Francesco Forgione

"Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers." — St. Pio of Pietrelcina

May 25, 1887 - Francesco Forgione was born at 5:00 p.m. in Pietrelcina, Italy to Grazio and Maria Giuseppa Forgione

September 1910 - Received the temporary or invisible stigmata at the family farm in Piana Romana. The painful wounds would appear and disappear.

September 20, 1918 - Received the visible stigmata while praying before a crucifix in the monastery church of 'Our Lady of Grace.' He became the first priest in the history of the Catholic Church to bear the stigmata.

September 23, 1968 - Padre Pio died at 2:30 a.m. His last words were, 'Jesus, Mary.' The Father Guardian of the monastery stated that ten minutes after Padre Pio's death, all traces of the stigmata on his hands, feet and side, had disappeared.

Efficacious Novena To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus
(This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked his prayers)

O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.’ Behold, I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

II. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’ Behold, in Your name, I ask the Father for the grace of...

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

III. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, I now ask for the grace of...

Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary, Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen... St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us