Saints Under the Dome: Padre Pio
In 2002, Pope John Paul II canonized one of the most famous saints of the 20th century,
St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina. Padre Pio had many mystical gifts from God, including the stigmata, bilocation, and reading hearts. He received the stigmata in 1918, and it remained until his death in 1968. The blood smelled of flowers, and the wounds miraculously closed without scars just before his death.
Travelers waited weeks to have their confessions heard by the Italian Friar. He often spent 12 to 15 hours a day in the confessional, and could tell if penitents were withholding or forgetting sins. The devil frequently appeared to Padre Pio to tempt or torment him, even taking the form of Jesus or Mary in an attempt to trick him.
One of the most defining aspects of Padre Pio’s spiritual life was suffering. In addition to the stigmata, he also struggled with poor physical health, tuberculosis, and false accusations of faking his stigmata. He was even placed on a list of condemned priests by the Holy Office and ordered to desist all priestly duties except for private celebration of the Mass. His reaction to this persecution, which lasted for over a year, was complete obedience to the church:
“I don’t think it is necessary for me to tell you how ready I am, thanks be to God, to obey whatever my superiors order me to do. For me, their voice is God’s voice. I want to serve him faithfully until I die. With his help, I will obey whatever command I am given, even if it adds to all my suffering.”
Padre Pio accepted all of his suffering as a gift from God, meant to sanctify and purify his soul in preparation for heaven. As we prepare to place him under the dome of St. Ann’s, we can ask for his intercession to accept the sufferings of our lives as God’s will, and take his advice to “pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
Sources: Catholic Exchange Hallow National Catholic Register Constantia Catholic
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