Padre Pio dedicated a large part of his life to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, from 1916 until his death. This period was marked not only by his extraordinary religious commitment, but also by a series of mystical and miraculous events that confirmed his status as a profoundly holy man. The years Padre Pio spent in the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo were a time of devotion, pastoral care and mystical experiences.
Padre Pio arrived in the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo
Padre Pio’s initial arrival at the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo in 1916 marked the commencement of a profound and transformative chapter in his life. Invited by Padre Paolino, Padre Pio stepped into the serene atmosphere of San Giovanni Rotondo on July 28, 1916. His inaugural stay, spanning from July 28 to August 5, revealed a notable improvement in Padre Pio’s health. Recognizing this positive turn of events, his superior, Padre Benedetto, advised him to return to San Giovanni Rotondo and urged him to stay for an extended period, at least until his health showed further improvement. On September 4, 1916, Padre Pio obediently returned to the hallowed grounds of the San Giovanni Rotondo monastery, where he would remain for an astonishing 52 years, never venturing beyond its sacred confines. San Giovanni Rotondo, nestled in the Apulian mountains of Italy, was a modest and impoverished village at the time, reminiscent of the simplicity of Pietrelcina. Devoid of electricity and boasting unpaved roads, the village mirrored the humble surroundings of Padre Pio’s earlier years. The convent, adorned with a quaint church dedicated to “Nostra Signora delle Grazie” (Our Lady of Grace), stood approximately 1.2 miles from the village center, accessible only via challenging paths. In this serene setting, Padre Pio assumed the responsibility of providing spiritual guidance to the young friars enrolled in the Seraphic Seminary.
Amidst the tumultuous backdrop of World War I, Padre Pio faced another significant challenge. In 1915, he was summoned to the front lines on three separate occasions. However, with each arrival at the barracks, his health exhibited a concerning decline. After a mere 147 days of military life, his superiors, moved by compassion, made the poignant decision to discharge him, allowing him to “die in peace at home.” Padre Pio, during his brief stint in the military, acquainted himself with the rigors of barracks life and engaged in basic military exercises, donning the military uniform and dutifully following orders. These experiences, though brief, left an indelible mark on Padre Pio’s soul, not only due to the wartime turmoil but also because of his inability to participate in the celebration of Mass, the spiritual cornerstone of his existence.
The narrative of Padre Pio’s life takes a mystical turn with the manifestation of the stigmata on September 20, 1918. Following a period of deep meditation on the Passion and death of Jesus, particularly during the sorrowful mysteries of the Holy Rosary, Padre Pio received the stigmata on his hands, feet, and side. These visible wounds mirrored the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion, fulfilling a prophecy conveyed through the prodigious event of transverberation between August 5 and 6 of the same year. This mystical encounter, combined with the subsequent stigmata, solidified Padre Pio’s reputation as a man marked by extraordinary holiness. In the years that followed, Padre Pio continued his ministry at the San Giovanni Rotondo convent, guided by deep devotion, pastoral care, and a profound connection to the mystical and miraculous. His presence not only transformed the convent into a spiritual haven but also attracted countless pilgrims seeking inspiration and spiritual solace. Padre Pio’s remarkable journey came to an end on September 22, 1968, when he celebrated his last Mass at 5 a.m. He peacefully passed away the following night at 2:30 a.m. in the convent, concluding his 52-year-long residency. This poignant moment marked the culmination of a life dedicated to spiritual service and profound communion with the divine.
Chronology
- (september 4th 1916) Padre Pio is to San Giovanni Rotondo.
- (march 16th 1918) After a series of convalescence vacations, he was sent away from the military service because of double bronchial-alveolitis.
- (march 18th 1918) His re-entry into the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo was definite.
- (september 20th 1918) It was Friday morning, a day in which, like many other Catholics, Padre Pio would have meditated on the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus in the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary. In front of the cross in the choir of the church of the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, he received the stigmas to his hands, feet and chest, the signs of the Passion of Christ already announced on the 5th and 6th of August with the prodigal of the cutting through the skin (trasverberazione).
- (september 22th 1968) Padre Pio celebrated his last Mass, at five o’clock in the morning and the following night died at 2.30 a.m., he was reunited with God after fifty years from the day that he received the stigmas, which completely disappeared from his body at the moment of his death.
- (march 20th 1983) There began the diocesan process for his canonization, which were concluded on the 21st of January 1990, they gave Padre Pio the title of Venerable in 1998 and Beatify in 1999, with the memorable celebration in Piazza San Pietro, presided over by His Holiness John Paul II.
- (june 16th 2002) John Poul II proclamed “Saint the Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina”.
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