St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

Biography

St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968), born Francesco Forgione in southern Italy, entered the Capuchin Franciscan order at age fifteen. On September 20, 1918, while praying before a crucifix, he received the stigmata — the five visible wounds of Christ's Passion — in his hands, feet, and side. He bore these wounds for exactly fifty years until his death, when they healed without scarring. He was renowned for numerous extraordinary spiritual gifts, including the ability to read souls (telling penitents their sins before they confessed them), bilocation (being seen in two places simultaneously), healing, prophecy, and an extraordinary gift for the confessional. He would spend twelve to sixteen hours a day hearing confessions, and penitents traveled from across Europe to confess to him — some waiting weeks for their turn. He founded the 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza' (House for the Relief of Suffering), a major hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo that today serves hundreds of thousands of patients annually. During his lifetime, he was investigated and temporarily restricted by Church authorities, but his holiness was eventually recognized. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002, before a crowd of over 300,000 in St. Peter's Square.

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