Padre Pio of Pietrelcina

Padre Pio is my favorite saint. He's modern too; he died only 42 years ago. He was born as Francesco Forgione May 25, 1887 to poor farmer parents in Pietrelcina, Italy. When he was a young child, he would sleep on the cold stone ground with a rock for a pillow as a penance. He conversed with his guardian angel, Mary, and Jesus. When he was 15, he entered the Capuchin friary at San Giovanni Rotondo. One day, he was giving thanks in the choir after Mass when the wounds on the Crucifixion statue in front of him shot out rays of light into his hands, feet, and side. He said Jesus was sorrowing for the ingratitude of men. Then Jesus said, "I will unite you with my Passion". Padre Pio looked down and saw that his hands, feet, and side were dripping with blood. This was the Stigmata of the Passion of Christ. He carried those wounds, which actually brought him physical pain and bleeding, for 50 years. He lost one cup of blood every single day from those wounds. Doctors had no idea what was wrong and nothing they did could stop the pain or bleeding. Finally, on September 23, 1998, the holy mystic died from old age and exhaustion from the wounds he had carried out of love for 50 years. After Pio died, the wounds left without one single trace other than a pale pink line over his heart; the only witness left to the gaping wound in his side. His body is incorrupt.