Photo courtesy of The Vatican News Bureau
I’ll admit that I don’t know a lot about Padre Pio who died 40 years ago at the age of 81 except that he was a simple mystic who was alleged to have cured countless people, lived with the stigmata for 50 years of his life, and was able to bilocate. I knew that he had been canonized in 2002 and was one of the world’s most revered saints. Miracles continue to be attributed to him often though he's been dead a long time.
When I read yesterday's Los Angeles Times, there, to my surprise, was a photo of St. Pio in his coffin in a church in his hometown San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. His body had been exhumed, cosmetically enhanced, and is now displayed in the local church where thousands upon thousands of people are visiting. At first I felt revulsion at the exhumation and what appears to have been partly consumer exploitation. But, I sat with it for a few minutes and then did a little research. In his biography at Padre Pio Devotions, he apparently often said, "After my death I will do more. My real mission will begin after my death."
All I know is that my interest has been piqued and I’ll check a biography out of the library about him to find out more. Several weekends ago, I went to a one day presentation by Dr. James Finley on St. Theresa’s Interior Castle at Mt. St. Mary’s downtown campus. Jim is such a wonderful, down-to-earth, deeply-centered man and I always learn so much from him. He was a novice at Gethsemani Monastery under the late Thomas Merton.
I had a friend die recently and I returned for her rosary and vigil to St. Catherine Laboure parish where we raised our children. Both my husband and I were extremely active in this parish until we separated in 1984. In 1987 I moved and only go back now for weddings, funerals and baptisms. The years fell away and my issues with Catholic dogma and doctrine temporarily were suspended. I was actually Present—and that’s saying a lot. I guess I continue to grow-up when it comes to my faith.
I don’t know where I’m going with my musings except to say that I am interested in all things spiritual and, consequently, every day I observe someone, some situation, some place and I comforted, connected. I've had a spring resurgence of sacred ordinary. And now I have Padre Pio to find out more about.
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