St. Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio (1887–1968), Priest—Memorial
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: C | Lectionary Cycle: I
Introduction
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio: 1887–1968), Priest—Memorial : Patron Saint of adolescents and civil defence volunteers; Invoked by those in need of stress relief, spiritual healing; Canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002.
Saint Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione in Pietrelcina, Italy, grew up in a devout family and felt called to God from childhood. At fifteen, he entered the Capuchins, taking the name Pio. Ordained in 1910, he lived much of his life in San Giovanni Rotondo, where his holiness drew countless faithful. In 1918 he received the stigmata, which he bore for fifty years, along with many mystical gifts such as healing, prophecy, and reading hearts. Despite suspicion and restrictions, his deep prayer, tireless confessions, and charity inspired millions. Padre Pio died in 1968, leaving a legacy of faith, humility, and intercession. Today we celebrate his deep prayer, love of the Eucharist, and tireless ministry of reconciliation. His life reminds us that holiness is lived in closeness to Christ and in service to others.
Prayers of the Faithful
23 September 2025
True Kinship in Christ
(Memorial of St. Pio of Pietrelcina)
In today’s Gospel (Luke 8:19–21), Jesus reminds us that His true family are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice. This must have been difficult for His relatives to hear, especially since the Gospels tell us that, at times, His own family misunderstood Him and even thought Him mad (cf. Mk 3:21). But Jesus points us to a deeper truth: the bonds of the Spirit are stronger than the bonds of blood.
The deepest relationships are not based on family name or heritage, but on shared faith, shared love, and shared obedience to God’s will. The Kingdom of God is precisely this: a community where men and women strive to align their lives with the Father’s will. That is why Jesus can say, with full authority, that His mother and brothers are those who do God’s will.
This is not a rejection of human family, but a radical widening of the heart. Jesus calls us to belong to a family as wide as the world, bound together not by blood but by grace. When we say, “Thy will be done,” and mean it, we step into that true kinship with Christ.
Padre Pio lived this mystery in a remarkable way. His life was marked by suffering, misunderstanding, and even suspicion from within the Church. Yet he never stopped doing God’s will. Through prayer, obedience, and the sacrificial offering of his life, he became a brother, father, and spiritual companion to countless souls. His wounds, united to Christ’s, were a sign of that radical belonging to the family of God.
Today, we are invited to walk the same path. Loyalty to Christ may sometimes demand letting go of other attachments, to things, places or people. But it also brings the great gift of communion with brothers and sisters across the world, and even across time. To do God’s will is to find our truest family in Christ.