Love in Action · Week 4 · Grades 9–12
Guided Notes: St. Padre Pio
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
From Pietrelcina to the friary
Francesco Forgione was born on May 25, blank 1, in Pietrelcina, a farming town in southern Italy. His parents were poor farmers who could not read or write, but they went to Mass every day. He said he saw Jesus and Mary from a young age.
At 15 he joined the blank 2 Franciscans, friars who live simply, and took the name Pio. He was ordained a priest on August 10, 1910. He was drafted during World War I but sent home because he was so sick.
In blank 3 he was sent to San Giovanni Rotondo, where he lived for over 50 years.
Stigmata and scrutiny
On September 20, 1918, praying alone after Mass, Padre Pio saw a vision of blank 4. Afterward he bore bleeding wounds in his hands, feet and side: the stigmata, wounds matching those of Christ on the cross. He asked God to take away the marks but not the pain.
Doctors examined the wounds many times. They never got infected and never healed. Crowds came, and many said he knew their sins before they spoke.
Some Church leaders thought he was a fake. From 1931 to 1933 he was barred from saying Mass in public and hearing confessions. He obeyed without complaining, and the blank 5 were later lifted.
A life in dates
Write what happened at each point.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1887 | Write your answer |
| 1910 | Write your answer |
| 1916 | Write your answer |
| 1918 | Write your answer |
| 1931–1933 | Write your answer |
| 1947 | Write your answer |
| 1956 | Write your answer |
| 1968 | Write your answer |
Mercy made concrete
Padre Pio spent 10 to 12 hours a day in the confessional, the place of the sacrament where sins are confessed to a priest and blank 6 forgives. He was kind, but strict with people who were not sorry. He slept only a few hours and prayed the Rosary many times a day.
He also raised money for a hospital for the sick poor. He said, “Love is the first ingredient in the relief of suffering.” The Home for the Relief of Suffering opened in 1956 and today has more than blank 7 beds.
When he died in 1968, the wounds closed and left no scars. Over blank 8 people came to his funeral.
Apply it
A classmate says, “The Church made Padre Pio a saint because he had the stigmata.” Which reply best fits what the Church said? Circle one.
- A Yes, the stigmata are the first approved miracle
- B Yes, doctors proved the wounds were from God
- C No, the Church never accepted that he had them
- D No, it was his life of prayer, suffering and love
Why is that the right answer?
Apply it
A false rumor about you spreads in a group chat. Which response is closest to how Padre Pio handled being called a fake? Circle one.
- A Post a long thread exposing the people responsible
- B Stay faithful to your duties and let the truth emerge
- C Quit the group and cut off everyone who doubted you
- D Spread a rumor back so that people forget about yours
Why is that the right answer?
Take a side
When you are treated unfairly, quiet faithfulness is a stronger witness than defending yourself in public.
My side: ☐ Agree ☐ Disagree
- Padre Pio obeyed for two years without complaining, and the restrictions were lifted.
- Silence can let a falsehood stand and may leave others unprotected.
- Online, a public defense spreads fast but can also inflame a conflict.
- Is there a difference between defending your reputation and defending the truth?
My strongest reason, with evidence from the slides:
The best argument for the other side, and my response:
Let us pray
Lord, we entrust our past to Your mercy.
We entrust our present to Your love and our future to Your providence.
St. Padre Pio, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
You weighed the signs, the suspicion and the silence of St. Padre Pio, and found a life of prayer, suffering and love.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Padre Pio shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: For one week, begin and end each day with five minutes of silent prayer before you touch a screen. Notice what changes in how you worry.