Feast Day of St. Pio

On Sunday September 23, the Church celebrated the Feast Day of



St. Pio of Pietrelcina (May 25, 1887 - Sept. 23, 1968). As we



meditate on St. Pio's holy life and holy death, we would



like to share with you these beautiful words of Father Bernardino



of Siena:







"Padre Pio has not really passed away. In San Giovanni Rotondo, we feel



Padre Pio still present and operating. The pilgrims by now are too many



to number. And they come, not as tourists, but only to pray and to



reconcile themselves with God. In this way, Padre Pio carries on the



fulfillment of his mission as a minister of Divine Mercy.







He lives on in the Prayer Groups, already present in so many parts of



the world, carrying on his mission as a man of prayer. He lives on in the



Home for the Relief of Suffering, by giving consolation and strength,



serenity and courage, to the sick. He lives on in the memory of millions



of faithful, spread all over the world."




We also want to take this time to let you know that Issue #53 of our



"Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry" Padre Pio newsletter is now available



online.This issue is the story of Elide Bellomo. Elide, of Sestri



Levante, Italy, visited Padre Pio for the first time in February 1947.



The experience proved to be very meaningful to her. A few months




later, she visited Padre Pio once again. You can follow this link to read



the story in full:

http://www.padrepiodevotions.org/2012October.asp