Testimonies Pt 2

My Mother-in-Law was Healed    I am from Cebu City, Philippines. One day when I passed by Cebu Cathedral Church, I noticed a great crowd of people were there for the Mass. When I went inside, I saw that a picture of Padre Pio surrounded by beautiful flowers had been placed on the altar. I asked someone what the occasion was and I was told that it was a Mass in honor of Padre Pio because he was going to be canonized soon. I stayed for the Mass and ever since that time I have had a devotion to Padre Pio. I pray to him every day and I pray to him like a father.  My wife and I have felt his blessings in our life. 

In October of 2004, my mother-in-law, Josefina DeLira (Mama Fe) was taken to the Perpetual Succor Hospital in Cebu City. The ultra sound revealed that she had kidney stones and would have to have surgery to remove them. When my wife, Liza Joy and I got to the hospital, we brought Mama Fe a little icon of St. Pio. Mama Fe was very scared about having the surgery. We told her not to worry about anything. The truth is that my wife and I were very worried about her condition and were also worried because we did not have the money to pay for the operation or for any of the other medical expenses. Mama Fe has no medical insurance. We did not want her to know of our fears and so for her peace of mind, we told her we could handle the doctor bills even though we did not know how we would be able to.  We told her not to worry about anything but to put all her trust in St. Pio. She said that she would.

Early the next morning, Mama Fe suffered a tremendous pain in her stomach. It was so severe that she could not even cry out for a nurse to come and assist her. She reached for the icon of St. Pio and placed it on her abdomen and prayed for him to help her. Then she fell into a deep sleep. She woke up to find the doctor at her bedside, examining her. A test revealed that all of the kidney stones had disappeared. The doctor was so surprised. He could not believe what had happened. No surgery was necessary and Mama Fe was then released from the hospital. I know that this healing was brought about through the intercession of St. Pio, who is very close to God, Jesus and Mother Mary. Thank you St. Pio for everything.
- Celestino Petallar

Healing from Terminal Cancer  Luigi Antonelli, the playwright, went to the doctor and cancer was found covering the area between his ear and his shoulder. The doctors told him that with surgery, he would be able to live for six more months but without it, he only had three months to live.

He would have undergone the operation immediately, had not one of his friends advised him to go to San Giovanni Rotondo and see Padre Pio. Luigi agreed and attended Padre Pio's Mass and afterward went to confession. What happened during this confession? Antonelli found it difficult to describe even though he was a man who had a way with words. During confession he had a long conversation with Padre Pio and the longer it went on, the more his soul was transported into a celestial state. At the same time he felt a kind of current circulating in his body, eradicating all traces of the cancer.

When he got off his knees, Antonelli felt in good health. His soul, as well as his body, had been cured. He took up all his activities without ever experiencing again the slightest symptoms of cancer.

Healing from Alcoholism   I am an alcoholic and had to be hospitalized due to alcohol poisoning. All of the doctors concerned pronounced me a vegetable. The brain damage was so severe, the doctors said there was no hope of recovery. With the best medical care and attention, there was no hope at all. Some person, of whom I do not know to this day, left a picture of Padre Pio beside my bed and it was from then on that I began to get better. I am now completely and fully healed with no sign of brain damage. I am also a recovered alcoholic and have been for many years.
- Name Withheld

Pray for the Souls in Purgatory    In 1964, I traveled from the Philippines to San Giovanni Rotondo with my parents and siblings to visit Padre Pio. However, we were unable to see him because he was ill at the time and we left San Giovanni disappointed and with heavy hearts. But on June 7, 2006, I was able to go there once again on pilgrimage. I was able to view his relics and see his home and church. I saw the brand new modern looking basilica that has been erected in his honor. But it is to the older church of Our Lady of Grace that I was drawn. There I felt the presence of Padre Pio very strongly. In the old church I knelt beside Padre Pio's confessional and prayed to him and made a general confession. I tried to recall the many, many sins of my life and I humbly asked his intercession for God's pardon. Then, in my heart, I felt Padre Pio talking to me. I felt that he was asking me to say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be, for the souls in Purgatory, everyday for the rest of my life. Afterwards, I went to the bookstore inside the church. There I saw a book with Padre Pio's picture on the cover titled, "The Holy Souls." I purchased the book and learned that Padre Pio offered his Masses, prayers and sufferings for the release of the Holy Souls who are in Purgatory. I had no knowledge of this before I read the book. I feel that my prayer was heard by Padre Pio and that he truly spoke to me in my heart. Padre Pio truly lives. Viva Padre Pio!
- Carmelino P. Alvendia Jr.

Depression Lifted   Over the past twenty five years, I have suffered on and off from severe endogenous depression. However, last year I experienced the worst bout I had ever had. It began in December 1991 and lasted continuously until October 1992. During all of this time every possible medication and treatment were tried but nothing seemed to work. I felt miserable. I could not eat or sleep or do any housework. I lost a lot of weight and there were days when I did not even feel able to wash or change my clothes. Most of the time I felt unable to go to Mass, but used to watch it on TV or listen to it on the radio. I prayed constantly to Padre Pio. In October my husband and I went on a pilgrimage to San Giovanni Rotondo. It was a wonderful experience to pray at his tomb. On our last day there I awoke to the beautiful smell of incense. I felt really good and the depression had lifted for the first time in almost a year. Since then the depression has not returned. It is all thanks to Padre Pio.
- Name Withheld

Healed from Sadness  My dear husband died suddenly. He was 45 years old. My children had both moved away so I was left in a big house on my own. Most nights, I would go to bed and cry, even scream hysterically while pleading with Jesus and his mother to help me. I had two nervous breakdowns. I was invited to a showing of a Padre Pio film and I was moved deeply. I was blessed with Padre Pio's mitten. One night, as I was dreading the thought of going to bed, I felt the presence of Padre Pio all around me. From that time onward, I have never really had a bad night.
- Name Withheld

Safety in Time of War   My brother was serving in the army and had been sent to Viet Nam. Every night our family prayed for his safe return. I carried Padre Pio's photo with me and prayed to him often for my brother. I felt Padre Pio's presence with me and shortly after that, my brother wrote to say he would be coming home. When he did come home, he was a different person. After that terrible war he became more quiet and serious. We never asked questions about his experiences and he never spoke much about it. He did mention one experience which seemed very peculiar to him. He said that one day his company was sent ahead of the others to check for the Vietcong. They were looking through the bush with their guns, when suddenly all of the soldiers smelled the fragrance of roses. They kept saying "Where are the rose bushes? It sure smells good out here." They never did find the rosebushes and were sent back to camp. Another company was sent out to inspect the same territory. How tragic to say that the company was ambushed and not one survived the attack. According to the calculations, the Vietcong had been there lurking in the bush all along, when my brother and the others in his company were in that area. But for some strange reason, they were not attacked and they very easily could have been. I know it was Padre Pio who saved my brother's life.
- I. Ahmadzai

Confidence Regained      I had not been out of my house for 25 years and I had not seen my dear brother in all those years. He found my address from my sister and she told him about my problem. I had never heard of Padre Pio but I had a dream about him. In my dream he smiled at me. Also one day, I noticed the beautiful fragrance of flowers in my living room although there were none in the house. Finally, I got the courage to go to church one day. I bought a magazine there and found out about Padre Pio. My dear brother came to see me after 25 years and he told me that he had been praying to Padre Pio for me to regain my confidence.
- Name Withheld

My Uncle's Whole Life Changed   In the 1920's and 30's, my father and some of my uncles who lived in Texas got involved in trafficking illegal liquor from Mexico to the U.S. side of the border. They would then sell the illegal liquor in the U.S. My uncle, Eleno Rojas, got caught and was sentenced to 3 to 4 years in jail and served his time in El Paso, Texas. Being in that jail was a frightening experience. Terrible crimes were committed there, not only by the inmates but also by the jailers. My uncle feared for his life and wondered whether he would survive in that terrible jail. Uncle Eleno had learned about Padre Pio through his parents. At the time, Padre Pio was a young priest. My uncle prayed all the time that God would protect him. One night as he was praying, his cell became filled with a beautiful fragrance of roses. He felt a great sense of peace. He saw Padre Pio standing in front of him. Padre Pio communicated to Uncle Eleno that everything would be all right. Shortly after that experience, my uncle was released from jail. He never failed to thank Padre Pio for coming to his aide and for the rest of his life he would talk about Padre Pio to anyone who would listen. He often spoke of, "the miracle that happened in his cell."  Uncle Eleno's whole life changed after that experience with Padre Pio and it changed the lives of the rest of the family as well. We all became very devoted to Padre Pio.

All of my uncles left their former lifestyle behind them and they all became successful merchants. My uncle Eleno passed away in 2006. He was 100 years old. Isn't it strange that I work at Central Jail in Los Angeles and I see what many inmates go through. I see their fear and loneliness. I used to see them wearing their rosaries until a rule was made that no longer allowed it.  I would tell the prisoners, "Don't just wear it around your neck, pray the Rosary as well."  I see that for many who are incarcerated, the only thing that can sustain them is their faith.
- Hortencia Perez   

Entrust Everything to the Child Jesus     During Advent of 1952, I approached Padre Pio for confession, during which I strongly recommended my neighbor to him and asked him to pray for her. Padre Pio then gave me a beautiful little picture of the Infant Jesus of Prague, telling me that Christmas time was particularly suitable for asking for graces. Then, blessing the picture, he advised me to entrust everything to the Child Jesus.
- M. Katharina Tangari

A New Person   A close friend of mine has made a complete transformation through the intercession of Padre Pio. She told me that in spite of friends and money, no one had ever made her truly happy. She tried to heal the emptiness of her life by the heavy use of drugs and alcohol. Failed relationships and all the trappings of a fast life brought her nothing but loneliness. She made attempts to take her own life. Once when she was very high on drugs, she jumped out of a window and broke her leg very badly. One day as I was driving her to the doctor's office, she noticed for the first time, the rosary of Padre Pio hanging on my car mirror. She asked about it and held it, saying it was pretty, so I told her about Padre Pio. With great interest she held the rosary so I told her to keep it and to pray. The acceptance of the rosary was the beginning of her healing. She quit alcohol and drugs and became a daily communicant and a catechism teacher every Sunday at her parish. For someone who had not gone to church for twenty five years, this was a big leap for the love of God. We look at her now and feel as though we are looking at a new person.
- Name Withheld

Healed from Drug Addiction   My boyfriend Joe became addicted to methamphetamine. After endless attempts to get help for him, I told him that the relationship was over unless he agreed to get into a rehabilitation facility. He entered a rehabilitation program on Thursday, February 9, 2006. The next day he decided that he didn't need help and left the facility. I felt that the next time that I would see him would probably be at his funeral. After crying most of the night, the next morning I looked at my mail and saw an envelope from the Capuchin Franciscan Friars. I usually toss them in the trash, but instead I opened it and inside was a prayer card and a picture of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. The words of St. Pio said, "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Prayer is the best weapon we possess. It is the key that opens the heart of God." I had never seen a picture of St. Pio before. I knew that I needed to pray for his intercession. I called Joe and told him that I was very disappointed that he gave up so easily and left the rehab facility but that I was going to help him in a way that I hadn't tried before. I hung up the phone and I prayed. Later that evening Joe called me. He told me that he had not given the rehab facility a chance and that he had called the counselor at the facility (on Saturday) and asked if he could reenter the program. He was told that he would have to wait for a vacant room.

On Monday, Joe called me to say that he spoke to the program director who said that he had never had a patient leave and then call and beg for another chance. The director said that they would have an empty bed on Wednesday and that if Joe wanted it, he needed to be there by 9:30 a.m. or it would be given to someone else. I was skeptical because Joe was not a morning person and was never on time for anything. Joe was able to reenter the facility on Wednesday. He called me on Sunday. Joe, the man that I had never seen cry, sobbed uncontrollably. He said that he had gone to Mass that day. He told me he was so sorry that he always gave me such a hard time when I would beg him to go to church with me. He said that he realized now that his addiction was something that he couldn't fix by himself and he now knew how critical it was that he get help. Joe finished the program and was discharged. He has faithfully followed up with outpatient care and attends Narcotics Anonymous meetings weekly. He has not missed Sunday Mass or Holy Day Mass since. I pray daily to St. Pio to continue to heal Joe and to keep him strong in his recovery. Recently, we took a weekend trip to the beach with my family. While sitting in the back of the church at Sunday Mass, Joe leaned over and whispered, "St. Pio is watching us." I looked up to find an enormous picture of St. Pio on the wall directly beside us. Thank you St. Pio for giving Joe his life back.
- Karen Merritt

My Life was Only an Existence     I was a broken man, a wreck, and my life was only an existence. My brother Christopher, sent me the prayer card of Padre Pio asking me to entrust all my troubles to him and that relief would come soon. I started to recite the prayer daily. Words cannot express my relief.
- Name Withheld

I Could Feel the Presence of Padre Pio With Me      I learned about Padre Pio through a newsletter called "Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry" which I found in the church vestibule at Good Shepherd parish in San Diego. I attend the Mother of Perpetual Help Novena at my parish and one Tuesday night at the Novena, when I looked at the picture of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, I seemed to see Padre Pio looking at me. In February 2006, I had a hemmorhagic stoke after having a heated argument with my sister. I was lying unconscious on the floor when paramedics came and rushed me to the hospital. The right side of my brain was bleeding and the left side of my body was paralyzed. It was uncertain whether I would live through the night. I remained in a coma for three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit. The neuro surgeons  told my family to look for a nursing home for me because even if I came out of the coma I would be nothing but a vegetable. I did come out of the coma and I was able to walk and to speak with no difficulty. During my hospitalization I could always feel the presence of Padre Pio and Mother Mary with me.
- Danilo Ganzon

Saved From A Serious Accident I credit Padre Pio with bringing me back to the faith, after having learned of him in the mid 1970's. He made it possible for me to believe what before I could not believe. I thought that the Bible and all of the stories of Catholic saints were just fairy tales. But after looking at Padre Pio's life, I could no longer hold that view.

Recently I was mowing my lawn. I was walking backwards, finishing the last strip. What I didn't realize was that I was about to walk backwards into a large support beam on my children’s swing set while pulling the running lawn mower. In the instant before I would have walked backwards into the swing set, Padre Pio popped into my head and said, "I'm right behind you." This caused me to pause. With my very next step I felt my heel come against the post that I was about to collide with. I have no doubt that I would have fallen, pulling the lawnmower over my feet and lower legs. I wasn't thinking about or praying to Padre Pio at the time that he popped into my head. This leads me to believe that I received special protection. I praise God for giving us Padre Pio. He has helped those like me who could not believe, to believe! And I praise God and I thank Padre Pio for saving me from this accident. In Jesus and Mary,
- Joe Fusco

I Felt as if a Great Burden Had Been Lifted   I recently went to the Catholic women's prayer breakfast, the Magnificat. The talk that was given was on Padre Pio. After the talk, some of the relics of Padre Pio were there for veneration. I touched my Rosary to the relics and as I did so I felt a kind of jolt in my body. I felt very light as if a great burden had been lifted off of me. At the same time I thought of my mother. My mother was very much into the occult. She was always trying to get me involved in it too but I refused. Even so, I have always felt this hanging over me. All of my life I've looked for ways to be rid of this feeling but to no avail. When I touched the relic of Padre Pio, I felt at last that I was released from the darkness that I often felt around me. I feel totally renewed. My friend who was with me said, "Look how your Rosary is shining." I looked at it then and the crystals were indeed shining. The silver too looked different. It looked brand new. The Rosary had been given to me by my mother more than fifty years ago. Thank you, God.
- Elva Eastman

My Father was Close to Death    My father, Michael DeMaria, is greatly devoted to Padre Pio. His own father, my grandfather, had gone to confession to Padre Pio in the late 1940's. When he went into the confessional, Padre Pio greeted him by his first name, John. My grandfather asked him how he knew his name and he told him simply that he knew many things. Padre Pio also told my grandfather that he would have a very good life in America and his words proved to be true. Things went very well for my grandfather when he moved to America.

My father had a very serious fall which caused bleeding in his brain. He was close to death. He was taken to the hospital in Akron, Ohio, and had brain surgery. My mother was told by the doctors to get all of his affairs in order because he was not expected to live. When I visited him in the intensive care unit of the hospital, his kidneys were failing and besides the brain surgery, he had many other serious health problems and complications too numerous to mention. I printed out some testimonials about people who were gravely ill who had been healed through the intercession of Padre Pio. I taped them to the wall in the hospital beside my father's bed. That was when my father told me that Padre Pio had come to him and stood beside his bed and prayed for him. Padre Pio assured him that he would be all right. He said that Padre Pio spoke to him in English. My father even described the brown robe that he was wearing. My father was in intensive care for many weeks and in the hospital for a total of six months. That was three years ago. In 2006, my father celebrated his 81st birthday. Our family knows, without the intercession of Padre Pio, my dad would not be here. When we visited the Padre Pio shrine in Pennsylvania, my father had an opportunity to hold Padre Pio's glove. As he looked around at the grounds of the shrine, my father softly said, "This must be what Heaven is like."
- Denise DeMaria Bowman

A Priest Remembers Padre Pio   I am a Catholic priest and years ago I accompanied a sick man to San Giovanni Rotondo, who hoped to be cured by Padre Pio. I was happy to have this opportunity to see Padre Pio. The sick man whom I accompanied was not cured and I smelled no perfumes. Moreover, when I went to confession, Padre Pio did not life any mysterious veil from my soul. For me, he was only a good confessor, like many others. Yet I did see something. For many days, I heard Padre Pio say Mass and for me that was everything. I heard Mass from the side of the altar and I did not miss a single gesture or expression. I had already said thousands of Masses, but in those moments I felt that I was a poor priest, the same way I felt during confession. Padre Pio really spoke to God in every moment of the Mass. I could even say that he struggled with God, like Abraham. And God was present. Thus at San Giovanni Rotondo I found a priest who loved God truly and intensely, in suffering and prayer, even to agony; a real saint.

My Son Came to See Me from Heaven      My son Frankie was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in July of 2005. He fought a long and hard battle against this illness for twenty seven months. He had four lung surgeries, amputation of his leg, radiation, and countless rounds of chemotherapy. He also developed a secondary cancer, leukemia. During his ordeal, Frankie, kept hopeful and prayerful. He kept Jesus as the center of his life, and prayed to his patron saint, Padre Pio, whose picture he always kept with him. Frankie died on Sept. 14, 2007. He was 17 years old.

The morning of Frankie's Mass of Christian Burial, my family and I were at the funeral home where there had been a public viewing of Frankie for two days. When it was almost time to say goodbye to my son and go to St. Ephrem’s in Brooklyn for the funeral Mass, I felt my strength failing me. I dreaded this final time, knowing I would never see my son again. At that moment I prayed to Padre Pio, begging him to help me. The moment I finished my prayer, into the funeral home walked Ray Ewen. Ray had met Padre Pio in 1945 when he served in the U.S. military and was sent overseas to Italy. Ray has been a great promoter of Padre Pio ever since. Ray prayed for my son and he prayed for me. As he prayed, I felt a great sense of peace come over me and I received the strength I needed so badly. I know that Ray’s presence was an answer to my prayer. Ray does not live close by but he told me that when he woke up that morning he felt a very strong urge to get to the funeral home and see Frankie. It was not easy for him but he managed to find a ride with a close friend who was also very devoted to Padre Pio.

The celebrant of Frankie's funeral Mass was Father Gerard Sauer. He was joined by four others priests and over 1000 people attended. Two beautiful eulogies were said, one by Frankie's best friend, Gennaro Anzalone and the other by Dr. Joseph Marino, the Principal of Frankie’s school, Xaverian High School in Brooklyn. Dr. Marino told all present about Frankie’s faith in God and his devotion to Padre Pio.

It wasn’t long afterward that I had a vivid dream about my son. In my dream, Frankie looked well and he was breathing easily. I thought that he was alive again. He let me know that he was in Heaven and only back to speak to me for a moment. He told me that he was in a place that was so beautiful that it was impossible to describe. He also told me he was with other children. I asked him if Padre Pio was there. Frankie looked at me and said, "Padre Pio was there to meet me when I arrived."
- Camille Loccisano 

Testimony of an Eyewitness  I went to the friary to hear Padre Pio's Mass in 1919. I asked one of the seminarian students to show me Padre Pio's cell. The boy kindly lead me to it. Standing in front of his cell, I was struck by a breeze that had a delicious and continuous perfume which gave me such spiritual joy that I did not want to leave. I called other people and they all experienced the same phenomenon. To be more certain, I repeated the experiment with the doors of other cells but I smelled no perfume.

At confession as well as during Padre Pio's Mass, one had the impression of being in the presence of someone who is not of this world. A great force of sanctity emanated from his whole person and it carried away those present, filling them with holy thoughts and devout contemplation.
- Gennaro Cascavilla

Conversion and Healing   In search of God, I, a fallen away Catholic, began to look for Him through the Eastern religious practices. Instead of inner peace and greater awareness, I developed attacks of acute anxiety and dizziness. For two months I went to doctors to find some relief from my illness but they could not help me. Though seemingly lost, I was being led on the path directly to the personal and almighty God whom I sought. Padre Pio marked the path to God's miraculous healing power.

I first heard about Padre Pio from my wife and this knowledge became my lifeline back to the Catholic church. After hearing about Padre Pio I made plans to go to the friary where he had lived. Right before the trip, the dizziness and anxiety became so bad I had to leave work. In desperation I cried out to Padre Pio to help me. I became even more ill and my doctor prescribed shock therapy. My wife entreated me not to go through with the treatments and so we went to Italy and visited the tomb and cell of Padre Pio. The tranquil surroundings gave me a feeling of great peace.

After we returned home, my sister-in-law had a dream of Padre Pio. In her dream, he was hearing her confession. She said to him: "Padre, why don't you give Tony back his health?" Padre Pio looked at her and said with a smile, "Tell Tony that he will be fine." In his hands was a blue pillow with a rosary on it. He told her to give it to me.

The assurance of this dream gave me strength and now, one year later, I am a healthy and happy man. I am dedicated to spreading the message of Padre Pio, the Rosary and the Catholic Church that brought me the peace of Christ.
- T. Cavaliere