Memorial · 23 September
Observance follows the General Roman Calendar; higher-ranking celebrations and local calendars may differ. Explore this calendar date.
Padre Pio united a life of prayer and sacramental ministry with practical care for people who were sick or suffering.
A Capuchin vocation
Born Francesco Forgione in Pietrelcina, Italy, on 25 May 1887, the future Padre Pio entered the Capuchin novitiate in 1903. He received the religious name Pio and was ordained a priest in 1910. Poor health affected his early ministry. In 1916 he went to San Giovanni Rotondo, the community with which the rest of his life would be closely associated.
His daily work centred on Mass, the confessional and spiritual direction. People came in large numbers seeking prayer, counsel and reconciliation. Care for bodily suffering also became a lasting part of his mission: the hospital Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza opened in 1956. He died on 23 September 1968.
Sources: Holy See: biography of Padre Pio
Prayer joined to charity
John Paul II canonized Padre Pio on 16 June 2002. His homily placed the Cross at the centre of the new saint's spirituality, recalling the difficulties he had endured and the love with which he sought to follow Christ. It highlighted his availability to penitents and the importance of sacramental forgiveness.
The pope also pointed to the connection between Padre Pio's prayer groups and his charitable work. For him, attention to God and attention to suffering people belonged together. This offers a way of approaching his life that begins with the Gospel, the sacraments and concrete love of neighbour. At the Angelus after the canonization, John Paul II announced his obligatory memorial in the Roman Calendar on 23 September. The title Pius of Pietrelcina, used in some English calendars, refers to the same saint known familiarly as Padre Pio.
Sources: John Paul II: canonization homily, 16 June 2002 · John Paul II: announcement of the memorial, 16 June 2002
A moment for reflection
Remember someone who is ill, a caregiver who is tired or a person waiting for difficult news. Offer a few quiet minutes of prayer for them. Consider whether you can also provide a lift, a meal or companionship. Let prayer make you more attentive to what another person actually needs, and ask for perseverance in small acts of care.
Original biography and reflection prepared for Powerful Catholic Prayers. The reflection is an invitation to personal prayer. Sources checked 28 October 2026. About our sources and calendar.
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