Saint Padre Pio: Part Seven

About Saint Padre Pio, the famous stigmatized priest, I've been sharing with you from Dorothy M. Gaudiose's written account she left me. She knew Padre Pio well and worked for him for three years at his monastery in Italy. Also, she wrote two books about him for Alba House publishers and insisted I write my first children's book about him, which was subsequently published by Pauline Books & Media. After that, as if Padre Pio had opened the door for me--and I believe he did--I wrote many more books published by Our Sunday Visitor, The Word Among Us Press, and Chelsea House. All my success, though, I owe to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Without Him working through Our Lady, St. Padre Pio, my Holy Guardian Angel, my husband, and friends like you, I would be nothing. Worse than nothing.

But back to Saint Padre Pio: Let me share with you today Dorothy's words about his gift as a Confessor. (I have her written permission to quote her account.)

"CONFESSOR: Saint Padre Pio's day revolved chiefly around his confessional," wrote Dorothy. "I believe he would have wished to be remembered as a Confessor more than anything else. Hour after hour, day after day, week after week, he sat there for fifty long years.

"Padre Pio was unique as a confessor," continued Dorothy. "What distinguished him from other priests was his faculty of bringing to the mind of his penitent certain sins that he wished him [or her] to confess. He sometimes mentioned these faults before the penitent could mention them, as if reading that penitent's conscience, and Padre Pio often reminded the penitent of some sin he [or she] had neglected to mention in previous confessions.

"The first time that Alberto del Fante--who later became a biographer of Padre Pio--went to Confession to him," said Dorothy, "Alberto said, 'Padre, I have never had faith, but I have always been honest.' 'Even when,' said Padre Pio, who proceeded to tell Mr. del Fante things that no mortal could have known, things that Alberto had forgotten or not mentioned because they seemed to him to be unimportant.

"Padre Pio," continued Dorothy, "could tell you exactly how many times you missed Mass, how many promises you broke, and the mortal and venial sins you committed." [Dorothy knew all this as fact, since she often Confessed to Padre Pio while in Italy.]

"How was Padre Pio as a Confessor?" wrote Dorothy. "All things to all people, paternally. Where tenderness was needed, it flowed out from him. Where help and prompting were required, they were given. Where bracing and strengthening were called for, they were provided. All sincere men and women were at once enveloped in the mantle of his sanctity. They came away not only cleansed, but more keenly aware of what sin really meant."

Dorothy wrote more about Saint Padre Pio as Confessor, but I would like to continue with that next week, because today I would like to leave you with the above positive thoughts. And I hope that those thoughts will encourage you, my dear friend, to ask Saint Padre Pio--at any time, day or night--to hear what is on your heart and mind and--most importantly--your conscience. You know, from Heaven he can do more for you than he could on earth, for now he is even closer to the Source of Life, the Author of all that is good and holy. Ask Padre Pio to help you, and he will. He always said to send him your Guardian Angel with any message you might have, and that the Angel would then take it to Padre Pio, and Padre Pio would do for you what he could.

As you wait for the answer, please remember what Saint Padre Pio always said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry."

See you next week!