Origins
Saint Pius was born on May 25, 1887, into a peasant family, in Pietrelcina, in the archdiocese of Benevento, son of Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa De Nunzio.
He was baptized the next day with the name Francesco Forgione. At age 12, he received the sacrament of Confirmation and First Communion. At the age of 16, he entered the Novitiate of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, in Morcone, adopting the name Friar Pio.
Priestly Life
In 1910, he received priestly ordination. Six years later, he entered the Convent of Santa Maria das Graças, in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he dedicated many hours of the day to the sacrament of Confession. The culmination of his pastoral activities was the celebration of Holy Mass. He called himself “a poor friar who prays”. “Prayer – he said – is the best weapon we have, it is the key that opens the heart of God”.
Vocation
Padre Pio fully lived the vocation of contributing to the redemption of man, according to the special mission that characterized his entire life and which he carried out through the spiritual direction of the faithful, through the sacramental reconciliation of penitents and through the celebration of the Eucharist. The highest moment of his apostolic activity was the one in which he celebrated Holy Mass. The faithful who participated in it realized the height and fullness of their spirituality.
Charity
God’s love filled him, satisfying all his expectations; charity was the inspiring principle of his days: God to be loved and to be loved. His particular concern: to grow and grow in charity.
He expressed the utmost of his charity towards others, by welcoming, for more than 50 years, many people who flocked to his ministry and his confessional, his advice and his comfort. It was almost a siege: they looked for him in the church, in the sacristy, in the convent. And he gave himself to everyone, vivifying faith, distributing grace, bringing light. But above all in the poor, the suffering and the sick, he saw the image of Christ and gave himself especially for them.
At the level of social charity, he worked to alleviate the pain and misery of many families, mainly with the founding of the “Casa Alívio do Sufrimento”, inaugurated on May 5, 1956.
The Faith
For Padre Pio, faith was life: he wanted everything and did everything in the light of faith. He was assiduously engaged in prayer. I spent the day and most of the night talking to God. Faith always led him to accept the mysterious will of God.
He has always been immersed in supernatural realities. Not only was he a man of hope and complete trust in God, but he instilled these virtues in everyone who approached him, by word and example.
Trust in God
The virtue of fortitude shone in him. He soon understood that his path would be that of the Cross and he accepted it with courage and out of love. He experienced the sufferings of the soul for many years. For years he bore the pain of his wounds with admirable serenity.
When he had to undergo investigations and restrictions in his priestly service, he accepted everything with deep humility and resignation. Faced with unjustified accusations and slander, he always remained silent, trusting in the judgment of God, his direct superiors and his own conscience.
Easter
His health, from his youth, was not very prosperous and, especially in the last years of his life, he declined rapidly. Sister Death caught him prepared and serene on September 23, 1968, at the age of 81. His funeral was characterized by a completely extraordinary concourse of people.
Way of Sanctification
He was beatified on May 2, 1999. On June 16, 2002, he was proclaimed a Saint by Pope John Paul II, who stated in his homily: “The life and mission of Padre Pio are a testimony to the difficulties and pains, which, if accepted out of love, are transformed into a privileged path of holiness, which opens even further towards perspectives of a much greater good, acceptable only by the Sir”. In the notification of the canonization of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, he presents the motivation for his canonization:
“The Church, by inscribing Blessed Pio of Pietrelcina in the Register of Saints, offers the faithful a living image of the goodness of the Father, passionate imitator of Jesus Crucified and docile instrument of the Holy Spirit at the service of the faithful who are sick in body and spirit.”
His remains are venerated in San Giovanni Rotondo, in the sanctuary dedicated to him.
My prayer
“You were a model of giving your life, but, above all, a model of priest and victim, pray for priests around the world. Help your spiritual children and those who want to join them. Give us an ardent love for Jesus, as you had. Amen!”
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us!
Other saints and blesseds celebrated on September 23
- Commemoration of the saints Zechariah It is Isabelparents of Saint John the Baptist, Forerunner of the Lord.
- In Rome, the commemoration of Saint Linopope, to whom, according to the testimony of Saint Irenaeus, the Apostles entrusted the episcopate of the Church founded in the City and which Saint Paul remembers as his companion. († s. I)
- In Capo Miseno, in Campania, region of Italy, Saint Sosiodeacon and martyr. († c. 305)
- In Ancona, in Piceno, today in the Marches, also a region of Italy, the commemoration of Saint Constantiuschurch doorman. († s. V)
- In Iona, island of Scotland, Saint Adamnanopresbyter and abbot. († 704)
- In northern Africa, the saints Andrew, John, Pedro It is Antoniomartyrs. († d. 881)
- In Venice, city of Veneto, region of Italy, Blessed Pedro Acotantomonk, who humbly refused the position of abbot and preferred to live in seclusion in the monastery. († c. 1187)
- In Bologna, the city of present-day Emilia-Romagna, also in Italy, Blessed Helena Duglióli Dall’Ólio. († 1520)
- In Tlaxcala, Mexico, the blessed Christopher, Antonio It is Johnmartyrs. († 1527-1529)
- In Kingston, on the banks of the Thames, in England, Blessed Guilherme Waypresbyter and martyr. († 1588)
- In Montreal, Canada, Blessed Maria Emilia Taverniernun, who, after losing her husband and children, founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence. († 1851)
- In Benisa, a town in the province of Valencia, in Spain, Blessed Vicente Ballester Farpresbyter and martyr. († 1936)
- In Benicalap, a town in the same province of Spain, the beatas Sofia Ximénez Ximénezfamily mother, Mary of the Purification of Saint Joseph It is Mary of Saint Sophiavirgins of the Institute of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, martyrs. († 1936)
- In Krakow, Poland, Blessed Bernardina Jablonskavirgin, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Poor. († 1940)
- In Warsaw, also in Poland, Blessed Jose Stanekpresbyter of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate and martyr. († 1944)
Source:
- Causesanti.va
- Roman Martyrology
- Santiebeati.it
- Vaticannews.va
- Vatican.va
– Production and editing: Melody de Paulo
– Prayer: Rafael Vitto – Community