Originally published at National Catholic Register
St. Pio’s life of holiness stands as a powerful testimony to the redemptive nature of suffering.
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy, is one of the most revered saints of the Catholic Church. From a young age, he demonstrated a deep devotion to God, often experiencing visions and spiritual phenomena that set him apart from his peers. He joined the Capuchins at 15 and took the name Pio in honor of Pope Pius I.
In 1910, he was ordained a priest, but it was in 1918 that he received the stigmata, a rare phenomenon where one bears the wounds of Christ. This event marked the beginning of his extraordinary life as a mystic and healer. He once said, “Jesus himself wants my sufferings; he needs them for souls.” Over the next decades, he became known for his spiritual gifts and miracles, including bilocation. He also had the ability to “read souls” and perceive unconfessed sins.
Padre Pio dedicated his life to the sacrament of confession and widely promoted its prominence in the life of the believer, famously stating, “God runs after the most stubborn souls. They cost him too much to
