St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Priest

Born on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Benevento, Italy, the son of Grazio Mario and Maria Giuseppa Forgione, this saint was baptized Francesco Forgione. The boy inherited the piety of his family and knew from a young age that he wanted to be a priest. He entered the Capuchin order months before his sixteenth birthday and was ordained a priest at the age of 23. It was at this time that he became Padre Pio, the name for which he became world famous. This saint was given many gifts by God. In 1918, while praying in front of a crucifix, he was given the visible stigmata, the wounds that Christ received on the cross. Padre Pio was also given the gift of reading the hearts of those who came to him for confession or spiritual guidance.

During his lifetime, this saint became the spiritual father to many thousands of people, not just those who came to him, but to their families and friends. He promised to wait outside the gates of heaven until all of his children had entered.