If you were looking for a "normal" priest in Italy in the mid-20th century, you didn't go to San Giovanni Rotondo. You went there to find a man who lived with one foot in eternity.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968), affectionately known as Padre Pio, is one of the most popular saints of modern times. But during his life, he was a sign of contradiction. He was loved by the poor and suspected by the Vatican. He was attacked by demons and visited by angels.
He is the only priest in history to bear the Stigmata—the visible wounds of Jesus Christ—for 50 consecutive years. But his miracles weren't for show. They were for souls. He often said: "I am only a poor friar who prays."
Here is the incredible story of the man who told the world: "Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry."
1. The Wounds: The 50-Year Passion
On September 20, 1918, Padre Pio was praying in the choir loft of the friary after Mass. Suddenly, five rays of light came from a crucifix and struck his hands, feet, and side. When the vision ended, he had bleeding wounds that precisely matched the wounds of Jesus. Unlike normal wounds, these never healed and never infected. They smelled not of decay, but of flowers (the "odor of sanctity").
For the next five decades, he lost about a cup of blood every day. The Vatican sent doctors. They tried to dry the wounds with chemicals. They tried to band them tightly. Nothing worked. One doctor, a skeptic, noted that the heart wound was a perfect cross shape.
Why the Stigmata? Padre Pio was a "victim soul." He offered his physical pain as a sacrifice for the conversion of sinners. He was a living image of Christ's Passion.
2. Reading Souls: No Secrets in the Confessional
Padre Pio spent up to 15 hours a day hearing confessions. People traveled from all over the world and waited in line for days to see him. They went because Pio had the gift of Reading Souls.
If you forgot a sin, he would tell you. If you lied about a sin, he would yell at you and throw you out (he was "rough" on purpose to shock the soul into repentance).
The Fake Confession: A man once went into the box intending to mock the priest. He made up a bunch of sins. Padre Pio stopped him. "Is that all?" "Yes," the man said. Pio glared at him. "You are lying. You did X on Tuesday, and Y last month. How dare you mock the Holy Spirit? Get out!" The man was so shaken that he had a complete conversion and returned later to make a real confession.
3. Bilocation: Being in Two Places at Once
This is the most scientifically baffling part of his life. There are hundreds of documented cases of Padre Pio being seen in one city while his brothers saw him in his cell in San Giovanni Rotondo.
- The Pilot: During WWII, American pilots were flying a bombing mission over San Giovanni Rotondo. They reported seeing a "giant monk" standing in the sky, waving them away. Their planes suddenly couldn't release their bombs. Years later, one of the pilots visited the friary, saw Padre Pio, and recognized him as the man in the sky.
- The Deathbed: He was seen at the deathbeds of several prominent people (including a Pope) despite never leaving his monastery.
How? Padre Pio explained it simply: "The soul doesn't have the same limits as the body."
4. The Guardian Angel: "Send Him to Me"
Padre Pio had a friendship with his Guardian Angel that started in childhood. He called him his "little companion." He assumed everyone talked to their angels. He told his spiritual children:
"If you cannot come to me, send your Guardian Angel to me."
And people did. One woman in New York sent her angel to ask for a healing for her son at 3:00 AM. The next day, she got a telegram from Italy: "I heard you. The boy is better. But next time, tell your angel to come at a more reasonable hour!"
The Translator: Pio received thousands of letters in English, German, and French—languages he didn't know. Yet he understood them perfectly. When asked how, he laughed: "My angel tells me what they say."
5. Spiritual Warfare: The "Bluebeard" Attacks
Despite his holiness (or because of it), the devil hated him. Demons would physically attack him at night. His brothers would hear loud crashes from his cell. They would find him in the morning bruised and bleeding. He called the devil "Bluebeard" or "The Ogre." He once wrote: "The devil is like a mad dog tied to a chain. Beyond the length of the chain, he cannot seize anyone. And you, therefore, keep at a distance."
6. The Motto: Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry
In a world full of anxiety, this is his greatest legacy.
"Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer."
It sounds simple, but for Pio, it was a command.
- Pray: Connect to the Source.
- Hope: Trust that God's plan is good.
- Don't Worry: Realize that anxiety is a form of pride (thinking you can fix it yourself).
Conclusion: The Spiritual Father
Padre Pio died on September 23, 1968. As he was dying, the stigmata—which had bled for 50 years—instantly vanished, leaving behind smooth skin with no scars. He promised that even from heaven, he would not enter the gates until all his spiritual children had entered first.
Do you want him as your spiritual father? Just ask him. And start praying, hoping, and not worrying.
Prayer to St. Pio:
"St. Pio, you bore the wounds of the Lord for fifty years and loved all your spiritual children. Look upon me and help me to trust in God's mercy. Guide my angel to lead me to the truth. Amen."
Need someone to listen? St. Pio is always in the confessional of your heart. Pray his novena on the MyPrayerTower app.