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St. Padre Pio 1887-1968. Feast Day September 23. St. Padre Pio was raised in a poor family in Italy . He was often very ill. Tough Start. Ambition. His dream was to become a priest . At 15 years old, he joined one of the priestly order s and continued to serve for nearly fifty years.
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St. Padre Pio1887-1968 Feast Day September 23
St. Padre Pio was raised in a poor family in Italy. He was often very ill. Tough Start
Ambition • His dream was to become a priest. • At 15 years old, he joined one of the priestly orders and continued to serve for nearly fifty years.
Stigmata • In addition to his priestly collar, Padre Pio bore another sign of his strong faith. • Padre Pio had the stigmata. The stigmata are wounds in the exact same places as Christ’s wounds from when he was on the cross. These wounds never heal. • As a result, Padre Pio is often seen with gloves to cover the wounds on his hands
Empathy • Instead of worrying about his own problems, Padre Pio spent his time praying for others. • He also raised funds for a new hospital to treat the poor in Italy
Standing Still • Padre Pio didn’t travel much but he still met plenty of people. • People came from great distances based on stories they heard about Padre Pio.
Hard Work • Padre Pio spent two hours each morning preparing for Mass. • He would then spend up to two hours celebrating these daily Masses.
Forgive Me, Father • After Mass, Padre Pio would spend several hours each day listening to confessions. • Padre Pio could read the hearts of those who were confessing.
Special Appearance • During World War II, American pilots were on a mission to bomb Padre Pio’s home village. • However, when they tried to drop the bombs a vision of Padre Pio appeared and their bombs failed to drop.
Last Rites • The wounds on Padre Pio’s hands and feet bled everyday of his life. • However, when celebrating his last Mass his wounds stopped bleeding. • Doctors examining his hands confirmed that the wounds from which he bled were not man-made.