Colegio san pio de pietrelcina biography

Filled with love of God and love of neighbour, Padre Pio lived to the full the vocation to work for the redemption of man, in accordance with the special mission which marked his entire life and which he exercised through the spiritual direction of the faithful, the sacramental reconciliation of penitents and the celebration of the Eucharist.

The pinnacle of his apostolic activity was the celebration of Holy Mass. The faithful who took part witnessed the summit and fullness of his spirituality. On the level of social charity, he committed himself to relieving the pain and suffering of many families, chiefly through the foundation of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza House for the Relief of Suffering , opened on 5 May For the Servant of God, faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of faith.

He was assiduously devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. Faith led him always to accept God's mysterious will. He was always immersed in supernatural realities. Not only was he himself a man of hope and total trust in God, but by word and example he communicated these virtues to all who approached him.

The love of God filled him, and satisfied his every desire; charity was the chief inspiration of his day: to love God and to help others to love him. His special concern was to grow in charity and to lead others to do so. He demonstrated to the full his love of neighbour by welcoming, for more than fifty years, countless people who had recourse to his ministry and his confessional, his counsel and his consolation.

He was almost besieged: they sought him in church, in the sacristy, in the friary. And he gave himself to everyone, rekindling faith, dispensing grace, bringing light. But especially in the poor, the suffering and the sick he saw the image of Christ, and he gave himself particularly to them. He exercised to an exemplary degree the virtue of prudence, acting and counselling in the light of God.

His concern was the glory of God and the good of souls. Rossi began his Apostolic Visitation on 14 June in San Giovanni Rotondo with the interrogation of witnesses, two diocesan priests and seven friars. Francis of Assisi. The extensive and detailed report essentially stated the following: Pio, of whom Rossi had a favourable impression, was a good religious and the San Giovanni Rotondo convent was a good community.

The stigmata could not be explained, but certainly were not a work of the devil or an act of gross deceit or fraud; neither were they the trick of a devious and malicious person. Rossi saw these stigmata as a "real fact". In his notes, which have been put directly on paper, and the final report, Rossi describes the shape and appearance of the wounds.

Those in the hands were "very visible". Those in the feet were "disappearing. What could be observed resembled two dot-shaped elevations [literally: 'buttons'] with whiter and gentler skin. Bignami and Dr. According to Rossi, "Of the alleged healings, many are unconfirmed or non-existent. But without medical confirmation, it is difficult to reach a conclusion, and the issue remains open.

When Rossi asked him about bilocation, Pio replied: "I don't know how it is or the nature of this phenomenon—and I certainly don't give it much thought—but it did happen to me to be in the presence of this or that person, to be in this or that place; I do not know whether my mind was transported there, or what I saw was some sort of representation of the place or the person; I do not know whether I was there with my body or without it.

At the beginning of his tenure, he learned that Father Pio's opponents had placed listening devices in his monastery cell and confessional, recording his confessions with tape. In fact, he ordered another Apostolic Visitation. Overall impression: pitiful. He works a lot for a man of his age. He is not an ascetic and has many connections to the outside world.

In general, there is too much mixing of the "sacred" and the "all too human". Maccari wondered how God could allow "so much deception". Maccari finished his critical report with a list of recommendations for further dealing with Father Pio. The brothers of Santa Maria delle Grazie should gradually be relocated, a new abbot should come from outside the region.

No one should be allowed to confess to Pio more than once a month. The hospital was to be given new statutes to sever the responsibilities of the medical and spiritual "healing" capuchins. He was also given honorary permission to preach despite never having taken the exam for the preaching license. Pio was a strong proponent of weekly confession, describing it as "the soul's bath".

Pio established five rules for spiritual growth, which included weekly confession, daily communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and frequent examination of one's conscience. Pio held a harsh attitude towards vain women, stating: "Women who satisfy their vanity in their dress can never put on the life of Jesus Christ; moreover they even lose the ornaments of their soul as soon as this idol enters into their heart.

Pio also held to strict rules concerning modesty, and refused confession to women who did not wear skirts that extended a minimum of 8 inches 20 cm past the knees. It is forbidden for men to enter with bare arms or in shorts. It is forbidden for women to enter in trousers, without a veil on their head, in short clothing, low necklines, sleeveless or immodest dresses.

Although Pio was not satisfied with some changes following the Second Vatican Council , in particular changes with the liturgy, he emphasized obedience to the church. On one occasion, Pio met with Suor Pia, his sister and a former nun who left her order following the council. Suor Pia was a traditionalist and was upset at the changes made by her liberal superiors, causing her to leave her convent at the age of seventy.

Pio burst into tears and snapped at her over this decision, telling his sister "They are wrong and you are right, but you still must obey. You must return. Following the publication of Humanae vitae , Pio was distraught over criticism aimed at the encyclical. Pio informed the pope that he would offer up his daily prayers and suffering for the pontiff, due to Paul VI's defence of "eternal truth, which never changes with the passing of years.

As Pio grew older, he became increasingly distrustful of television.

Colegio san pio de pietrelcina biography

After the Second World War , when Pio's nephew, Ettorne Masone, asked Pio for advice on opening a movie house, Pio warned him to be careful about what movies he would show. Pio stated, "You don't want to contribute to the propagation of evil. To Pio, television was responsible for the destruction of the family life and he strongly warned others not to buy one when asked.

On one occasion, when asked about motion pictures, Pio replied "The devil is in it! Pio became exceedingly pessimistic about the state of the world towards the end of his life. When asked what awaited the world in the future, Pio replied "Can't you see the world is catching on fire? Pio frequently asked his superior, "Give me the obedience to die.

Padre Pio was not especially concerned with politics, but voted in Italian elections and voiced his opinions on various issues. He initially felt that Benito Mussolini had done a good job during his rule , but his feelings toward Mussolini quickly became negative as time passed. When visited by one of Mussolini's messengers, Pio yelled at the man, "So now you come to me, after you have destroyed Italy.

You can tell Mussolini that nothing can save Italy now! President Franklin D. Roosevelt , whom he described as a "great man". One communist spokesman grumbled that Pio's presence at the voting polls "took votes away from us". In , following the assassination of John F. Kennedy , Pio broke down in tears. When asked by another priest if he would pray for Kennedy's salvation, Pio replied, "It's not necessary.

He's already in Paradise. The Italian historian Sergio Luzzatto , a specialist in the history of Italian fascism , wrote, in , a biography of Padre Pio in which he suggests that a " clerical-fascist mixture" developed around Padre Pio. In , the Holy See authorized the archbishop of Manfredonia to open an investigation to determine whether Pio should be canonized.

The investigation continued for seven years. In , Pio was declared a Servant of God , the first step in the process of canonization. The investigation, however, did not lead to any public factual clearance by the Church on the allegations that his stigmata were not of a supernatural kind. Moreover, Pio's stigmata were remarkably left out of the obligatory investigations for the canonization process, in order to avoid obstacles prohibiting a successful closure.

A discussion of the effects of his life on others followed. Cases were studied such as a reported cure of an Italian woman, Consiglia de Martino, associated with Padre Pio's intercession. Peter's Square in Rome , with more than , faithful attending the ceremony. Pio of Pietrelcina shared in the Passion with a special intensity: the unique gifts which were given to him, and the interior and mystical sufferings which accompanied them, allowed him constantly to participate in the Lord's agonies, never wavering in his sense that 'Calvary is the hill of the saints'.

After his beatification, another case of healing attributed to his intercession was examined, an Italian boy named Matteo Pio Colella who recovered from a coma. Peter's Square in Rome, with an estimated , people attending the ceremony. The town of San Giovanni Rotondo , where Padre Pio spent most of his life, is the main pilgrimage site dedicated to his memory.

The Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, which is the church of the Capuchin monastery where Padre Pio celebrated Mass, has become a pilgrimage site for his followers after his death in As the number of pilgrims kept increasing over the years, the Capuchins decided to build a new shrine near the church. The construction of the shrine began in and was completed in The town of Pietrelcina , where Padre Pio grew up, is another pilgrimage site which became popular among devotees.

The sites which can be visited by pilgrims in Pietrelcina include Pio's family house where he was born, his room in an ancient tower in which he stayed as a friar when he was ill, the Santa Anna Church where he was baptized, the Santa Maria degli Angeli Church, where he was ordained a deacon prior to becoming a priest, and the Capuchin Church of the Holy Family.

It is estimated that around two million pilgrims come to Pietrelcina every year. Popes have encouraged popular devotion to Padre Pio in various ways, notably by visiting the places associated with his life and ministry. Pietrelcina , Padre Pio's birthplace, was visited by Pope Francis. He returned to San Giovanni Rotondo as a cardinal, in He visited the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church to venerate of the relics of Padre Pio in the crypt, celebrated Mass and met with various people, including with the sick and the employees of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza.

Pope Francis has also supported popular devotion to Padre Pio. Peter's Basilica from 8 to 14 February and he especially honoured Padre Pio as a "saint-confessors" to inspire people to resort to the sacrament of Penance during the Jubilee. On 3 March , the body of Pio was exhumed from his crypt, forty years after his death, so that his remains could be prepared for display.

A church statement described the body as being in "fair condition". Archbishop Domenico Umberto D'Ambrosio, Papal legate to the shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, stated "the top part of the skull is partly skeletal but the chin is perfect and the rest of the body is well preserved". It was hoped that morticians would be able to restore the face so that it would be recognizable.

However, because of its deterioration, his face was covered with a lifelike silicone mask. His hands hold a large wooden cross. In April they were moved to a special golden crypt. Padre Pio's prayer groups began in the s when Pope Pius XII called to form groups gathering monthly to pray together. The groups were associated with the construction of the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza , with a biweekly bulletin named after the hospital and published from , which helped these groups develop.

The prayer groups kept growing during Padre Pio's life and after his death. In at Padre Pio's death, there were around groups, with 68, members in 15 countries. Padre Pio has become one of the world's most popular saints. A survey by the magazine Famiglia Cristiana found that more Italian Catholics pray to Padre Pio for intercession than to any other figure.

It is based at San Giovanni Rotondo and broadcasts on its own website and various internet platforms. The remains of Saint Pio were brought to the Vatican for veneration during the — Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. He was evaluated, despite his young age, and was told that he needed more education before he could join. To prepare Francesco, his parents decided to hire a private tutor.

To pay the cost of the tutor, Francesco's father traveled to America to find work, and sent the money home. At the age of 15, Francisco was finally ready and he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars at Morcone. He took the name of "Pio" in honor of Pope Pius I, whose relic he often saw at his local chapel. At the age of 17, Brother Pio became extremely ill and could only digest milk and cheese.

He was sent to the mountain for better air, and when this did not work, he was sent home to his family. Amid all this, he continued to study for the priesthood. On one occasion during prayer, a fellow monk astonishingly reported he saw Pio levitate during an episode of ecstasy. Brother Pio became a priest in , but was permitted to remain at home because of his poor health.

He was compelled to leave a tiny community of monks, with whom he was then housed, and drafted into medical service. However, he was so sickly that he was often sent home, only to then be recalled for service. In March , he was finally dismissed because of his poor health. On September 20, Padre Pio was hearing confessions when he felt pain in his hands and feet.

He noticed the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands and feet. The experience was painful. Bleeding occurred. The wounds smelled of roses, and although they continued to weep, they never became infected. Doctors who later examined the stigmata were amazed at their perfectly round shape. By , word began to spread about Padre Pio's stigmata and people came from far away to examine him.

Padre Pio became popular with the people he encountered and soon began to attribute supernatural occurrences to him. He lived the spirit of poverty with total detachment from self, from earthly goods, from his own comfort and from honours. He always had a great love for the virtue of chastity. His behaviour was modest in all situations and with all people.

He died on 23 September at the age of But why? Because he was wise? Because he had resources at his disposal? Because he said Mass humbly, heard confessions from dawn to dusk and was. He was a man of prayer and suffering". As St Pio said: "The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is not flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain".

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Gildas the Wise , Scottish bishop and author and sometimes listed as Badonicus. He was born in the Clyde River area of Scotland. After becoming a disciple of St.