A NOVENA TO

SAN PADRE PIO

PRAY, HOPE AND DON’T WORRY

 BIOGRAPHY OF ST. PIO
Padre Pio was born May 25, 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy, a small
country town located in southern Italy. His parents were Grazio
Mario Forgione (1860-1946) and Maria Giuseppa de Nunzio
Forgione (1859-1929). He was baptized the next day, in the nearby
Castle Church, with the name of his brother, Francesco, who died in
early infancy. Other children in the family were an older brother,
Michele; three younger sisters: Felicita, Pellegrina and Grazia; and
two children who died as infants.
Religion was the center of life for both Pietrelcina and the
Forgione family. The town had many celebrations throughout the
year in honor of different saints and the bell in the Castle Church
was used not for ringing the hour, but for daily devotional time.
Friends have described the Forgione family as "the God-is-
everything-people" because they attended Daily Mass, prayed the
Rosary nightly and fasted three days a week from meat in honor of
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Although Padre Pio’s grandparents and
parents could not read and write, they memorized Sacred Scripture
and told the children Bible stories. It was in this lovely family setting
that the seeds of Faith were nurtured within Padre Pio.
From his early childhood, it was evident that Padre Pio had a
deep piety. When he was five years old, he solemnly consecrated
himself to Jesus. He liked to sing hymns, play church and preferred
to be by himself where he could read and pray. As an adult, Padre
Pio commented that in his younger years he had conversed with
Jesus, the Madonna, his guardian angel, and had suffered attacks by
the devil.
Padre Pio’s parents first learned of his desire to become a priest
in 1897. A young Capuchin friar was canvassing the countryside
seeking donations. Padre Pio was drawn to this spiritual man and
told his parents, "I want to be a friar… with a beard." His parents
traveled to Morcone, a community thirteen miles north of Pietrel-
cina, to investigate if the friars would be interested in having their
son. The Capuchins were interested, but Padre Pio would need
more education than his three years of public schooling.
In order to finance the private tutor needed to educate Padre
Pio, his father went to America to find work. During this time, he
was confirmed (September 27, 1899), studied with tutors and
completed the requirements for entrance into the Capuchin order.
2 19
that I may never leave You alone in Your cruel Passion. I ask only for
a place of rest in Your Heart. My desire is to share in Your agony and
be beside You in the Garden. May my soul be inebriated by Your
love and fed with the bread of Your sorrow. Amen.
A PRAYER TO JESUS
Lord, God of my heart, You alone know and see all my troubles.
You alone are aware that all my distress springs from my fear of los-
ing You, of offending You, from my fear of not loving You as much
as I should love and desire to love You. If You, to whom everything
is present and who alone can see the future, know that it is for Your
greater glory and for my salvation that I should remain in this state,
then let it be so. I don’t want to escape from it. Give me the strength
to fight and to obtain the prize due to strong souls.
A PRAYER
May Jesus comfort you in all your afflictions. May He sustain you in
dangers, watch over you always with His grace, and indicate the
safe path that leads to eternal salvation. And may He render you
always dearer to His Divine Heart and always more worthy of Para-
dise. Amen.
A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Padre Pio celebrated Mass daily and at various times during the day, he
would pause and pray, making a spiritual communion.
My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Most Blessed
Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to possess You
within my soul. Since I am unable at this moment to receive You
sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace
You as being already there, and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
A PRAYER
May your heart always be the temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus
always be the helmsman of your little spiritual ship. May Mary be
the star which shines on your path and may she show you
the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father. Amen.
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers. I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the
bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which dis-
perses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of
my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to
remain united to You, if not by communion, at least by grace and
love.
Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do
not merit it, but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your
Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask
no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen
A PRAYER FOR TRUST AND CONFIDENCE IN GOD'S MERCY
O Lord, we ask for a boundless confidence and trust in Your divine
mercy, and the courage to accept the crosses and sufferings
which bring immense goodness to our souls and that of Your
Church. Help us to love You with a pure and contrite heart,
and to humble ourselves beneath Your cross, as we climb the moun-
tain of holiness, carrying our cross that leads to heavenly glory.
May we receive You with great faith and love in Holy Communion,
and allow You to act in us as You desire for your greater glory.
O Jesus, most adorable Heart and eternal fountain of Divine Love,
may our prayer find favor before the Divine Majesty of Your heav-
enly Father.
A PRAYER TO JESUS
Oh my Jesus, give me Your strength when my weak nature rebels
against the distress and suffering of this life of exile, and enable me
to accept everything with serenity and peace. With my whole
strength I cling to Your merits, Your sufferings, Your expiation, and
Your tears, so that I may be able to cooperate with You in the work
of salvation. Give me strength to fly from sin, the only cause of Your
agony, Your sweat of blood, and Your death. Destroy in me all that
displeases You and fill my heart with the fire of Your holy love
and all Your sufferings. Clasp me tenderly, firmly, close to You
18
At age 15, he took the Habit of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
on January 22, 1903. On the day of his investiture, he took the name
of Pio in honor of Saint Pius V, the patron saint of Pietrelcina, and
was called Fra, for brother, until his priestly ordination.
A year later, on January 22, 1904, Fra Pio knelt before the altar
and made his First Profession of the Evangelical Counsels of
Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. Then, he traveled by oxcart to
the seventeenth-century friary of St. Francis of Assisi and began six
years of study for the priesthood and continued his development in
community life toward the profession of his solemn vows. After
three years of temporary profession, Padre Pio took his final vows in
1907.
Then on August 10, 1910, the much-anticipated day finally
arrived. The twenty-three year old Fra Pio was ordained a priest by
Archbishop Paolo Schinosi at the Cathedral of Benevento. Four days
later, he celebrated his first Mass at the parish church of Our Lady of
the Angels.
Within a month of his ordination, (September 7, 1910), as Padre
Pio was praying in the Piana Romana, Jesus and Mary appeared to
him and gave him the wounds of Christ, the Stigmata. For Padre
Pio’s doctors, the wounds created much confusion. He asked Jesus
to take away "the annoyance," adding, " I do want to suffer, even to
die of suffering, but all in secret." The wounds went away and the
supernatural life of Padre Pio remained a secret...for a while.
On November 28, 1911, Padre Agostino, who was a contempo-
rary, friend, and confidant, was advised that Padre Pio was ill.
He rushed into Padre Pio’s room to care for him. Padre Agostino
observed what he thought was a dying man and rushed to the
chapel to pray. When he finished praying, he returned to Padre Pio’s
room and found his friend alert and full of joy.
This was the beginning of Padre Pio’s documented ecstasies—
all of which were "edifying, theologically correct and expressed a
deep love for God."
Due to Padre Pio’s on-going ill health, he was sent home to
recuperate and was separated from his religious community from
the end of 1911–1916. During this time, the Capuchin Constitution
required a friar who was sent home because of illness had to main-
tain his friar life as much as possible. Padre Pio did this. He said
Mass and taught school.
3
 On September 4, 1916, Padre Pio was ordered to return to his
community life and was assigned to San Giovanni Rotondo, an agri-
cultural community, located in the Gargano Mountains. Our Lady
Of Grace Capuchin Friary was approximately a mile from town and
was not easy to reach. The Capuchins had a reputation for their holi-
ness and simple life. When Padre Pio became a part of the commu-
nity at Our Lady of Grace, there were seven friars.
With the outbreak of the war, only three friars stayed at Our
Lady of Grace; the others were selected for military service. At the
beginning, his responsibilities included teaching at the seminary
and being the spiritual director of the students. He spent his free
time reading the Bible and handling correspondence. When another
friar was called into service, Padre Pio became in charge of the
college.
In August 1917 Padre Pio was inducted into the service and as-
signed to the 4th Platoon of the 100th Company of the Italian Medi-
cal Corps. During this time he was very unhappy. By mid-October he
was in the hospital, but was not discharged. Finally, in March 1918,
he was dismissed and returned to San Giovanni Rotondo.
Upon his return, Padre Pio became a spiritual director and had
many spiritual daughters and sons. He had five rules for spiritual
growth: weekly confession, daily Communion, spiritual reading,
meditation and examination of conscience. In explaining his spiri-
tual growth rules, Padre Pio compared dusting a room, used or
unused on a weekly basis, to weekly confession. He suggested two
times of daily meditation and self-examination: in the morning to
"prepare for battle" and in the evening to "purify your soul." Padre
Pio’s motto, "Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry" is the synopsis of his
application of theology into daily life. A Christian should recognize
God in everything, offering everything to Him saying, "Thy will be
done". In addition, all should aspire to heaven and put their trust in
Him and not worry about what he is doing, as long as it is done with
a desire to please God.
In July 1918, Pope Benedict XV urged all Christians to pray for an
end to the World War. On July 27, Padre Pio offered himself as a
victim for the end of the war. Days later between August 5–7, Padre
Pio had a vision in which Christ appeared and pierced his side. As a
result of this experience, Padre Pio had a physical wound in his side.
The experience has been identified as a "transverberation" or pierc-
ing of the heart indicating the union of love with God.
4 17
If You will answer our plea, my spouse, ……., and I pledge to give our
child a good name. Together we will raise our child in love and holi-
ness, in compassion and charity, in sincere devotion and service to
you and your people. We, too, duly swear that if ever You are to call
our child in the service of the Church, we are going to support our
child wholeheartedly in fulfilling Your divine will.
This is our desire, O Jesus, to have a child of our own. Do grant our
petition for we ask it in Your Name, in the name of Your gentle par-
ents Joseph and Mary, and in the name of our dear Padre Pio.
Amen.
PRAYERS OF ST. PIO OF PIETRELCINA
STAY WITH ME, LORD
Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina after Holy Communion
Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I
do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life, and without You, I am with-
out fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light, and without You, I am in
darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You.
Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much, and always
be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is, I want it to be a place
of consolation for You, a nest of love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a
close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches. It is
necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the
way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death
approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the
cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of
exile!
to grant me the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.
Glory be to the Father... (three times).

PRAYER FOR HEALING

Lord Jesus, You said, You did not come for those who are well. You
came rather to console us who are suffering. You came for us who
are in pain because of our own weaknesses. You came to heal our
body, heart, and soul.
O Jesus, we know that there is no sickness, no illness that You can-
not heal as long as You will it. We know how much You love us that
You have offered even Your own life to save us from anything that
enslaves us.
O sweet Jesus, through the prayers of your humble servant, Padre
Pio, through whose prayerful intercession You have granted his chil-
dren countless miraculous healing, I beseech You, please heal me.
Please heal my wounded soul, mind and body.
My Jesus, my Lord Jesus, I have been suffering for so long now;
please have mercy on me. Only say the word and I shall be healed.
(Silently pray for your personal intentions, for the healing of any kind
of illness.) A few weeks later, on September 20, 1918, Padre Pio was pray-
ing in the choir loft in the Church of Our Lady of Grace, when the
PRAYER FOR HAVING A BABY same Being who appeared to him on August 5, appeared again. It
Your birth, O Jesus, brought much joy to Joseph and Mary. Heaven was the wounded Christ. When the ecstasy ended, Padre Pio had
and earth rejoiced to see new life and hope upon Your coming. Truly received the Visible Stigmata, the five wounds of Christ, which
there is no greater sign of God’s immense love for the world than would stay with him for his remaining 50 years.
His love becoming flesh and dwelling among us. By early 1919, word about the stigmata began to spread to the
O Jesus, grant me and my spouse, …….. , the grace to have the joy outside world. Over the years countless people, including physi-
of our love becoming flesh. We have been married for years. All cians, examined Padre Pio’s wounds. Padre Pio was not interested
these years we have been desolate for want of a child. Grant us the in the physicians’ attempts to explain his stigmata. He accepted it as
same joy You have bestowed upon Abraham and Sarah by the birth a gift from God, though he would have preferred to suffer the pains
of Isaac; the very same delight of Zachariah and Elizabeth with the of Christ’s Passion without the world knowing.
coming of John; the very same pride Orazio and Giusseppa felt with God used Padre Pio—especially the news of his stigmata—to
their son, Francisco Forgione, our dear Padre Pio. give people hope as they began to rebuild their life after the war.
O Jesus, cleanse our hearts from our sins and selfishness that deny Padre Pio and his spiritual gifts of the stigmata, perfume, prophecy
us the grace of having a child. Heal our wounded spirit and body. and bilocation was a sign of God in their midst and led people back
Make our generative faculties fertile. But most of all enkindle our to their Faith. So life at the friary and the Church of Our Lady of
passion and love for each other as husband and wife. Grace began to revolve around Padre Pio’s ministry. A room and
priests were designated to handle the correspondence and the
remaining friars heard confessions. San Giovanni Rotondo began to
16 5
be filled with pilgrims. Since there were no hotels, people slept out-
doors. A normal day for Padre Pio was a busy nineteen hours—
Mass, hearing confessions and handling correspondence. He usually
had less than two hours to sleep.
As his spiritual influence increased, so did the voices of his de-
tractors. Accusations against Padre Pio poured in to the Holy Office
(today the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith). By June 1922,
restrictions were placed on the public’s access to Padre Pio. His
daily Mass time varied each day, without announcement to diminish
the crowds, and he was ordered not to answer correspondence from
people seeking spiritual direction. It was also rumored that plans
were being developed to transfer Padre Pio. However, both local
and Church authorities were afraid of public riots and decided that a
more remote and isolated place than San Giovanni Rotondo could
not be found.
Despite the restrictions and controversies, Padre Pio’s ministry
continued. From 1924–1931 various statements were made by the
Holy See that denied the supernaturality of Padre Pio’s phenomena.
On June 9, 1931, the Feast of Corpus Christi, Padre Pio was ordered
by the Holy See to desist from all activities except the celebration of
the Mass, which was to be in private. By early 1933, Pope Pius XI
ordered the Holy See to reverse its ban on Padre Pio’s public cele-
bration of Mass, saying, "I have not been badly disposed toward
Padre Pio, but I have been badly informed."
Padre Pio’s faculties were progressively restored. First, the
confessions of men were allowed (March 25, 1934) and then women
(May 12, 1934). Although he had never been examined for a preach-
ing license, the Capuchin Minister General granted him permission
to preach, honoris cuasa, and he preached several times a year. In
1939 when Pope Pius XII was elected pope, he began to encourage
people to visit Padre Pio. More and more people began to make
pilgrimages.
In 1940, Padre Pio convinced three doctors to move to San Gio-
vanni Rotondo and he announced plans to build a Home to Relieve
Suffering. As Padre Pio expressed to Pope Pius, " …a place that the
patient might be led to recognize those working for his cure as
God's helpers, engaged in preparing the way for the intervention of
grace." The doctors were excited about the building, but were fear-
ful that this was not the time to begin such a project with Europe
being on the brink of another world war.
6 15
EFFICACIOUS NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
(This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who
asked his prayers.)
I. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, ask and it will be
given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to
you.’ Behold, I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
II. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything
of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’ Behold, in Your
name, I ask the Father for the grace of...
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
III. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, heaven and earth
will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by
Your infallible words, I now ask for the grace of...
Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father...
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have com-
passion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us
the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immacu-
late heart of Mary, Your tender mother and ours.
Hail, Holy Queen...
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.
PRAYER FOR THE INTERCESSION OF ST. PIO OF PIETRELCINA
Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrel-
cina, 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 discern-
ment, 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
Reconciliation and to experience the joy of forgiveness in sincerely
returning to the loving embrace of the Father should we succumb to
temptation and fall into sin.
Through the faithfulness with which you bore the sacred marks of
the Passion of our Savior on your body during your earthly journey,
strengthen us by your example to bear in our hearts and accept in
our lives the life-giving mystery of the Passion-Death-Resurrection
of Jesus.
Through that childlike confidence and love you fostered and
encouraged for the Mother of all God’s children, Mary ever-Virgin,
teach us filial love and devotion for, and confident recourse in the
almighty intercession of Mary, the Mother of the Lord and our Heav-
enly Mother, that through Her intercession we may more easily
approach the Savior, through Whom the Father calls us to Himself.
Through the concern and commitment with which you attached
yourself spiritually to all those who sought you as spiritual guide,
accompany us at every moment on our earthly pilgrimage towards
heaven.
There we hope one day to contemplate the glory of the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit, our God Who lives and reigns for ever and
ever. Amen.
(Adapted and amplified form of the prayer composed by Pope John Paul II)
V: May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R: Through it the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.
V: You bore the wounds of Christ on your body.
R: That we might learn the value of the Cross
V: Pray for us St. Pio of Pietrelcina
R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ
Let us pray: Almighty and eternal God, by a singular grace you al-
lowed your priest, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, to participate in the mys-
tery of the Cross of your Son, and through his ministry, you revealed
the marvels of your mercy. Grant that through his intercession we
may remain one with Christ in his Passion so as to joyfully attain the
glory of the Resurrection. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
14
These fears did not stop Padre Pio and the project began. After
the war, Barbara Ward, a British humanitarian, came to Italy to
write an article on postwar reconstruction. She attended Padre Pio’s
Mass and met one of the physicians who came to San Giovanni
Rotondo to work with the Home to Relieve Suffering. Upon learning
of the project, she asked that the Home to Relieve Suffering receive
a part of the funds designated for reconstruction. Consequently, the
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA)
gave a grant of $325,000 for the project. The building opened its
doors on May 5,1956. A year later, Padre Pio announced plans for a
medical and religious center where doctors and interns could
further their medical studies and Christian formation.
With the opening of the hospital, Padre Pio was truly now an
international figure and his followers greatly increased. To accom-
modate all the pilgrims, a new, large church was constructed.
In the mid-1960s, Padre Pio’s health began to deteriorate, but
he continued to say Daily Mass and hear fifty confessions a day. By
July of 1968, he was almost bedridden. On the fiftieth anniversary
of the stigmata (September 20,1968), Padre Pio celebrated Mass,
attended the public recitation of the Rosary and Benediction. On
the next day, he was too tired to say Mass or hear confessions.
On September 22, he managed to say Mass and the attendees had
to struggle to hear him. Just after midnight, in the early morning
hours of September 23, Padre Pio called his superior and asked to
make his confession. He then renewed his vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience. At 2:30am, Padre Pio died in his cell. As he foretold,
Padre Pio lived sick but died healthy, with the stigmata healed.
On September 26, 1968, over a hundred thousand people gath-
ered at San Giovanni Rotondo to pay their respects to this holy
man. He was buried in the crypt prepared for him in the Church of
Our Lady of Grace.
In the years following his death, his reputation for sanctity and
miracles grew steadily, and became established in the Church, all
over the world and among all kinds of people.
God thus showed the Church his desire to glorify on earth his
faithful servant. In a short time the Capuchin Order took the steps
prescribed by canon law to begin the Cause of Beatification and
Canonization. After examining the case, the Holy See, in accor-
dance with the norm of the Motu Proprio “Sanctitas Clarior”,
granted the nihil obstat on 29 November 1982. The Archbishop of
7
Manfredonia was thus enabled to introduce the Cause and set up
the informative process (1983- 1990). On 7 December 1990, the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized its juridical valid-
ity. When the Positio had been completed, there was the usual
discussion on whether the Servant of God had exercised the virtues
to a heroic degree. On 13 June 1997 the Special Meeting of the
Theological Consultors was held and gave a positive judgement. In
the Ordinary Session on 21 October 1997, with Bishop Andrea Maria
Erba of Velletri-Segni, the Proposer of the Cause, together with the
Cardinals and Bishops, recognized that Padre Pio da Pietrelcina had
lived to a heroic degree the theological, cardinal and associated
virtues.
On 18 December 1997, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the
Decree on heroic virtue was promulgated.
For the Beatification of Padre Pio, the Postulation presented to
the competent Congregation the healing of Signora Consiglia De
Martino of Salerno. The regular canonical process on this case was
held at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Salerno-
Campagna-Acerno from July 1996 to June 1997. On 30 April 1998 at
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints the Medical Board exam-
ined the miracle, and on 22 June 1998 the Special Meeting of Theo-
logical Consultors gave its judgement. On 20 October 1998 the
Ordinary Congregation of the Cardinals and Bishops belonging to
the Congregation was held in the Vatican. On 21 December 1998 in
the presence of Pope John Paul II the Decree on the miracle was
promulgated.
On 2 May 1999, in the course of a solemn concelebrated Mass in
St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul II by his apostolic authority beati-
fied the Venerable Servant of God Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, naming
23 September as the date of his liturgical feast.
For the canonization of Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina the
Postulation presented to the competent Dicastery the cure of the
young Matteo Pio Colella of San Giovanni Rotondo. The regular
canonical process on the case was held at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal
of the Diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste from 11 June to 17 October
2000. On 23 October the documents were forwarded to the Congre-
gation for the Causes of Saints. On 21 November 2001 the medical
testimony was examined by the same Congregation. The Theologi-
cal Consultors held a special Congress on 11 December and on 18
December the ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops took place.
8 13
NINTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, humble father, you truly loved our Holy
Mother the Church. Ask God, the Lord of the Harvest, to send labor-
ers into His vineyard. May He fill the world with many and holy
priests who are filled with the strength and inspiration that comes
only from God. Intercede for us with the Blessed Virgin Mary, our
Mother, that she may lead to unity all our brothers and sisters who
call upon Jesus, the Christ, as Lord and Savior. May they find their
unity in the one great family of God in Christ on earth, so that the
Church may be a beacon of light and sure hope of salvation in the
storm-tossed sea of life.
Padre Pio: Always remain united to the Holy Catholic Church, because
only She can save you. Only She possesses Jesus in the Most Blessed
Sacrament of the Altar, Who is the true Prince of Peace. Outside the
Church there is no salvation. The Church alone gives Baptism; the For-
giveness of Sins; and the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ
that offer you eternal life; and all the other Sacraments that assist us in
living a holy life.
CLOSING PRAYER
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, spiritual father of countless souls who seek a
deeper relationship with God in their lives, I thank God for the gift
He has given His Church in you. You are the image for our modern
world of His Crucified Son and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Through your resignation to the Father’s Will in your life, often
manifested through the decisions of the Church and your religious
superiors, teach us humility that we may be among those humble
souls to whom the Eternal Father, through His Incarnate Son Jesus,
promised to reveal the mysteries of His Kingdom. Through your
love and concern for those who suffer in mind and body, teach us to
recognize with the eyes of faith the face of our Lord Jesus Christ
Who makes Himself known in the poor and suffering.
Through your resignation and trust in God during the painful strug-
gle you were asked to bear, support and assist us in times of trouble
and trial.
Through that ministry of the confessional for which you were
known and through which many returned to the Father’s love,
encourage us to trust unlimitedly in the graces of the Sacrament of
 Padre Pio: If I knew that someone were suffering, whether in body or
soul, I would ask God to free that person from whatever their problem
is. And I would willingly accept that person’s sufferings on myself if that
would save the person and allow the person to share in the fruits of that
suffering.
SEVENTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, holy father, you fulfilled the salvation plan
of God and offered yourself as a victim to free all people from their
bondage to Satan. Pray for us to God. Intercede for all those people
who have no faith, that they cooperate with God’s gifts and grow in
a strong and sincere faith, and thus be converted to the Lord,
through a sincere and heartfelt repentance of their sins. May those
whose faith is weak grow strong in their Christian life, and may the
faithful children of God continue with greater commitment on the
road to salvation.
Padre Pio: If the world could see the beauty of a soul without sin, all sin-
ners, all non-believers would instantly convert (their lives).
EIGHTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, pure father, you loved your Spiritual Chil-
dren very much. How many of your children were acquired at the
price of your blood! Pray that we who have not known you person-
ally, may also be numbered among your Spiritual Children. Through
your fatherly protection, saintly guidance and the spiritual strength
you gain for us from God, at the moment of our death may we
encounter you waiting for us at the Gates of Paradise.
Padre Pio: If it were possible, I would like one favor from the Lord: I
would want, if He said to me ‘Go to heaven’, I would like to have this
grace: Lord, do not allow me to enter heaven until the last of my chil-
dren, the last of those persons entrusted to my priestly care, have en-
tered before me...I have made an agreement with the Lord that when
my soul is purified by the flames of Purgatory and is worthy to enter
heaven, I will stand at the gates of paradise and will not enter until I
have seen the last of my sons and daughters enter.
On 20 December, in the presence of John Paul II, the Decree on the
miracle was promulgated. Finally, on 28 February 2002 the Decree
of Canonization was promulgated.
Sources:
http://ewtn.com/PadrePio/man/biography.htm
http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ ns_lit_doc_20020616_padre-
pio_en.html
NOVENA IN HONOR OF
SAN PADRE PIO DA PIETRELCINA
ACT OF CONTRITION
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest
all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and I fear the pains of
hell; but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who are all-
good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of
Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life.
Amen.
OPENING PRAYER TO PADRE PIO
Dear Padre Pio, for fifty years your body bore the wounds of Christ
and you suffered willingly as a victim for others. You never took off
the crown of thorns yet always had time to talk, to listen and to
pray. Intercede for me now for you once said, “As the pearls are held
together by a thread, thus virtues are held together by charity; as
the pearls fall when the thread breaks, thus virtues are lost if charity
diminishes.” Amen.
FIRST DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, loving father, you bore the visible wounds
of Our Lord Jesus Christ on your body. You carried the Cross for all
humanity. In bearing the physical and moral sufferings that continu-
ally tortured your body and soul you became a martyr of love for all
people. We beg you to intercede for us with our Almighty Father
that we may have the courage to accept the great and small crosses
of life that transform individual suffering into a sure link that leads
us to eternal life.
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 Padre Pio: You should feel at home with sufferings that it pleases Jesus
to send you, since you always have to live with them. Acting thus you
think less of being freed from them. Jesus who cannot suffer long to
keep you in affliction will come to relieve and comfort you by infusing
fresh courage into your soul.
SECOND DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, holy father, you now live with our loving
Father and God Jesus Christ. You grew in holiness and resisted the
seductions of the Evil One. You were physically beaten by the infer-
nal spirits of evil who sought to force you to leave the road to holi-
ness that you had chosen to follow. Pray for us to God that through
your intercession and in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we may
find the spiritual courage to renounce sin and be strengthened in
faith until death.
Padre Pio: Courage, do not be afraid of Lucifer’s anger. Temptations,
discouragement and unrest are the wares offered by the
enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise it is a sign that he is
still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace
and concord with the human soul.
THIRD DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, virtuous father, you loved Our Blessed
Mother very much. You were gifted every day with the graces and
comforts that only She can give. We beg you to pray for us to our
Heavenly Mother and place our sins and petitions in Her hands. As
at Cana in Galilee, may She intercede for us that Her Son, Our Lord
Jesus Christ, may hear Her prayers on our behalf and inscribe our
names in the Book of Life.
Padre Pio: May Mary be the star that gives light to your way and indi-
cates the certain road that leads to the Heavenly Father. May she be a
sure sign that keeps you united with each other in times of trial.
FOURTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, chaste father, you taught us to love our
Guardian Angel as you loved yours so much. Your Guardian Angel
was your constant companion, guide, defender and messenger. The
Angels even brought the prayers of your spiritual children to you.
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Since they are a presence of the Living God who help to avoid the
disgrace of sin and are always ready to indicate the road that leads
us to goodness and keep us from evil, pray that we too may learn, as
you, to appreciate the ministry of our Guardian Angels and speak to
them that we may be receptive to their inspiration and learn to obey
them at all times.
Padre Pio: Invoke your Guardian Angel who will enlighten you. God gave
you your Guardian Angel for this reason. So make use of your Angel’s
service.
FIFTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, prudent father, you loved the Souls in
Purgatory so much and taught us to love them as well. You offered
yourself as a victim to expiate their sufferings in Purga-
tory. Intercede for us with Our Lord and God Jesus Christ that our
hearts may be filled with compassion and love for the Holy Souls.
Following your example, we too desire to assist the Holy Souls and
reduce their time of affliction in Purgatory. We ask that our prayers
and sacrifices may grant them relief in their sufferings, the holy in-
dulgences necessary to liberate them from their place of torment
and a speedy entrance into the eternal joys of heaven.
Padre Pio: Lord Jesus Christ, I beg you to give me the punishment due to
sinners and the Souls in Purgatory. Increase the sufferings in me that
will convert and save sinners, and quickly liberate the souls from the
torments of Purgatory.
SIXTH DAY
Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, obedient father, you loved the sick and in-
firm more than yourself because in them you saw Jesus. In the name
of God you performed miracles of healing in body, soul and
mind. Your intercession with God healed the ills of past and present
and strengthened people to respond with confidence to future chal-
lenges. Those who came to you regained a sense of spiritual integ-
rity as you re-kindled hope in their lives, and encouraged them to
renew the spirit in their hearts. Through the intercession of Our
Heavenly Mother, may we experience your powerful assistance and
be healed in our bodily and spiritual needs, and gratefully give
praise and thanks to God for all his blessings.
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