About Saint Pio of Pietrelcina
Padre Pio, Francesco Forgione, or also known as Pio de Pietreicina, was born in Italy, 1887, to a humble and very devoted Catholic family. As a child he showed that he was merciful and had no problem doing penance in favor of God.
His health was very fragile, he was always sick. From an early age he wanted to be a priest, after meeting a Capuchin monk in the convent of Morcone, Fray Camilio, who passed by his house asking for alms. The boy's friends and neighbors testified that he suffered from "demonic encounters" and that more than once they saw him fighting with his shadow.
At 16 he decides to become a friar. His teacher was Father Tommaso, severe but of great heart, with much charity to the internees. Life there was very hard, he had to fast for prolonged periods, and that changed his character and spirit. His illnesses were on the rise and they would never abandon him. In 1904 he pronounced his temporary vows and moved to another convent.
In 1907 he made his permanent vows and had to leave for another enclosure, near the sea, something that did not do him good because his health worsened, so he had to return. In 1910 he settled in Benevento and in 1916 he was sent to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he lived until his death in 1968, 50 years after receiving his first stigma.
«Love and fear must be united: fear without love becomes cowardice; Love without fear becomes a presumption. Then you lose your way. »
-Father Pio-
Should have mentioned about him more detail. Anyway, I really like what he said!
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