St. Pio of Pietrelcina, more often known as Padre Pio / EWTN News In Depth segment
Newsroom in Washington, D.C., on October 9, 2022, at 6:00 a.m. (CNA).
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, also known as Padre Pio, is one of the most well-known modern saints in the world, and his intercession has been credited with several miracles over the years.
EWTN Events Mark Irons, an In-Depth Correspondent, recently met with a number of people whose lives were affected by Padre Pio’s legacy, including a woman whose miraculous healing led to the establishment of The National Centre for Padre Pio in Barto, Pennsylvania.
Born in the Southern Italian village of Pietrelcina as Francesco Forgione before joining the Franciscan order and adopting the name Padre Pio, he was renowned for his supernatural abilities. One of these gifts was the stigmata, the spontaneous emergence of wounds mimicking Christ’s crucifixion on the body. He could also read the hearts of others, heal the ill, and bilocate.
Padre Pio was not well-known among Catholics in the United States during the middle of the 20th century, despite widespread knowledge of his talents. This began to change, however, after the healing of Vera Marie Calandra, a 2-year-old child with congenital urinary tract disorders and a grim prognosis.
Even in the eyes of Dr. C. Everett Koop, a surgeon involved in her treatment who would later become U.S. Surgeon General under the Reagan administration, her impending death appeared all but assured.
While Koop helped remove Calandra’s bladder to comfort her, he also encouraged her parents to make funeral arrangements. According to Calandra’s account to EWTN News In Depth, that day never came to pass.
“[Koop] said, ‘You must… accept this now, you cannot cling to this dying child,’” Calandra recalled. “And my mother returned home, where she refused to accept it.”
Calandra related how her mother, a devoted Catholic, picked up a book on Padre Pio that someone had given her and heard an inner voice telling her to immediately bring her daughter to Italy.
Calandra’s mother quickly arranged for the trip and was able to transport her daughter to Italy, where they waited in a crowded corridor for the priest. Calandra described the moment when Padre Pio approached.
“And their eyes met,” remarked Calandra. “At that moment, she vowed to do a miracle so that everyone would believe. He took his injured hand, which was covered by his half-glove… She was able to kiss his hand because he pushed it in front of her face.
Calandra and her mother returned to the U.S. after Padre Pio stroked each of their heads and blessed them personally.
Subsequently, during a follow-up X-ray with Dr. Koop, a remarkable finding was made: a bladder was discovered in the precise area where her old bladder had been removed.
“He was unable to explain himself,” Calandra stated. “And he just said, ‘there’s a ‘primitive bladder,’” followed by, “keep doing whatever you’re doing.”
Padre Pio passed away shortly after Calandra’s healing; however, Calandra’s mother devoted the remainder of her life to giving thanks to the friar and spreading his name, ultimately constructing The National Centre for Padre Pio near their home in Pennsylvania, with the goal of leading souls to Christ.
The executive director of The National Centre for Padre Pio, Nick Gibboni, provided insight on how the center’s mission was carried out throughout Padre Pio’s lifetime.
Gibboni stated, “When people came to meet Padre Pio, they would virtually throw themselves at him.” “No, you do not love Padre Pio because of Padre Pio; you love Padre Pio because I led you to Jesus,” was one of his most famous quotes.
Gibboni concluded by emphasizing that, for Padre Pio, it was all about bringing souls to Christ through the Catholic Church, a legacy that continues through the center’s work.
Watch the full interview below.