#been asking my good friend st anthony of padua to pray for me as well and i'm sure he's giggling about it somewhere

[thebirdandhersong]

Biggest clown in town (me) has somehow lost the entire pack of earrings my mother gave me for Christmas AS WELL AS my mother's favourite pair of earrings

[annedechateaubrouc]

Our Lady of Fatima: Apparitions

“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge, and the way that will lead you to God.”

-Our Lady of Fatima, June 13th 1917

Previous post ➽   The Angel of Portugal’s apparitions

The Apparitions of Our Lady

I. The first apparition

II. Saint Anthony’s feast day

III. The vision of hell

IV. The prison

V. The cure and the sacrifices

VI. The miracle of the sun 

VII. Collection of pictures

I. May 13th 1917, the first apparition

 Lucia Dos Santos and her two cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto, took their sheeps to graze outside of Fatima, Cova da Iria. As they were playing together, a flash lighted up the sky. They gathered their sheeps quickly, thinking a storm was brewing in the distance. A second flash them to jump, then, a beautiful young woman appeared a few meters away from them, on a holm oak. She was dressed in white, more brilliant than the sun. Her face, indescribably beautiful, and was neither sad nor happy, but serious with an air of mild reproach. Her hands, joined together as if she were praying, were resting at her breast and pointing upward. A rosary hung from her right hand.

Our Lady: Do not be afraid; I will not harm you.

Lucia: Where is Your Grace from?

Our Lady: I am from heaven

Lucia: And what does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession on the thirteenth day of each month at this same hour. Later I will tell you who I am and what I want. Afterward, I will return here a seventh time.

Lucia: And will I go to heaven, too?

Our Lady: Yes, you will.

Lucia: And Jacinta?

Our Lady: Also.

Lucia: And Francisco?

Our Lady: Also, but he must say many rosaries.

Lucia: Is Maria das Neves already in heaven?

Our Lady: Yes, she is.

Lucia: And Amélia?

Our Lady: She will be in purgatory until the end of the world. Do you wish to offer yourselves to God to endure all the sufferings that He may be pleased to send you, as both an act of reparation for the sins with which He is offended and an act of supplication for the conversion of sinners?

Lucia: Yes, we do.

Our Lady: Well then, you will have much to suffer. But the grace of God will be your comfort

Then, She disappeared.

Lucia told her two cousins to not tell anyone about the apparition. Maybe due to Jacinta’s  young age, she revealed the secret to her mother, who thought her daughter was imagining stories. After a while, her father, Ti Marto, came to believe her story.

Meanwhile in Lucia’s home, she was suffering greatly. Her mother, Maria Rosa, was extremely angered by her daughter. She believed that the young Lucia was blasphemous and that she had sinned gravely. She was mocked by her family and her friends. When Jacinta was informed, she felt terrible. She asked her cousin for forgiveness, Lucia immediatly forgave her.

The three children talked amongst themselves about the apparition and reflected deeply on Her message. Francisco came up with the idea of giving their lunches to their sheeps, as a sacrifice for the conversion of sinners. They also deprived themselves of water, during long hot summer days.

Maria Rosa felt embarrassed by her daughter, she was scared that the story would spread in the village. So she asked her Parish Priest, Fr. Manuel, to pressure Lucia to recant it.

The Priest listened carefully and questioned her a lot, which caused Lucia to start doubting what she had seen. Which was one of the worst ordeals she had to deal with.

II. June 13th 1917, St Anthony of Padua’s feast day

During the afternoon, even though there were festivities going on in the village, the three children headed off to the Cova. There, they found a small crowd waiting for them. They decided to pray the Rosary with the people who were present. After doing so, the lightening flashed and the Lady appeared on the holm oak, like in May. Lucia spoke to her:

Lucia: Tell me, what does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I want you to come here on the thirteenth of next month. I want you to continue saying the Rosary every day. And after each one of the mysteries, my children, I want you to pray in this way: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins , save us from the fire of hell. Take all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need. I want you to learn to read and write, and later I will tell you what else I want of you.

(Lucia asks for the cure of a sick person)

Our Lady: If he is converted, he will be cured during the year.

Lucia: Will you take us to heaven?

Our Lady: Yes, I shall take Jacinta and Francisco soon, but you will remain a little longer, since Jesus wishes you to make me known and loved on earth. He wishes also for you to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart. 

Lucia: Must I remain in the world alone?

Our Lady: Not alone, my child, and you must not be sad. I will be with you always, and my Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way which will lead you to God.

Lucia later wrote: As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands and for the second time, she communicated to us the rays of that immense light. We saw ourselves in this light, as it were, immersed in God. Jacinta and Francisco seemed to be in that part of the light which rose towards Heaven, and I in that which was poured out on the earth.In front of the palm of Our Lady’s right hand was a heart encircled by thorns which pierced it..We understood that this was the Immaculate Heart of Mary, outraged by the sins of humanity, and seeking reparation.You know now, Your Excellency, what we referred to when we said that Our Lady had revealed a secret to us in June. At the time, Our Lady did not tell us to keep it a secret, but we felt moved to do so by God.

The small crowd, although they had not perceived our Lady herself, had seen a few things such as the lightening, a certain dimming of the sun or a little grey cloud that came and went. They believed and truly converted.

This second apparition alarmed even more the children’s families, especially their mothers. The two women understood that the rumors of the apparition were expanding through Fatima, and maybe even outside of it. Plus, the Parish Priest started to believe that it was truly real, but maybe of demonic origins.

III. July 13th1917, the vision of hell

As they arrived to the Cova, the three children saw a large number of people praying the Rosary. Soon enough, there was flash of lightening and the Lady appeared above the holm oak. Mr. Marto, who was there too, noticed a small greyish cloud hovered the tree and that a breeze started to blow:

Lucia: what does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I want you to come here on the 13th of next month, to continue to pray the Rosary every day in honor of Our Lady of the Rosary, in order to obtain peace for the world and the end of the war, because only she can help you. 

Lucia: I would like to ask you to tell us who you are, and to work a miracle so that everybody will believe that you are appearing to us. 

Our Lady: Continue to come here every month; in October, I will tell you who I am and what I want and I will perform a miracle for all to see and believe. Sacrifice yourselves for sinners and say many times, especially whenever you make some sacrifice: “O Jesus, it is for the love of you, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

I. The vision of hell

Lucia later wrote:

As Our Lady spoke these last words, she opened her hands once more, as she had done during the two previous months. The rays of light seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw as it were a sea of fire. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in huge fires, without weight or equilibrium, amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. (It must have been this sight which caused me to cry out, as people say they heard me.) The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repellant likeness to frightful and unknown animals, black and transparent like burning coals. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.”

II. The chastisement

Our Lady: You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end; but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is a great sign given to you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father.

III. Russia’s errors and needed conversion

Our Lady: To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of Reparation on First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world. In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved. Do not tell this to anybody. Francisco, yes, you may tell him. When you pray the Rosary, say after each mystery: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.”

Lucia: Is there anything Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: No, I do not want anything more of you today.

IV. August 13th-19th 1917, the prison

On August 13th, the three children were unable to come to the Cova da Iria to meet our Lady. They had been kidnapped by the mayor of a neighbouring village who wanted to know the secret of the third apparition. He imprisoned them and threatened to plunge them in boiling oil. But they held fast.

Our Lady certainly appeared at the Cova, but didn’t find the three children. People explained that they saw a cloud hover the holm oak for a few minutes.

After they were released from prison, on August 19th, Lucia was with Francisco and another cousin at Valinhos. Around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the temperature started to cool down suddenly. Lucia sensed that something was going to happen, she sent someone to get Jacinta, who arrived on time when our Lady appeared:

Lucia: What does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I want you to continue going to the Cova da Iria on the thirteenth day of each month and to continue praying the Rosary every day. On the last month, I will perform a miracle for all to believe. (She started to look sad) If they had not taken you to Ourém, the miracle would have been even greater.

Lucia: What does Your Grace want done with the money that people leave at Cova da Iria?

Our Lady: Have two portable stands made. You and Jacinta with two other girls dressed in white carry one of them, and let Francisco with three other boys carry the second one. The portable stands are for the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The money that is left over should be contributed to the chapel they shall build.

Lucia: I would like to ask you for the healing of some sick persons.

Our Lady: Yes, I will cure some during the year. (She looked very sad) Pray, pray a lot, and offer up sacrifices for sinners; many souls go to hell because there is no one to offer up sacrifices and pray for them.

V. September 13th 1917, the cure and sacrifices

The three children left their home to go to the Cova. As they arrived, they saw an enormous crowd of people, about 20.000, waiting for them. Some climbed up trees to see the three seers making their way to the Cova with difficulty. Others reached to them, falling on their knees, and begged them to place their petitions before our Lady. A few people, who were far from the children, shouted from the distance:

“For the love of God, ask Our Lady to cure my son who is a cripple!”

“And cure mine who is blind!”

“Cure mine who is deaf!”

“Ask her to bring back my husband! And my son who has gone to war!”

And many other petitions.

Lucia later wrote: I give thanks to God, offering Him the faith of our good Portuguese people, and I think: “If these people so humbled themselves before three poor children, just because they were mercifully granted the grace to speak to the Mother of God, what would they not do if they saw Our Lord Himself in person before them?” Well, none of this was called for here! It was a distraction of my pen, leading me away where I did not mean to go.

Once they arrived at the Cova da Iria, near the holm oak, they prayed the Rosary with the crowd. The same phenomenons from the previous apparitions happened before the eyes of the thousands of people: the air suddenly cooled, the sun dimmed to the point where the stars could be seen, and a rain resembled iridescent petals or snowflakes that disappeared before touching the ground.

Then, with the usual flash of light, our Lady appeared on the holm oak.

Our Lady: Continue to pray the Rosary in order to obtain the end of the war. In October Our Lord will come, as well as Our Lady of Sorrows and Our Lady of Carmel, Saint Joseph will appear with the Child Jesus to bless the world. God is pleased with your sacrifices. He does not want you to sleep with the rope on, but only to wear it during the daytime.

Lucia: I was told to ask you many things, the cure of some sick people, of a deaf-mute…

Our Lady: Yes, I will cure some, but not others. In October I will perform a miracle so that all may believe.

She began to rise and disappeared.

VI. October 13th 1917, the miracle of the sun

Rain fell profusely that day. The three children and Lucia’s mother, who came because she was uncertain of what would actually happen, decided to leave early, knowing that there were going to be many people at the Cova da Iria and nearby places. And they were right. An enormous crowd, 70.000 people, was outside, some kneeling in the muddy ground.

Once they arrived in front of the holm oak, Lucia asked to everyone to close their umbrellas and to pray the Rosary. As they did, a light flashed and our Lady appeared:

Lucia: What does Your Grace wish of me?

Our Lady: I wish to tell you that I want a chapel built here in my honor. I am the Lady of the Rosary. Continue to pray the rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes.

Lucia: I have many things to ask you: if you would cure some sick persons, and if you would convert some sinners...

Our Lady: Some yes, but not others, they must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins.

Then, she started to look sad and added:

Our Lady:  Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended.

Then opening her hands, she made them reflect on the sun, and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself.

Lucia: Look at the sun!

Three scenes followed, Jacinta and Francesco could only see the first one.

The first:

It was the Holy Family, Saint Joseph and Our Lady (who appeared as Our Lady of The Rosary) were dressed in white but the Child Jesus was dressed in light red.  Christ and St. Joseph blessed the crowd by making the sign of the Cross three times.

The second:

It was Our Lord and Our Lady of Sorrows on their way to the Calvery. They were both overwhelmed with sorrow and sadness. Christ blessed the crowd again.

The third:

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, appeared holding gloriously holding the Child Jesus near Her Heart.

While Lucia was seeing the visions, the crowd observed odd phenomenons. The grey clouds parted, making the rain stop. They watched the sun, which looked like a silver disk, spin rapidly as it “danced” around the sky. Then it stopped momentarily, only to begin spinning vertiginously again. Its rim became scarlet; whirling, it scattered red flames across the sky.Their light was reflected on the ground, on the trees, on the bushes, and on the faces and clothing of the people, which took on brilliant hues and changing colors.After performing this bizarre pattern three times, the globe of fire seemed to tremble, shake, and then plunge in a zigzag toward the terrified crowd.All this lasted about ten minutes. Finally, the sun zigzagged back to its original place and once again became still and brilliant, shining with its normal brightness. The cycle of the apparitions had ended.

VII. Collection of pictures:

[pamphletstoinspire]

Stories of Bilocation of Padre Pio—Part I

Bilocation is a special gift of God where an individual can be in two places at once. God always uses this gift for acts of mercy or charity to be performed by the Saint, in circumstances where it is physically impossible for the Saint to be present under normal circumstances.

While the gift of bilocation has been given to countless saints. Probably one of the most frequent and documented accounts occurred relatively recently in the extraordinary life of the beloved St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968).

Ellie Hunt’s family came from Padre Pio’s hometown of Pietrelcina and had known Padre Pio from his childhood. They eventually emigrated from Italy to New York. In 1960, when Ellie was 31 years old her grandfather, Jack Crafa became gravely ill. Ellie and her parents lived close to his home in Flushing, New York and during his grave illness, the family stayed by his side. When Jack eventually fell into a coma, they all knew that his life was soon passing.

One day while Ellie and her parents were at her grandfather’s bedside, a stranger knocked at the door. They were all surprised to see a Capuchin monk dressed in a dark brown habit, because there were no Capuchin monks in their Parish or in any other parish in the area for that matter. They were also surprised to see that he was wearing sandals without any socks, because it was a particularly cold day and snow covered the ground. The monk said that he had come to pray for her grandfather.

Ellie was also a bit upset, because she thought that the parish priest should have come to pray for her grandfather, and not a complete stranger. However, she was soon impressed by the kindness and compassion of the young monk.

He then went straight into her grandfather’s bedroom and blessed Jack Crafa. Then told the family to pray the Rosary suggesting that they sit at Jack’s side, praying the Hail Mary close to his ear, for he seemed to have the opinion that Jack was still able to hear. After the monk said that, Ellie was surprised to find that when she took her grandfather’s hand in hers, she felt a response from a very slight squeeze from his hand.

The young Capuchin then gave Ellie’s grandfather the Last Sacraments, then he blessed the family and bid them goodbye. As he walked out the front door, Ellie’s father, James noticed that there was no car waiting for him outside. James watched him as he walked up the street until he disappeared in the darkness. Jack Crafa died that very night. He had been in a coma for nine days.

After the unknown monk had left, Ellie’s father James became pale and appeared quite shaken. Ellie’s mother Lucy, asked him for the reason. “Don’t you know who that was?” James replied, “It was Padre Pio. He came to give the Last Rites to your father and he looked exactly like I remember him when I used to deliver eggs to him in Pietrelcina.”

For Ellie’s grandfather Jack had been one of Padre Pio’s spiritual sons from Pietrelcina and through a special grace of God, Padre Pio had come to comfort and encourage him, and to administer the last Sacraments of the Church, for his death was only hours away.

In another example, Signora Concetta Bellarmini of St. Vito Lanciano declares that she was suddenly stricken with a blood infection followed by bronchial pneumonia with a very high fever. She was reduced to such a state that the doctors despaired of ever saving her. The flesh had become yellow from the infection which had spread throughout her body.

A relative urged her to direct her prayers to Padre Pio. She prayed to him whom she has never seen, when suddenly in full daylight a stigmatized monk appeared to her and smiling blessed her without touching her as he stood in the middle of the room. The woman asked him if his appearance signified the grace for the conversion of her children, or else the grace for her physical cure. Then Padre answered, "Sunday morning you will be cured," then he vanished from the room, leaving an odor of perfume which the servant girl also smelt. After this visit her flesh turned normal color, the fever ceased and in a few days her health was completely restored. She went with her brother to San Giovanni Rotondo to see if Padre Pio was the one who appeared to her. When she arrived at the Monastery and saw Padre Pio in the church she turned to her brother and said, "There he is, he is the one."

Signor Bugarini Arturo of Ancona was urged by friends to turn to Padre Pio for the cure of his boy. Whilst he was standing near the bedside of his critically ill son he felt three consecutive taps on his shoulder, whilst a voice said: "I am Padre Pio, I am Padre Pio, I am Padre Pio." At the same time he felt all over his body a wave of heat as if he were next to an intense flame, then all of a sudden it ceased. This visit of Padre Pio restored the health of the son. Father and son visited the monastery to thank Padre Pio for the miraculous cure and the spiritual conversion of the father and all the Bugarini family.

On July 20, 1921, a Monsignor D'Indico of Florence, whom this author met in 1923 when studying theology at the Archbishop's Seminary at Florence, was alone in his study. He felt the sensation of having someone at his back. He turned and saw a monk who disappeared. He left his quarters to tell a chaplain what happened. The chaplain thought it was mere hallucination due to his actual state of anxiety over his sister, who was very ill. He invited him to take a short walk for mental distraction.

When they returned they called at the sick room. His sister who a little before was in the state of coma, at the same hour as when her brother felt the sensation of being in the presence of Padre Pio, narrated that she had seen a monk enter her room who approached her and said: "Don't be afraid, tomorrow your fever will disappear and after a few days there will be no trace of your illness on your body."

"But Padre," she answered, "are you then a saint?"

"No, I am only a creature who serves the Lord through His mercies."

"Let me kiss your habit, Padre."

"Kiss the sign of the passion," and he showed his hands transfixed and bleeding.

"Padre, I recommend to you my husband and child." "Pray, pray that you will be good and be assured that your child will be under my protection," and blessing her he vanished. She immediately got better and in eight days was entirely cured.

One day a monk who was speaking about the bilocation of St. Anthony of Padua who miraculously appeared in Lisbon, said to Padre Pio: "Perhaps these privileged of the Lord do not even know when their bilocation occurs: 'Padre Pio quickly interrupting him as one who is experienced with such events answered: "Certainly they know.

They cannot know if the body or the soul moves, but they are very conscious of what happens and they know where they are going."

While World War II was raging throughout Europe, one day General Cadorna, a General in the Italian Army, was in his study during the war and in deep study he held his head in his hands, thinking of all the young men who, for the love of country would have to give up their lives, when suddenly he smelt a very strong perfume odor of roses which was wafted around the room. Raising his venerable head, he was stupefied to see a monk with a seraphic look and with bleeding hands. Passing in front of him, the monk said, "Be calm, they will not do anything harmful to you."

With the disappearance of the monk, the general no longer smelled the perfume. He told a Franciscan friend about the vision and when he mentioned the perfume the Franciscan said, "Your excellency, you have seen Padre Pio." Then he told the general all about Padre Pio. The general decided to visit San Giovanni and when he arrived there incognito, he was immediately approached by two Capuchins, who had recognized the general even though he was trying to disguise himself in civilian clothing. They approached him and said, "Your Excellency, Padre Pio is waiting for you. He sent us to meet you."

Emma Meneghello, a very pious young girl of 14, was afflicted with epilepsy which threw her into fits several times a week. One afternoon whilst in prayer, Padre Pio appeared to her and placed his hand on the bed sheet, then smiled and vanished. The cured epileptic arose to kiss the place where the Padre had placed his hand and she noticed a cross of blood left on the sheet. A small square cut of the sheet with the blood stains is conserved today in a glass picture frame. "Through the intercession of Padre Pio,"

writes this miraculously cured girl, "I have obtained other graces, especially for dying babies."

Mrs. Ersilia Magurno, a woman of great faith, for two months was taking care of her husband, who was stricken with influenza. This illness would not have given alarm were it not that he was also afflicted with a very weak heart. Night and day helped by a nun, the wife was watching her husband with every possible care, whilst praying and invoking Padre Pio. He grew worse and the doctors advised that the last rites be given to him because of the very alarming failure of his heart.

One night the wife noticed in the room a strong perfume of flowers. The next morning, however, a worse condition prevailed and the dying man was approaching his end. A telegram begged Padre Pio's intercession. Two days later Mr. Magurno entered the state of coma. The wife did not give up hope and sent a second telegram. Finally the 27th of Feb., 1947, the sick man after a day of prolonged crisis fell asleep. The nun was away and the wife remained alone to watch him and at midnight she noticed that his sleep was more restful than usual. At 7:30 in the morning, noticing that he was awakening, she rushed to his side and said, "How do you feel?"

I am cured, I am well. Padre Pio just left the room; open the window please and take my temperature." It was entirely normal.

"Ernesto," asked the astonished wife, anxious to hear and to know. "What are you saying? Have you seen Padre Pio? And what, did he tell you?"

“He came together with another monk, he examined my heart and said, 'This fever will go away, tomorrow you will be cured and within four days you can get up.'

“Padre Pio looked around, examined the medicines, read the medical reports and remained in the room all night." To confirm this miracle a strong odor of violets was observed in the room.

Five months later on July 27 the couple went to San Giovanni and Mr. Magurno immediately recognized Padre Pio as the monk who cured him. Padre Pio received him with fond greetings and placing his hand on his shoulder said to him: "How much this heart has made you suffer."

"Go away child for you have been cured."

We must not think that Padre Pio arrives always unexpectedly at the bedside of the sick, for at times he announced in advance the time of his coming. Once a little sick girl told her parents the approximate hour of his arrival, and the parents in their simplicity not understanding the phenomenon went to meet him at the railroad station. When they returned to the child disappointed, they found her asleep.

"Padre Pio didn't come," her mother said sadly, as soon as she saw her waking.

"Why he just left!," the child answered. A young girl, cured also providentially from a grave infirmity, desired to test the power of Padre Pio and she came to him feigning the infirmity that once afflicted her.

“Go away child," he said, striking her jokingly on the shoulder, "go away for you are quite cured and be careful that you never again tempt the mercy of the Lord."

He miraculously appears to baptize a baby as promised.

A couple from Genoa visited Padre Pio to sadly tell him that they had no children. "Bring him to me to be baptized when he is born," was his answer. From this reply and many other similar ones we discover that Padre Pio was often able to foretell the sex of an unborn child.

The following year the fortunate couple returned with their baby boy, but in the Church of Our Lady of Grace there was no baptismal font and there was such a crowd in the church that they could not reach Padre Pio. The mother remained in the Parish House of San Giovanni Rotondo one mile away, whilst the father went to the monastery to protest that Padre Pio had invited them to come there, otherwise they would not have come. He waited and his wait was in vain. He returned to the Parish House to learn from his wife that even though Padre Pio at the time specified was very preoccupied with the people had come and baptized the baby.

In a city of central Italy a teacher and ex-secretary of a Fascist organization was accused of having furnished arms and bombs to the Fascisti, who perpetrated an explosion that killed military and civilians. But the teacher was innocent. Taken by force from her home to be tried and shot she succeeded in bringing with her a Rosary and a photograph of Padre Pio. They conducted her to observe the destruction and to see the spectacle of the dead whose death they attributed to her. They then brought her to the place of execution.

Meanwhile some members of the firing squad entered her home with the pretext of searching for arms. Instead they began stealing money, objects of gold, clothing, until all of a sudden there thundered a shout, “Enough,” so resolutely and imperiously that the soldiers fled abandoning their loot.

The sister of the condemned girl watching the whole scene cringing in a corner recognized in the shouting of "Enough," the voice of Padre Pio.

The order to aim and fire had been suspended because of the arrival of an interminable column of armored cars, horses, cannon, ambulances and marching troops. The commander of the firing squad remained standing on a car as if hypnotized.

The young teacher could hardly breathe as she reflected that her hour would come when the last soldier passed by. She began to pray to Padre Pio for the grace of seeing God's will in her execution. A gentleman approached her and asked what they had decided to do with her.

“I don't know, I no longer know anything, they are all away, there is only the commander there," as she pointed him out with a facial expression full of horror.

He was motionless as if cemented to his post. “Then consider yourself free and come with me."

He brought her in his automobile to her home where many women were comforting her grief stricken sister. The condemned girl threw herself into her sister's arms and then taking a picture of Padre Pio from the wall, kissed it and pressed it to her heart. In that instant she felt a hand gently patting her cheek.

A few months later the teacher went to San Giovanni to thank her savior.

“Padre," she said, “my life will not be enough to thank you." He said: “My child, how much your faith caused me to run."

-St Pio of Pietrelcina, pray for us!

Click below for downloadable pamphlet

Bilocation and Padre Pio - Part 1

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