Saint Padre Pio

Pio of Pietrelcina (born Francesco Forgione; 25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968), widely known as Padre Pio (Italian for "Father Pius", Latin: Pater Pius) was an Italian friar of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, priest, stigmatist and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, and his feast day is celebrated on 23 September. Francesco joined the Capuchins at 15, and spent most of his religious life in the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo. As Padre Pio, he was known throughout his life for numerous instances of supernatural phenomena, most notably stigmata—wounds like those of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion—on his hands and feet. Several investigations into the phenomena were conducted by the Vatican; and although they led to temporary sanctions on his ministry, his reputation for sanctity continued to increase during his lifetime. He was also renowned for other mystical phenomena, and many other forms of spiritual outreach to individuals. After his death, devotion to Padre Pio has continued to spread among believers worldwide, and especially throughout the Mezzogiorno. He was beatified on 2 May 1999 and canonised on 16 June 2002 by Pope John Paul II. His relics are exposed in the sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, next to the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, which is now a major pilgrimage site. His legacy also includes the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for the Relief of Suffering), a hospital built near the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo. Francesco Forgione was born on 25 May 1887 to Grazio Mario Forgione (1860–1946) and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio (1859–1929), in Pietrelcina, a small town located in the province of Benevento, in the Southern Italian region of Campania. His parents were peasant farmers. He had an older brother, Michele, and three younger sisters, Felicita, Pellegrina, and Grazia (who later became a nun of the Bridgettine Order). Two other children born to his parents died in infancy.