I am 20 years old and a student of the University for Development Studies in Ghana, West Africa. I recently read about Padre Pio on the website and listened to his voice and read the many testimonials recorded. My heart was so touched by what I read. I began to pray his “Prayer after Holy Communion” every day. Since then, I have seen a transformation in my life, morally, socially, and even academically.

– Ayinbora Joshua

I have a strong devotion to Padre Pio and have prayed that he would accept me as one of his spiritual children. Not long ago I had a very serious mountain biking accident in which I broke 5 of my ribs and punctured my lung. My accident occurred in a valley which was about 45 minutes away from the nearest road. There was no one nearby to help me. I could barely breathe and I was choking on my blood. I felt like I was dying. I thought of my family and I wanted to live so that I could take care of them. I began to pray to Padre Pio and the Blessed Virgin Mary to help me. Although still in pain, after praying to Padre Pio and the Virgin Mary, I was able to breathe much easier and the bleeding subsided. It took over an hour for the paramedics to arrive and then I was life-flighted to the hospital. I believe without the help of Padre Pio and the Blessed Mother Mary I would not have made it out of that valley alive. Thank you Padre Pio and our Holy Mother in Heaven.

– Caterina Brott

Padre Pio is no stranger to my family. In the 1950’s, my cousin Sara wanted desperately to become a nun but could not leave home because of her mother Rosa’s very poor health. Sara was taking care of her and she did not feel she could leave her to enter the convent. She wanted to talk to Padre Pio about it so she contacted San Giovanni Rotondo and then she and her father traveled by train from their home in Sant’ Alfio, Sicily to speak to him. During the train ride, Sara and her father had something to eat. During the meal, her father accidently spilled some wine on his clothing. Sara felt very embarrassed to think that Padre Pio might see the wine stains on her father’s clothing or even worse that they would greet Padre Pio with her father smelling of wine. She gave her father a scolding. When they finally were able to speak to Padre Pio, he assured her that she would be able to enter the convent and that her mother would be fine. In fact, Padre Pio told them that upon their return home, they would find Rosa drawing water from the well. This was impossible for her to do since she suffered from serious heart problems and was too weak to perform even the simplest and most menial tasks. During their conversation, Padre Pio told Sara not to ever again scold her father. My cousin was shocked that Padre Pio knew that this had happened on the train. Needless to say, when they returned home, they found Rosa drawing water from the well just as Padre Pio assured them. Rosa regained her health immediately and miraculously. Sara was able to leave home and enter the convent. I am also proud to say that I have experienced Padre Pio’s love and intercession in my own life and also with my immediate family. We too have received many graces through the intercession of Padre Pio.

– Rosa Del Popolo

On March 6, 2003, I suffered a near fatal accident when I fell down some basement stairs in a friend’s house. I was taken to the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, New York. I suffered three fractures to my spine as well as severe brain trauma. I became comatose. The doctors told my family that I had very little chance of survival.

My mother, who lives in Florida, has had a great devotion to Padre Pio for as long as I can remember. She has a small relic of Padre Pio, a piece of his habit. She took the relic and taped it to a photograph of me. She began a prayer vigil, and through the night prayed to Padre Pio, asking for his intercession. The morning after my mother’s prayer vigil, I awoke from the coma which I had been in for eleven days. Still, the doctors were not optimistic. They only gave me a fifty-fifty chance of recovery. I remained in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital for twenty-one days. But I continued to make steady progress and finally was released from the hospital.

On one of my follow-up appointments at the hospital, I ran into some of the doctors who worked in the Intensive Care Unit. My memory of them naturally was a little hazy but they recognized me because they had treated me. I greeted them and they stared at me with incredulous expressions on their faces. The senior doctor said, “Look at you, walking and talking! You are the miracle man!” I almost wept when the doctor said that to me. I learned that “miracle man” was the nickname that the hospital staff had given me.

In December of the same year, an elderly woman, who had an epileptic seizure while driving, ran into my car head on. My car rolled over four times and finally landed on its side. The woman who was driving the car behind me told me that she was convinced that she was about to crash into my car as well. She said that she had lost control of her car but at the very last second, her car simply turned of its own accord, and she missed hitting me by inches.

These experiences, these near brushes with death, changed me completely. I used to be a non-practicing Catholic, living in sin, going to Mass on Christmas and Easter only. I have now returned to the Catholic Church in earnest. I work as a film maker, and have worked in all aspects of the film industry. I hope to make a full-length feature film on the life of St. Pio. I carry his relic with me now at all times.

I may be called the miracle man by the doctors, but we all know who the real miracle man is! From the bottom of my heart, thank you St. Pio for not losing faith in this sinner.

– Peter D. Bove

About 3 years ago my niece, Patricia Gail was diagnosed with thymus cancer. She was told to get her affairs in order and to make provisions to have someone take care of her two children, for she did not have much time left. Gail is not a practicing Christian, but she does believe in Jesus as her Savior. I worked at a Catholic Book & Gift Shop and bought her a St. Padre Pio Rosary, had it blessed and took it to the hospital to give to her. I told her about St. Pio and the many healings that occurred through him. She informed me that she was not Catholic and did not know how to pray the Rosary. Her surgery was the next day and time was a factor so I told her just to touch each bead and say, “Jesus, I love You.” After the surgery, the doctor came to the waiting room and said that he removed all of the tumor. He said that it looked to be cancer and the blood work showed it to be cancer and that she would most likely need to have chemo-therapy. At least ten days went by and Gail was so surprised at the results of the lab work. The tumor was not cancerous and she was healed. Gail was told that she was a miracle. I even heard her state that she was a miracle. I thank God for the gift of believing and seeing with my soul His marvelous miracles and feeling His comforting love.

– Kathy Bee

In May, 1995, false charges were brought against me and I was suspended from my work until the investigation was completed. I was really shaken up and my wife and children were also very upset. Then, my friend gave me a copy of the prayer that Padre Pio used to say and she asked me to make a novena. As I am not Catholic, I did not know how to make a novena. She explained it to and I started saying this prayer. After a few days, my wife and I were seated in front of our cottage. It was a beautiful day and suddenly we saw a rainbow far in the distance. As we watched this beautiful sight, to our astonishment, the far end of the rainbow advanced toward us. It finally stopped directly in front of us, dancing in the lake. We were astounded. All at once, I knew that this was an answer to the prayer that I had made through the intervention of Padre Pio. The following week I received a letter from my employer that the investigation had been completed, and that I was found not guilty of the charges. At this point I am a Protestant, amazed at the power of this prayer, and very thankful to God and to Padre Pio for having interceded on my behalf.

– Name Withheld

I learned about Padre Pio through a lady named Judy Hayes. Judy shared with me some of the incidents of St. Pio’s life. She told me that she had received a miracle by praying to him. From that time forward I have had a great devotion to Padre Pio. When Judy learned that she had cancer, it was already in stage four and had spread to her bones. She went to a religious articles store to get a novena to pray for healing. While there, she noticed a holy card of Padre Pio. It seemed to be calling to her. Judy bought the Padre Pio prayer card and began to pray to him for his intercession. She prayed that she might be healed of cancer. Shortly after that, she had a health crisis and had to go to the hospital for several months. While in the hospital, Judy overheard the nurse talking to the other nurses. The nurse said, “Judy’s condition is so bad that she will die tonight. I have already prepared her death certificate. It needs to be given to the doctor for his signature.” What the nurse did not know was that Judy was praying to St. Pio for healing. She is alive today and cancer-free. I thank God for St. Pio and for the help I have received from him in my own life.

– Kathleen Lusk

In September 2004 I spent two months in the hospital and was placed on life support. I was the victim of a shooting. Several times during the operation to remove the bullet, my heart stopped. My family asked the doctor to tell them the truth about my condition. The doctor said that I had a three percent chance of surviving. A priest came in the hospital and gave me the Last Rites. When I came back to consciousness, I was in excruciating pain. I was so weak that I could not even lift my head up from the pillow or raise my arms or legs. I have a very big family and for the two months I was in the hospital, they never left my bedside. My family prayed to Padre Pio, asking for his intercession so that my life would be spared. One of his relics was placed on me. I slowly began to get better. When the doctors saw the improvement they called me a “living miracle.” They told me that they had given up hope for my recovery. I believe that I am alive today and back to normal because of the intercession of Padre Pio. I truly believe Padre Pio gave me back my life.

– Name Withheld

I was half out of my mind with worry over my oldest son who was in the Air Force flying helicopters. I would cry and cry and walk the floor. Then I heard about Padre Pio. I wrote to him, begging him to pray so that my son would be safe. I received a letter from Italy saying that Padre Pio would pray for me. It was just about the time he would have received my letter, that I changed completely. I didn’t worry about my son anymore or cry. I was a different person. And needless to say, my son came home safe.

– Eileen Dunham

In July, 1956, while traveling in Spain, I contracted amoebic dysentery. I became progressively ill, but did not seek medical attention until about ten days later when I was in San Giovanni Rotondo. I had come there with my mother to attend Padre Pio’s Mass. After Mass I went to Padre Pio’s hospital, “The Home for the Relief of Suffering.” A wonderful doctor, Dr. Pietro Melillo, attended to me every day. The doctor’s examination also revealed that I had an abscess on the liver. I suffered with fever, chills, and pain. One day when the doctor examined me, I had a very high fever and a weak heart beat. I was gravely ill. As he left my bedside to discuss my condition with my mother, I felt as though a fresh, cool breeze had passed over me. The weight of pain and fever had left me and I suddenly felt free and comfortable and alive. I called the doctor and told him I felt well. He saw the transformation in my condition. He took my temperature and pulse again. Both were perfectly normal. Then the doctor told my mother and me that he realized the gravity of my condition and had spoken to Padre Pio about me. He asked the holy priest if he could touch his wound and in turn come and touch me. Padre Pio permitted it and the doctor hurried from the monastery to touch me with those hands which had just touched the blessed stigmata. The doctor, my mother and myself had no doubt that my recovery was instantaneous and extraordinary.

– Estelle Hartnett