Anthony F. Chiffolo

“I feel I am drowned in the immense ocean of the love of my Beloved. … My small heart is incapable of containing this immense love. ... But, dear God, when you pour yourself into the little vase of my being I suffer the agony of not being able to contain you. The inner walls of this heart feel as if they were about to burst…. How can one contain the Infinite in oneself?”
“Fill up the empty places in your heart with ardent love of God.”
Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, known more popularly as Padre Pio, humble peasant yet world-famous stigmatist, spoke simple words of Christian encouragement and inspiration to all who approached him seeking counsel. Edited by Anthony F. Chiffolo, Padre Pio is a compact and accessible introduction to the life and message of one of the great religious figures of the 20th century. Born Francesco Forgione on May 25, 1887, at Pietrelcina in southern Italy, Pio joined the Capuchin Order in 1903 and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1910. On September 20, 1918, he received the sacred wounds of Christ, which medical science could not explain and which he bore until just before his death in 1968. Although he did not leave his monastery and was for much of his life under obedience not to write or preach, this humble monk was renowned for his piety, his wise counsel, and his miracles. Padre Pio was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

This collection of quotations from his letters to his spiritual advisors and to his spiritual children, his writings, and his sayings reveals Pio’s most private yet also most inspirational thoughts about his own life, the holy sacraments, prayer and meditation, the dark night of the soul, the Cross, God’s will, the Christian life, temptation and sin, God’s mercy, God’s Providence, and perseverance. Padre Pio also includes a collection of the saint’s blessings and prayers, as well as a brief biographical sketch of his most remarkable life.

“…a valuable source of encouragement and inspiration….beautifully presented.”