishop Carta told Padre Pio that his friend wanted to ‘be assured of a ticket to Paradise.’ He asked him for his thoughts on the matter. Padre Pio said simply, ‘Here we need Our Lady, we need Our Lady.’

In April 1959, the Pilgrim Virgin statue of the Madonna was taken from the shrine in Fatima, Portugal to visit a number of the provincial capitals in Italy. Foggia, not a great distance from San Giovanni Rotondo, was one of the cities where the statue of the Madonna was going to stop. Bishop Carta, was very happy that the Pilgrim Virgin would be making a visit to his diocese and was preparing the citizens of Foggia for the time of her arrival.

Padre Pio had become ill with a serious case of pleurisy about the same time that the Pilgrim Virgin statue left Fatima. Because he had a great desire to see the image of the Madonna, a change was made in the schedule and San Giovanni Rotondo was added to the itinerary. Due to his illness, Padre Pio was unable to say Mass or hear confessions and was growing weaker by the day. He had to endure a number of painful procedures whereby the fluid was drained from his lungs. The superior of the monastery, alarmed at his condition, called in a number of specialists to examine him. Four doctors diagnosed Padre Pio as having a cancerous tumor on his lung but Padre Pio was not convinced of it. More than once he was admitted to the hospital, the Home for the Relief of Suffering, but he was always anxious to return to his religious community. He said that he did not want to die in the hospital. He wanted to die in the monastery.

Although incapacitated by his illness, Padre Pio was looking forward to the arrival of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima with great anticipation. Every evening from his sick bed, he spoke through a microphone to the faithful who were gathered outside. His brief but inspirational messages were received joyfully by his spiritual children. On July 12, during his evening address, he spoke of Mary and said, ‘Let us love always more this Mother and let us be confident that she shall not deny us anything because to her nothing is lacking and she has the heart of a Mother and a Queen.’

Padre Pio waited with great longing for the day of the Pilgrim Virgin’s visit. He said:

Our hearts are trembling for the arrival of this Mother. Why is she coming? Because she wants to visit her children. Therefore, it is an act of love. Therefore, let us prepare to empty our hearts of all that is neither of God, nor connects with God, nor leads to God. And this is the best welcome we can give to this celestial Mother. To keep something back is not worthy of a child in front of a Mother that is offering all of herself. This visit should not be limited to simple enthusiasm, but must remain permanent, as our Mother’s eye is permanently on us. Let us renew often the resolutions which we have made on this day of our celestial Mother’s visit.

On July 27, Padre Pio announced that the novena was beginning in preparation for the visit that the ‘Heavenly Mother wants to make.’ Each evening of the novena, Padre Pio spoke to the people of the ‘very special grace’ that would be coming to all with the arrival of the Pilgrim Virgin statue. He encouraged everyone to give thanks to God and to increase their prayers and devotions. On August 5, he announced, ‘In a few minutes our Mother will be in our house . . . Open your hearts.’

When the Pilgrim Virgin statue arrived in San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio was in bed. He had been bedridden for more than three months. The statue was taken to the church of Our Lady of Grace. For this occasion, the church remained opened day and night. Padre Pio was brought to the sacristy in a wheelchair. He kissed the image and placed a gold Rosary in her hands. Because of his extreme weakness, he had to be taken immediately back to his bed.

Afterward, the Pilgrim Virgin image was taken through all of the wards of the Home for the Relief of Suffering. When the statue was leaving San Giovanni Rotondo, a huge crowd assembled in the square outside the church to bit her farewell. Padre Pio, too, wanted to view her departure so he was taken to the balcony of the church. As a farewell gesture to Padre Pio, the helicopter that was to carry the statue to Sicily, circled three times around the church before leaving.

As Padre Pio watched from the window, he was overcome with sadness and he began to cry. He prayed, ‘Dear Mother, when you came to Italy, I became sick. You have visited me here and I am in the same condition. Now you are leaving. Will you not give me your blessing and heal me?’ At that moment a sensation of warmth and a kind of shudder ran through his entire body. All at once he felt completely well and had the desire to walk and to exercise a bit. The next day he wanted to celebrate Mass but his superior did not think it was advisable. That evening a doctor examined him and declared that he was well and could celebrate Mass the following day and resume all of his normal activities.

After the Pilgrim Virgin statue left Italy, an article appeared in the newspaper voicing a complaint. Someone wrote that it would have been preferable if the Pilgrim Virgin had traveled to Monte Sant Angelo, to the well-known shrine dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, rather than to San Giovanni Rotondo. When the article was brought to Padre Pio’s attention, he said simply, ‘Our Lady came here because she wanted to cure Padre Pio.’ He told many people about his miraculous healing through the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima. His eyes always filled with tears whenever he talked about it.

The pilgrims who came to Our Lady of Grace monastery, continually sought Padre Pio out, asking for his prayers. He encouraged the sick to pray and to have faith. He would often say, ‘Let us pray to Our Lady that she snatch this grace for you from the Heart of Jesus.’ Never strong physically, Padre Pio entrusted his own health concerns to the care of the Mother of God. He wrote that God had, ‘put the problem of my health and a victorious outcome into the hands of our heavenly Mother.’ When people came to Padre Pio, thanking him for his prayers and in many cases for the healings that were a direct result of his prayers, he would respond, ‘Do not thank me. I did nothing. Thank our Blessed Lady. It was she who healed you.’

On the one year anniversary of the Home for the Relief of Suffering, Padre Pio made a rare public speech. On that occasion, before a gathering of several thousand people, he prayed in thanksgiving for the hospital. He also invoked Mary’s intercession and prayed:

May Our Lady of Grace who is the Queen to whom every day and many times in the day we manifest our love, and of whom we ask her maternal assistance, reign always in the city that will rise here and may she assist all of you. May the Madonna intensify the love of her children for the Vicar of Christ on earth, and one day may she show us Jesus in the splendor of his glory.

William (Bill) Martin from Brooklyn, New York first met Padre Pio when he made a trip to San Giovanni Rotondo in 1959. Bill visited Padre Pio again in 1964 and when it was time to say goodbye, Bill found it very difficult to leave. As he was waiting for the bus to take him to Foggia, one of the members of the Capuchin community came running toward him and told him that Padre Pio wanted him to stay on at the monastery. Bill was overjoyed at the news. He became a Third Order Franciscan and was thereafter known to everyone as Brother Bill. After Padre Pio’s death, he was ordained to the priesthood and took the name Father Joseph Pius Martin.

Brother Bill Martin (Father Joseph Pius Martin) sitting on the veranda with Padre Pio sharing a quiet moment.

Brother Bill became Padre Pio’s personal assistant and worked close beside him on a daily basis. One afternoon, he and Padre Pio were sitting together on the veranda near Padre Pio’s cell. Enjoying the time of silence, each was occupied with his own thoughts. Brother Bill was thinking to himself what a great blessing it had been for him to have been able to have spent so much time close to Padre Pio. He knew how fortunate he was and he wondered who had obtained this wonderful grace for him. Was it Padre Pio or was it Our Lady who was responsible? Although Brother Bill had not shared his thoughts with Padre Pio, at the exact moment that he was thinking about it, Padre Pio turned to him and said, ‘It was Our Lady.’

On August 10, 1960, Padre Pio celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Between six and seven thousand people gathered in San Giovanni Rotondo to be present at his priestly Golden Jubilee. Included in that number were many of the doctors and administrators who served at the Home for the Relief of Suffering. Three bishops as well as the provincial superior of the Capuchin order assisted at the Mass. On that occasion, Padre Pio expressed his deep gratitude for his vocation to the priesthood. He also paid honor to his heavenly Mother. He prayed, ‘O Mary, most sweet Mother of priests, Mediatrix of all graces, from the depth of my heart I pray to you. I beg you, I implore you, to thank Jesus today, tomorrow and always for the inestimable gift of my fiftieth anniversary to the priesthood.’

Toward the end of Padre Pio’s life, the burdens of old age and ill health weighed on him. He suffered not only from the pain of the stigmata but also from exhaustion, weakness, severe headaches and many other physical ailments. Subject to asthma attacks, it was often difficult for him to breathe. In the last three years of his life, his fellow Capuchins noticed that he became more and more silent. When he had company, if the conversation of his visitors turned to small talk or idle chatter, he would quickly put a halt to it. When people approached him seeking his counsel, often, rather than speaking, he would simply hold up his Rosary, encouraging prayer as a solution to the trials and difficulties of life. In his last years, his greatest consolation was the Rosary, which he prayed night and day.

Just four days before his death, Padre Pio expressed his devotion to Mary in one of his final gestures of love. A man brought Padre Pio a beautiful bouquet of red roses for the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his stigmata. Padre Pio took one of the roses out of the bouquet and asked one of his spiritual sons who was going to Pompeii if he would take it to the shrine of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. The man promised that he would take it there the very next day.

When the man arrived in Pompeii, he told a nun who served at the shrine that the rose had been sent by Padre Pio, who asked that it be placed before the image of Our Lady of the Rosary. Very pleased to receive the rose, the nun placed it in a vase with other roses. On September 23, the day that Padre Pio passed away, the nun noticed that all the other roses in the vase had withered but the one that Padre Pio had sent was still fresh and beautiful. The news of Padre Pio’s unfading rose reached the local bishop who decided to put it on display in a special glass container.

Padre Alberto D’Apolito, who had been very close to Padre Pio through the years, heard about the rose and wanted to see it. He took a number of Third Order Franciscans from San Giovanni Rotondo on pilgrimage to the shrine in Pompeii. They saw the rose that Padre Pio had sent to Our Lady of Pompeii and although the stem was slightly yellow in color, the rose remained fresh and intact. Their visit to see the rose occurred one year after Padre Pio’s death.

Cleonice Morcaldi, one of Padre Pio’s spiritual daughters, spoke to Padre Pio just a few days before his death. ‘Father, please give me at least one word,’ Cleonice said to him. He answered, ‘Love the Madonna and make her loved. Always recite her Rosary. That is the armor against the evils of the world today.’ ‘Is the Madonna close to you?’ Cleonice asked. ‘A Mother,’ Padre Pio replied. ‘All of Paradise is near her.’

Padre Pio’s love for Our Lady and for her Rosary supported and sustained him throughout his earthly pilgrimage. Father Domenico Mondrone spoke of Padre Pio’s love for Mary and said:

The Rosary was the most beautiful and longest sermon in honor of her, because it lasted the whole of his life. He spoke with the Rosary which he was seen to clutch always in his fingers, the Rosary he clutched in those last instants, almost as though it were the supreme link between the earth he was about to leave and the heavens which opened before him.

Padre Pio passed into eternal life very peacefully, very well prepared. He died with his Rosary in his hand. His last words were – Jesus, Mary.

Padre Pio Devotions Publications:
1. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book 1
2. Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio Book II
3. Daily Reflection: 365 Reflections from the Saints and Other Holy Men and Women of God
4. They Walked with God Book 1: St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Vianney,
St. Damien of Molokai, St. André Bessette, Bl. Solanus Casey
5. They Walked with God Book 2: St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe, St. John Bosco