St. Padre Pio, Pray for Us!

This week the Church celebrated the Feast Day of one of my favorite saints: Padre Pio. His life truly is awe-inspiring and full of miracles. Below is a short excerpt of his biography:

Padre Pio is most well-known for receiving the wounds of Christ on his hands and feet, called the stigmata, which he received on September 20, 1918 after having a vision of Jesus shortly after Mass. He humbly and with tremendous pain bore the wounds for the remaining 50 years of his life. The blood from the stigmata had an odor described by many as similar to that of perfume or flowers. Padre Pio also had the unique ability to read the hearts and know the sins of the penitents who flocked to him for confession which he heard for ten or twelve hours per day. Padre Pio used the confessional to bring both sinners and devout souls closer to God; he would know just the right word of counsel or encouragement that was needed. For Padre Pio, faith was life: he willed everything and did everything in the light of faith. He was passionately devoted to prayer. He passed the day and a large part of the night in conversation with God. He would say: “In books we seek God, in prayer we find him. Prayer is the key which opens God's heart."

I also read a very touching, true story by a mother who experienced Padre Pio's miraculous intercession for her young daughter a few years ago. Click here to be inspired.

St. Padre Pio, pray for us!