Saint Padre Pio body still preserved at San Giovanni Rotondo in Italy

Pio of Pietrelcina (Italian: Pio da Pietrelcina), . Cap. commonly known as Padre Pio, (May 25, 1887 – September 23, 1968) was a friar, priest, stigmatist and mystic of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Padre Pio became famous for bearing the stigmata for most of his life. This condition generated much interest and controversy around him. He is now venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Pio was born Francesco Forgione, and given the name of Pius (Italian: Pio) when he joined the Capuchins. After his beatification in 1999, he was canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 16, 2002. adre Pio was said to have had the gift of reading souls, the ability to bilocate (according to eyewitness accounts), among other supernatural phenomena. He was said to communicate with angels and worked favors and healings before they were requested of him.[45] The reports of supernatural phenomena surrounding Padre Pio attracted fame and legend. The Vatican was initially skeptical. In the 199