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PADRE PIO, OUR BROTHER
Francesco Forgione was born in
Pietrelcina (Italy), on 25 May 1887. In 1903, he joined the Capuchins
Friars Minor and took the name "Pio". A year later, he made his
simple profession and started his studies of
Philosophy and Theology. In 1907, he was ordained priest,
and four years later, he felt the pain of the invisible Stigmata.
His body’s temperature arrived at 48 degrees.
It was then that his superiors sent him to San Giovanni Rotondo.
From 5 to 8 August, he felt a deep wound in side,
and on 20 Septembre, while he was praying in front of the Crucifix,
the Stigmata of Christ became visible in his body.
He was isolated and had to support, in patience, many medical tests.
Each day, after the Eucharist
and a long moment of thanksgiving, he would hear Confessions
for many hours and give Spiritual Direction. On
23 Septembre 1968, he joined Saint Francis,
his spiritual father.
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"In these moments, more than ever, everything in the world bothers and
disturbs me. I have no desire except to love and to suffer".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Provincial,
4 Septembre 1910)
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"Yes, Father, even in the midst of so
much suffering, I am happy, because I feel my heart twitches with that
of Jesus. Or imagine what consolation is for a heart to know, almost
certainly, that it possesses Jesus".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Provincial,
4 Septembre 1910)
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"As soon as a start my prayer, I feel my heart being invaded
by the flame of vivid love. That flame has nothing to do with all
of these flames of this world. It is a delicate and very sweet flame that
devours with making suffer".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
26 March 1914)
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"It is so sweet, so delicious, that the spirit finds in it great pleasure
and is satiated to the point that it never looses its desire for it".
(Letter to
Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
26 March 1914)
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"My God! It is making me wondering to the highest point
that I will maybe never able to understand, if not in the celestial land".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
26 March 1914) |
"Father, let me open my heart:
I am crucified in love!
Really, I cannot stand anymore!
It is a very delicate kind of food
for someone who is used to bad meals".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
18 March 1915)
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"This is provoking in me incessant spiritual indigestions,
to the point that it makes moaning my poor spiritual soul, at the
same time from pain and love".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
18 March 1915)
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"Poor soul! It can’t adapt to
this new way of the Lord’s working".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
18 March 1915)
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"The Heavenly Father’s kiss and touch that he, in his love,
prints on the soul, cause to it more intense suffering".
(Letter to Br. Benedetto, Pietrelcina,
18 March 1915)
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"By his life given wholly to prayer and to listening to
his brothers and sisters, this humble Capuchin friar astonished
the world.
Countless people came to meet him in the friary of San
Giovanni Rotondo and, since his death, the flow of pilgrims
has not ceased. When I was a student here in Rome,
I myself had the chance to meet him personally,
and I thank God for allowing me today to enter
Padre Pio's name in the book of the blessed.".
("Calvary is the Saints’ mountain",
Homily of JOHN-PAUL II for Padre Pio’s beatification,
on 2 May 1999)
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