Saint Padre Pio

Today we celebrate the feast of a contemporary saint Padre Pio of Pietrelecina, Italy. Padre Pio was born in the year 1887 and he died on September 23, 1968 in San Giovanni Rotondo. He entered the Capuchin order to become a friar at the very young age of 16. 
Saint Pio was blessed with many spiritual gifts. He was an excellent confessor and was given the gift to be able to read souls who came to him for confession, so no sin was missed during confessions with him. Like St. Francis, Padre Pio was given the visible marks of the five wounds of Jesus, the stigmata, which he bore until his death. Those who visited him smelled the fragrance of roses all around him. He was also given the gift of bi-location which allowed him to be in two places at the same time. There is a documented story of his bi-location during world war II where he appear to two American fighter pilots who were about to bomb the Nazi occupied Italy. When they were above San Giovanni Rotondo where Padre Pio was living, suddenly Padre Pio appeared in front of the flying aircraft in mid-air and the bombing equipment stopped functioning. The two American pilots were shocked and later one of these pilots went to the friary and there he recognized Padre Pio to be the flying friar that they had seen in the sky. 
Padre Pio promised that he will not enter heaven, until all of his spiritual children entered safely into heaven and that he would watch over them from heaven. My children and I had the special grace of visiting and spending a couple of days in San Giovanni Rotondo where there is a beautiful Basilica where the uncorrupt body of this saint is on display. Padre Pio was truly a victim of God's love and suffering. 
Saint Padre Pio, pray for us!