St. Padre Pio Holy Card (PC-26) - September 23rd

PC-26 — St. Padre Pio Holy Card

The saint who bore the wounds of Christ — and spent his life giving them away

Born Francesco Forgione in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina in 1887, Padre Pio consecrated himself to Jesus at the age of five and never looked back. He joined the Capuchin Franciscans as a teenager, was ordained a priest in 1910, and in 1918 received the stigmata — the visible wounds of Christ's crucifixion in his hands, feet, and side — becoming the first ordained priest in Church history to bear them. He would carry those wounds for fifty years, until the night of his death on September 23, 1968, when they vanished completely, leaving behind skin as smooth and unmarked as a newborn's.

But the stigmata were only the beginning. Padre Pio was renowned for reading the souls of penitents before they spoke a word — and he spent ten to twelve hours a day in the confessional, reconciling sinners to God with a combination of supernatural insight and fatherly love that drew pilgrims from every corner of the world. He was documented bilocating — appearing to people in distant places while his body remained at San Giovanni Rotondo. He healed the sick, prophesied events, and endured years of unjust Church restrictions with quiet, unwavering obedience. His most famous counsel was simple and inexhaustible: "Pray, hope, and don't worry."

Pope John Paul II — who had personally sought Padre Pio's intercession decades before his own pontificate — canonized him on June 16, 2002, before more than 500,000 faithful in St. Peter's Square. His feast day is September 23rd.

Perfect for: Padre Pio devotees, healing prayer ministry, confession encouragement, September 23rd feast day, Catholic men's groups, and anyone seeking a powerful intercessor in times of suffering or anxiety.