Many Catholics are known to have an enduring devotion to Saint Padre Pio, to whom miraculous recoveries from even terminal sickness have been credited.

In the Philippines, the National Padre Pio Shrine in Sto. Tomas, Batangas is considered one of the most visited tourist destinations in the province by those seeking his miracles.

The saint’s following has grown exponentially since his canonization in June 2022, as devotees flock to the shrine to seek spiritual advice, miracles, and healing.

Saint Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione in 1887 in Pietrelcina, Italy, was an Italian priest known for his adoration of charity and love for the people around him. He purportedly bore Christ’s crucifixion wounds, which have defied explanation for decades.

Frederick Blancas, 57, is a business consultant for GoTyme Bank, the digital bank of the Gokongwei Group. He believes that Padre Pio saved him from the dreaded stroke in 2016. Blancas has been a devotee of the Italian saint since 2014.

“He saved me from a major stroke. Instead, I had a minor stroke. I went through all the tests because doctors thought it was a major one, but they did not find something that would make it major,” he said.

Blancas said that to reciprocate the blessing, he and his family religiously visited the shrine in Batangas. They now live near the other shrine of Padre Pio in Eastwood, allowing them to see the miraculous saint’s icons thrice a week. He vowed enduring devotion to the saint, the same as his daughter, who, he added, was also healed by Padre Pio from depression.

For Anna Schena Samonte, a 53-year-old nurse from Malabon City, told the DAILY TRIBUNE that Padre Pio has been a protector for her family, unceasingly answering all her prayers for loved ones.

“The greatest gift that Saint Pio has given me is the continued good health of my family. No one in my family has suffered a major illness,” said Samonte, a proud devotee since her elementary days.

Undying compassion

She and her family never failed to visit the shrine in Batangas to always thank the saint for his undying guidance and compassion. “My devotion will surely pass to my kids,” she said.

Unlike previous believers, 50-year-old self-employed Adelaine del Prado said she encountered Padre Pio via the streaming application YouTube. Del Prado used to post healing prayers on her social media account, Meta (Facebook).

“When I ran out of content, I browsed YouTube and saw the healing prayers associated with Padre Pio. My aunt also added me to a group chat, and now I am a prayer warrior, which I find very rewarding. I feel closer now to the Lord,” Del Prado said.

“The miracle of Padre Pio is alive to those I prayed over as a prayer warrior. They have recuperated. At my age, I am still hoping that I will bear a child. And that will be Padre Pio’s greatest miracle to me, if ever. When that time comes, I will raise them to believe that miracles come true. And I will surely pass on my devotion to them,” she added.

In October 2018, thousands of devotees flocked to the National Shrine of St. Padre Pio in Batangas and venerated the incorrupt heart relic of Padre Pio.

Papal Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, led the concelebrated mass and shared the special characteristics of St. Padre Pio’s heart during his homily, described as one having a child-like nature and always open for the poor and needy.

Caccia said St. Padre Pio’s heart is a suffering but loving heart, a demonstration of the man whose heart bore numerous sufferings and trials throughout his life with great patience.

“Such purity was concretely shown through his being an effective minister of God’s compassion and mercy,” the Vatican envoy said.