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What was Padre Pio Like as a Spiritual Father?

“Stories of Padre Pio” by Madame Katharina Tangari

When we speak of Padre Pio as a spiritual father, we need to keep in mind that he was not a spiritual father in the ordinary sense. His way of guiding souls was completely different – indeed necessarily different – from the common way, because he did not have available the ordinary means and possibilities required for spiritual guidance. Thus, for example, Padre Pio was not always able to give us personal attention; there was not enough time for long discussions, conversations or instructions. Nor were we able to be guided by him in writing; only his very first spiritual children had the benefit of having been guided and supported by his highly inspired letters. However, after 1924, the ever-growing ranks of Padre Pio’s spiritual children to longer had this benefit.

Nor was it always easy to reach Padre Pio: innumerable obstacles would come between him and us. Granted, we could use our Confessions to him to ask for his advice, but is was not always so simple to get to these Confessions, which for that matter were restricted to a very limited time, a few minutes. Nor was Padre Pio a preacher, who could guide us by his living word, nor a writer, who could convey his teaching to us through his writings. For decades he lived in the faraway, isolated monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, and his days were spent exclusively in the monastery or in the church.

How then was he able to gather around himself a multitude of innumerable spiritual children, spread throughout the world? Was it possible for him to be a real spiritual father for all these children? What was the basis for his care of souls? What means did he adopt? And what was the secret of his success? To all these questions there is only one answer: the real and proper source of his mission, of his apostolate, was his intimate union with Christ – above al with Christ Crucified – the union by which he lived and from which he drew all gifts for himself and for us.

His art of quiding  souls was based solely on this union of his with Christ and upon the graces that flow from it. From this union alone he received the necessary means, and among these, in the first place, were assiduous prayer, absolute purity of life, intense participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – in which he always included his spiritual children – and the surprising constancy and fortitude in offering with simplicity, humility and docility his own sufferings for the love of Jesus and of souls. It should not surprise us that his care for souls, which rested on this basis and used such means, should have an efficacy all its own and be capable of moving with great simplicity, and quite naturally, in the sphere of the supernatural. It would instead be surprising if that were not the case.

 

Sight without Pupils

“Padre Pio Glimpse into the Miraculous” by Pascal Cataneo

     Can a person see without pupils? It is not humanly possible. There is, however, someone still living today who was born without pupils and who now sees. From the moment Padre Pio made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes, she began to see, and even to this day she still has no pupils! Her name is Gemma di Giorgi. Born on Christmas night, 1939, her parents noticed she had strange eyes. Something was missing. The village doctor consulted two specialists in Palermo, Dr. Cucco and Dr. Contino. These men examined the little girl and discovered she had no pupils. Their prognosis was that she would be blind for the rest of her life because no one can see without pupils.

     The parents were devastated by this new. They nevertheless trusted Divine Providence and often prayed in the Chapel of Our Lady at the church. One day they had a visit from an aunt, who is a nun. She advised them to contact Padre Pio. The little girl’s grandmother was quite prepared to accompany her to San Giovanni Rotondo. She asked the nun to write to Padre Pio and commend the little blind girl to his prayers. One night the nun dreamed of the priest, and he asked her, “Where is this Gemma for whom you bombard me with prayers?” Still in the dream, the nun brought Gemma to him, and he made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes.

The next day she received a letter from Padre Pio. It read: “Dear daughter, I assure you of my prayers for this little one. Best wishes!” Impressed by the coincidence between the dream and Padre Pio’s reply to her letter, she urged the little girl’s grandmother to take her right away to San Giovanni Rotondo. The old lady had no need to be told twice, so she took her granddaughter and set out without delay. On the train Gemma told her grandmother that she thought she could see something, but the grandmother did not believe her because no on can see without pupils.

On arriving, Gemma and her grandmother went quickly to the church and to Padre Pio for confession. The little girl had not yet made her first Confession and Communion, and this seemed a good opportunity for her to receive these Sacraments from the hands of Padre Pio himself.

The grandmother told the little girl to ask Padre Pio, in the confessional, to pray that she might see, but Gemma forgot. When Gemma came to him, Padre Pio put his hands on her eyes and made the Sign of the Cross.

After confession the grandmother asked Gemma if she had thought to petition Padre Pio for her sight. The little girl told her she had forgotten to do so. The woman was very upset at this and began to cry. She then went off to find Padre Pio herself to intercede for Gemma’s cure. Padre Pio said to her, “Have confidence, my daughter. You must not make Gemma cry, and you must not worry about her. Gemma sees, you know!”

The little girl received her First Holy Communion from Padre Pio, who after giving her the host made the Sign of the Cross on her eyes. On the day set for their return journey, Gemma and her grandmother took the train home. The little girl noticed that her sight was getting better and better, to the point of being normal.

At Cosenza the grandmother became ill and had to stay in the hospital for a few days. Before leaving she took Gemma to an oculist who was absolutely astounded to discover that the girl could see perfectly well although she had no pupils!

A few months later Gemma went with her parents to a specialist in Perugia. He also attested to the fact that she could see normally even without pupils and admitted that there was no human explanation for this.

Gemma still sees like this. She lives in her village, but, from time to time, she leaves it to tell her wonderful story!

“Padre Pio Glimpse into the Miraculous” by Pascal Cataneo

A six-month-old baby was in a state of bad health that brought him close to death. The poor mother who had great faith, though she might save the baby by taking him to Padre Pio so that he might intercede with God for a cure.

It was a long distance to travel but, full of courage, she took the train. During the journey, due either to the child’s serious condition or the rigors of travel, the baby died. The desolate mother wrapped the body in some clothes and put it in a fiber suitcase.

On arrival at the church she ran up the steps and, suitcase in hand, took her place in the line of women waiting for confession. When her turn came, she threw herself at Padre Pio’s feet and, crying pitifully, opened the suitcase.

Dr. Sanguinetti, a convert and Padre Pio’s right-hand man at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, was present at this incident. He realized immediately that, even if the baby had not died of the illness, he most certainly would have died of suffocation, being closed in the suitcase for so long. At the sight of the dead infant Padre Pio paled and was gripped by emotion. He raised his eyes to heaven, prayed for a few moments, and then turned abruptly to the mother saying, “Why are you crying so loud? Can’t you see that your son is sleeping?”

It was true! The baby was now sleeping peacefully. The happiness of this mother was beyond description, as were her cries of great joy and those of everyone who witnessed what had happened.

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Miracles

From the Book: Padre Pio the Stigmatist, by Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty,

Copyright 1955

Miracles are part of our supernatural gifts, they are free gifts which God gives to man as a manifestation of His omnipotence, of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the Holiness of the Roman Catholic Church.

I have said that a supernatural act is manifest to our senses. Well and good; but it must, however, have aspects which stupefy us with wonder, that strike us forcibly, and make us acknowledge divine intervention.

A miracle accepted by the Church must be instantaneous, such as: to resuscitate a corpse, to cure a sickness on the spot, to restore a missing limb, to restore sight, to multiply loaves and fishes, etc. I believe and maintain that in miracles, as in all things, there are varying kinds and degrees.

Miracles are of the first degree when neither science nor natural law can be agencies, either in the present or in the future.

They are, however, of the second degree, when either science or natural law might, over a prolonged period, have accomplished the act, which in a miracle occurs instantaneously.

There are also so-called intellectual miracles, such as true and sudden prophecy of the future, the knowledge of one or more languages that have never been studied, or the revelation of an unknown doctrine.

The miracle helps to bring people closer to God, as Padre Pio indicates every time that he accomplishes some extraordinary deed he says: “God has granted you this favor, turn to Him and not to me in your gratitude.”

He uses the same expressions as the Saints; just as Moses said that what had come to pass was to show the Israelites that there was but one God and that nothing could exist without Him; or Joshua who said that all the people of the earth must recognize the powerful hand of the Lord, and must fear the Lord their God.

Finally, as Christ Himself was raising Lazarus from the dead, He lifted His eyes to Heaven and said: “Father, I thank Thee for hearing my prayer. For myself, I know that Thou hearest me at all times, but for the sake of the multitude which is standing around, that they may learn to believe it is Thou who has sent me.”

And now I am asking a question:

“Can anyone obtain a miracle?”

Yes, if they comply with the conditions imposed by Jesus Christ; not otherwise.

“Why?” You will ask me.

Because God in not obliged to place His omnipotence at the disposal of His creatures.

In stating this, I do not mean to say that God is ever unjust, no, He is not. Got permits a miracle, which is a grace, to occur for those who believe more, or for those who are deserving, or lastly for those who, although not deserving, He wishes to redeem.

Even one whom we consider unworthy, can obtain a miracle, because the saving of this soul has come about through the prayers of others, a mother, a wife or children.

God cannot be controlled, and being an absolute law unto Himself, He is not subject to any law, but He upholds and governs them all. His designs, His views and His intentions have so vast of scope, that the eye of man is incapable of grasping it. It often happens in our life, that a certain action is considered reprehensible in one part of the world, and in some other spot will win the stamp of approval. God alone has absolute justice, ours is relative. That which we hold as just and good, is often merely relatively so; we may therefore not pronounce judgment upon Him who judges us.

Now, if certain miracles are conceded to people who from our point of view, we don not consider to be worthy, it is good to remember that a miracle as for it’s sole object the protection and furthering of our spiritual and not our material interests; as for example: a sinner is converted, and through this comes about the conversion of many others. Hence a quantity  of people are brought closer to God. They would never have been converted were it not for the conversion of the sinner.

The curing of an illness, for instance, is not so much for the purpose of healing the body, as for directing the soul along the path of righteousness, and hence toward a spiritual recovery.

 

Biographical Notes:

Born Francesco Forgione, May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy.

Baptized, May 26, 1887 in Santa Ana’ Chapel.

Invested as a Chapuchin Friar, Jan. 22, 1903.

Ordained a priest, August 10, 1910.

Celebrated First Mass, August 14, 1910 in Pietrelcina; remained there to assist the local pastor.

Invisible Stigmata first experienced September 7, 1910.

Temporarily assigned to San Giovanni Rotondo September 4, 1916. (assignment becomes permanent)

Sitgmata becomes visible September 20, 1918.

Died September 23, 1968.

Cause of Beatification opened in 1969; presented to the Holy Congregation of Saints in 1973.

Declared Venerable December 18, 1997.

Canonized a Saint by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002.

Facts:

Padre Pio is the only priest in Catholic history to bear the Stigmata, the five wounds of Jesus Christ crucified. Padre Pio was also blessed by God with the gifts of discernment of spirits, prophecy, healing, bilocation and more. He is a powerful intercessor for us before Almighty God.

He was born Francesco Forgione in the Italian village of Pietrelcina on May 25, 1887. His parents, Giuseppa and Grazio Forgione, were peasant farmers.

At the age of 15 he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Franciscan Friars and was ordained a priest in 1910. On September 7, 1910, while at prayer in Piana Romana, where his family’s farmhouse was located, he received the invisible Stigmata. On September 20, 1918, while praying in the Friary Chapel in San Giovanni Rotondo, Padre Pio received the visible Stigmata, the five wounds of Chris: a wound on his left side, and bleeding wounds in his hands and feet, which he bore for fifty years.

Among Padre Pio’s most important works is a hospital, La Casa Solliveo della Sofferenza, the Home for the Relief of Suffering, dedicated in 1956. This was Padre Pio’s dream come true. It is situated on the mountain in San Giovanni Rotondo, next to Our Lady of Grace Church and Friary.