Francisco Padre Pio Research Paper

On May 25, 1887, Francisco Forgione was born. He died on September 23, 1968. He was canonized as a saint on June 16, 2002, by Pope John Paul the II. His saint name is St. Padre Pio. He is the patron saint of Civil defense volunteers, Adolescents, the town of Pietrelcina, Stress relief, & January blues. St Padre Pio was an Italian priest who was known for his charity and piety, and his gift of the stigmata. When Francisco was five years old, he decided to devote his life to God. Luckily, his parents were very religious too, so they supported his decision. His community was also very supportive. Saint’s days were common celebrations in his town. From a young age, Francisco had a very odd ability. He could see and speak with angels, Jesus, and Mary. Though religious, his …show more content…
However, he was so sick that he was often sent home, only to be called back for service again. In March 1916, he was finally dismissed because of his poor health. On September 20, Padre Pio was listening to confessions when he started to feel pain in his hands and feet. He saw the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, appearing on his hands and feet. They were painful. Bleeding occurred. The wounds smelled like roses, and although they continued to bleed, they never became infected. Doctors were amazed by the wounds perfectly round shape. By 1919, The word spread about Padre Pio’s stigmata, and people came from far away to examine him. He became popular with the people he met and soon began to attribute supernatural occurrences to him. For example, it was said that he could levitate, and perform other miracles. His growing popularity was a concern for the Church, and the Vatican began to restrict his activities to minimize public interaction. Padre Pio himself didn't like the popularity either. A church investigation proved that the stigmata was not being faked. By 1934, the Vatican began to change its attitude towards Padre Pio, and they