Pio of Pietrelcina (Italian: Pio da Pietrelcina), O.F.M. Cap. commonly known as Padre Pio, (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) was a friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Padre Pio became famous for bearing the stigmata for most of his life, which generated much interest and controversy around him. He is now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church.
Pio was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name of Pius (Italian: Pio) when he joined the Capuchins. After his beatification in 1999, he was canonized by Saint John Paul II on June 16, 2002.
On 20 September 1918, while hearing confessions, Padre Pio had his first occurrence of the stigmata: bodily marks, pain, and bleeding in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ. This phenomenon continued for fifty years, until the end of his life. The blood flowing from the stigmata smelled of perfume or flowers, a phenomenon mentioned in stories of the lives of several saints and often referred to as the odour of sanctity.
Though Padre Pio would have preferred to suffer in secret, by early 1919, news about the stigmatic friar began to spread in the secular world. Padre Pio’s wounds were examined by many people, including physicians. People who had started rebuilding their lives after World War I, began to see in Padre Pio a symbol of hope. Those close to him attest that he began to manifest several spiritual gifts including the gifts of healing, bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from both sleep and nourishment (one account states that Padre Agostino recorded one instance in which Padre Pio was able to subsist for at least 20 days at Verafeno on only the Eucharist without any other nourishment), the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues, the gift of conversions, and the fragrance from his wound
Excerpts from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pio_of_Pietrelcina
I have been hearing the miracles and answered prayers received by others through the intercession of Padre Pio. We’ve been passing the area where the St. Pio Center is located almost every weekend when we visited my mother-in-law in Las Pinas. Visiting Padre Pio is always at the back of my mind. Last Wednesday after I got back from Bicol for the 40th day of my mother’s death…for no reason at all…I heard a strong voice within me to pay Padre Pio a visit. And since Thursday is a holiday (Ninoy Aquino’s death anniversary), Jonjie readily agreed.
My experience was a very personal and spiritual one…it will be difficult for me to put it into words. But I remember vividly the peace and calmness that engulf me the moment I touched Padre Pio’s hands and the cleansing tears flooding my eyes while I was praying in front of him. And for that alone…I know I am blessed and I am loved despite my sins and my imperfections.
After praying, we took some pictures inside the church.
The outside of the chapel is well kept and well maintained and every nook and crannies are inviting to be photographed.
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| I love this archway of rosaries... |
And the gardens…
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| Daniz is calling the doves... |
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| Daniz face to face with the dove and Dada was telling her not to be afraid. |
Footnotes:
- Leggings, shorts, sleeveless are not allowed inside the church but "malongs" are provided at the entrance.
- The waiting line for "the moment of prayer with Padre Pio" is on the front right side of the altar...someone holding a "Silence" sign will advise you where the end of line is...
- "The St. Pio Chapel started off as a small room in one of the office buildings that housed a golf pro shop. With the continuous promotion of devotion to St. Pio, more and more people visited the make-shift chapel, and we had to move it to a larger place. From having a chapel in a small office space with an office desk for an altar, the chapel is now large enough to fit around 500 church-goers at one time." For the complete details of St. Pio Center, please visit http://saintpiocenter.com/stpio_wpsite/.
- All pictures posted were taken using iPhone4S
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