Apparitions of Padre Pio

A great mystic, Padre Pio is remarkable for the number of miracles attributed to his intercession both during his life and after his death. There are countless examples of his apparitions. While alive, he was always here and elsewhere at the same time. After his death, he has appeared on numerous occasions, always concerned with doing good and watching over others. Padre Pio is certainly the most emblematic representative of this phenomenon of bilocation. According to many accounts, this Capuchin monk was seen in places he never physically visited, for the simple reason that he never left his convent. From the trenches of the First World War to the hospital rooms of dying patients, from St. Peter's Basilica in Rome to distant lands in Latin America, Padre Pio manifested his presence wherever a soul in distress needed comfort, guidance, or conversion. These apparitions did not stop after his death, far from it.

Apparitions during Padre Pio's Life

Giovanna Rizzani, His Spiritual Daughter

At eighteen, Padre Pio had a vision in which the Virgin Mary entrusted him with the mission of watching over a little girl to be born, Giovanna Rizzani. He mysteriously entered the house where the young girl's mother was giving birth and managed to baptize the child. Years later, Giovanna, now a teenager, confesses to a mysterious Capuchin in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, before discovering that the confessional is empty.

Later, in San Giovanni Rotondo, she recognizes Padre Pio as that confessor. The monk reveals to her that he has been watching over her since her birth, in accordance with the mission received from the Virgin. Shortly before his death in 1968, Padre Pio calls her inwardly, and Giovanna arrives in time for a final confession before he passes away.

General Luigi Cardona, Saved In Extremis

On the night of November 9, 1917, after the defeat at Caporetto, General Luigi Cadorna, in despair, attempts suicide. Despite strict orders not to enter, a Capuchin monk suddenly appears in his room and, through his words, manages to dissuade him from carrying out the act. The mysterious religious man then disappears without the guards having seen him. Later, the general recognizes this monk upon seeing a photograph of Padre Pio in a newspaper, even though the latter was, at the time of the event, hundreds of kilometers away. Intrigued, Cadorna anonymously visits the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, where Padre Pio immediately recognizes him and jokes about his suicide attempt that night.

A Celestial Savior Against Aviation

During the Second World War, American aviators from the Bari base reported seeing a monk in the sky preventing them from bombing San Giovanni Rotondo, where a German ammunition depot was located. Intrigued, their general himself takes control of an aircraft and witnesses the same phenomenon: a monk appears and the bombs detach prematurely, falling into the forest.

After the war, the general visits Padre Pio and immediately recognizes him. The monk welcomes him with a smile and this disarming remark: "So, you were the one who wanted to kill us all?"

Apparitions After Padre Pio's Death

Apparitions of Padre Pio after his death on September 23, 1968 have been reported in various countries and contexts, often by people who were unaware of certain details of his life but later formally recognized his silhouette or face.

The Apparition to a Missionary Priest in Africa

A Catholic missionary priest in Africa recounted that he had been saved from mortal danger thanks to the intervention of a white-bearded Capuchin monk, dressed in a simple brown habit. This man helped him escape an ambush and, once safe, disappeared without a trace. Later, when he was shown a photograph of Padre Pio, he immediately recognized the one who had come to his aid, having been unaware of his existence until then.

The Visit to a Spanish Nun

In 1969, a nun in a convent in Spain claimed that Padre Pio had appeared to her in her cell, asking her to pray fervently for the souls in purgatory. The nun, perplexed, wondered about the identity of this strange visitor. When she mentioned this apparition to her confessor, he showed her a photo of Padre Pio: it was indeed him.

The Testimony of a Doctor in San Giovanni Rotondo

A few years after his death, a doctor visiting San Giovanni Rotondo stated that he had seen Padre Pio praying before his tomb. Intrigued, he first thought it was a religious man who resembled him, but when he approached, the figure disappeared without a sound. This doctor, although skeptical about such phenomena, experienced this as a call to reconcile with his faith.

The Intervention with an Italian Soldier

An Italian soldier, seriously wounded in Lebanon in the 1980s, recounted that a monk dressed in brown had appeared to him and said: "Have trust, you will survive." The soldier was miraculously rescued and, after his convalescence, recognized Padre Pio upon discovering his portrait in a church.

Apparitions in the Church of San Giovanni Rotondo

Many pilgrims have testified to a palpable sense of presence in the church where the body of Padre Pio rests. Some claim to have seen him in prayer, others say they perceived his scent of flowers, a characteristic many had already noticed during his lifetime.

Prayer to Padre Pio

"O God, you gave Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, the Capuchin priest, the great privilege of participating in a unique way in the Passion of your Son, grant me, through his intercession, the grace of ..........., which I ardently desire; and, above all, grant me the grace to live in conformity with the death of Jesus, to attain the glory of the resurrection.

Glory be to the Father... (three times)."

Pray to Padre Pio with Trust on Hozana...

Pray this Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by Padre Pio to ask the Lord for his graces through the intercession of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

We also invite you to pray this novena to deepen with Padre Pio the meaning of your baptism.