Saint Padre Pio
Early days of Saint Padre Pio In the slang of today, Saint Padre Pio used to hang out at church as a child. He went there to pray. He stayed hours after Mass. Saint Padre Pio worked out an arrangement with the sacristan to lock him in the church at times, so he could adore the Lord in the Eucharist. His parish priest was Don Salvatore Pannullo, whom he affectionately referred to as Zi’ Tore (Uncle Tore or Salvatore). Zi’ Tore recalled the future Padre Pio as having told him at age five, he wanted to become a priest. The priest could see special attributes in Francesco Forgione. Others saw the same traits, but could not distinguish their meaning. He had to be categorized; the world insists on putting everybody into a box. Qualities that his friends and neighbors categorized as “shy,” “different,” “quiet,” Don Salvatore saw as the signs of deep spirituality. Francesco had a hunger to learn. But there were no schools for him to attend. Two men of the town, farmers, volunteered to teach the children of the area. Their major qualifications were that they could read and write. But that, coupled with their sincere desire to help the children, started a school. The children went to class at night, because they had to work during the day. Francesco tended sheep for his father and mother. He studied during that time. His friends tried to get him to play with them, but he kept to his books. When he did play with his friends, Saint Padre Pio drew the line at swearing. He used to run away from boys, when they began to curse. But although he was willing to play, it was not one of his priorities. His preference was to spend time in church, praying, and if the church was closed, sitting on the rocks outside, also praying. Francesco knew what a sacrifice it was for his family to sponsor him in school. At the beginning, when he was being taught by the farmers, there was little cost to his father, little financial cost, that is. Grazio had to allow Francesco to take time off from helping with the sheep, to study. But when it became obvious that Francesco had advanced far beyond his volunteer teacher’s ability to teach, when he told his family that he was serious about becoming a religious, after St. Francis, they knew they had to make much greater sacrifices. It was at this time that Grazio left his family, and came to the United States, to Jamaica, Long Island, New York. There was no way, he could support his son’s education on the meager earnings he made from the land in Italy. And so Grazio kissed his wife good-by, gave instructions to his children, who were now in charge, and traveled the six thousand miles it would take to bring him where there was enough money. He worked hard in New York, and sent as much money home as was possible. You know, the more we read about Grazio, we come to realize that Padre Pio had a saintly father as an example all his life. Although he did not attend Mass as regularly as he should have, and profanities flew from his mouth when he was angry, he was truly a man of God, completely selfless, focused on his family. We, the mothers and fathers, are the priest-makers. Last year, in one of our talks, Penny pointed her finger at a large audience in a Texas town. “Don’t be blaming the priests for lack of vocations. They come from us, the family." Sure, we all want grandchildren, for our name and heritage to go on. But are you aware that though the priest gives back to God, the gift of having children by his vow of celibacy, he is given the gift of eternal life through his consecrated hands? When we Catholics become truly aware of the gifts of the priesthood, our seminaries will be filled to overflowing. But you’re the ones who have to make it happen!” We believe that Grazio and Guiseppa Forgione were given this word of knowledge. Though they were simple folk, the Lord gave them the wisdom to see the path their son, the future Saint Padre Pio, had to take, and they did everything in their power to make it happen, at enormous sacrifice in their own lives. Saint Padre Pio always walked the narrow line, never allowing himself the luxury of anything that could jeopardize his relationship with Jesus. His parents brought him to the school of Don Domenico Tizzani, a former priest, who had left his vocation to marry. Although it was a bad choice from the outset, Don Tizzani had the only real school for miles around. So Francesco went there for three years. Reference: Ebook by Bob and Penny Lord see below
In this new 13 part series from EWTN, Fr. Andrew Apostoli explores the extraordinary life of the humble Italian priest who has become one of the most famous stigmatists of Church history. From his childhood to the documentation of the wounds given by Christ, and other many mystical gifts, this series shares Padre Pio's life through his own writings and the eyes of fellow priests. ' This is a Region 1 DVD (playable ONLY in Bermuda, Canada, the Cayman Islands, United States and U.S. territories)
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