St Pio of Pietrelcina

My favorite Saint!

I remember the first time I saw a picture of St. Pio, I was about 6. My nonna had a small tattered picture. I was so drawn to his face, I felt so much love looking into his eyes. I began praying to him everyday.

I remember preparing for my First Holy Communion, we used the Baltimore Catechism and had many Saint books available to read. My mom made sure we said the Rosary as a family at night and she would say "bring your Guardian Angel and saints with you to pray." It was then that I started asking St. Padre Pio to join me.

One night I had a dream, although it didn't feel like a dream because I remember sitting up in my bed and I could feel the weight of my body in the bed. It was dark outside and there were two people walking down my street talking and laughing. All of a sudden there was a bright light that started small behind them (they gasped and ran off) and grew larger as it came towards my house and into the upper right corner of my room. I was not scared but curious. There was the Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Fatima beautiful as ever and very much alive. Her hands were folded with a rosary in between her fingers. She moved them across the beads but never spoke a word, only nodded her head. Then on the foot of my bed sat St. Pio! I remember the feeling to this day and I get chills every time I recall that moment. He sat there staring at me so lovingly, so kind, he looked like I remembered him on the holy card. Brown gloves on, black rosary in hand and he was praying the rosary out loud and nodding to me to do the same. I prayed with him and when we were finished he and the Blessed Mother disappeared. I went back to sleep and told my mom the story over a bowl of cereal the next morning. You can imagine her surprise! She said that they were telling me to always pray the rosary and stay close to Our Lady.

I continued my devotion to St. Pio and to this day I talk to him daily asking for favours and thanking him for my blessings and answered prayers.

His Feast Day is September 23, and below is a special prayer to him:

Prayer for the Intercession of Padre Pio

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son.Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls.With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.

Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina,I confidently beseech You to grant methe grace of (here state your petition).

Glory be to the Father… (three times).

Amen.