THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO # 7 OF 25

THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO # 7 OF 25

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONE.BLOGSPOT.COM - SAT. APR. 7/18

    From the book, "Padre Pio: The True Stoy (Revised and Expanded) by C. Bernard Ruffin"), Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Indiana, 46750

    CHAPTER 2: EL BELLO FRANCESCO - 33-36

    "The miracle of St. Pellegrino was not the first time that Franceco Forgione saw the hand of God break into the physical world. As a grown man, he told his friend Padre Agostino that from childhood he had seen and spoken to Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and his guardian angel, and that it never occurred to him that this was something unusual. "Don't you see the Madonna?" he asked his friend. When Agostino denied this, Francesco shrugged his shoulder and said, " Surely, you're saying that out of humility."  In letters, he sometimes referred to his guardian angel as "the companion of my infancy." ...

    There is a story related after Padre Pio's death by Margherita De Cianni, a close childhood friend. Francesco was with his father, who was attempting to dig a well at Piana Romana. After the elder Forgione had dug forty feet without finding water, little Francesco announced, "You wont find any water down there." When Grazio asked him how he knew, the child said bluntly, "Jesus told me, if you want to find water, you must dig over there." Here the boy pointed to a precise spot in another part of the field." "All right," said Tata. "I'll did where you can tell me, but if there is no water there, I'll throw you into the hole!"  Grazio dug three feet, ... seven; and then a copious spring of water burst forth...

    As far as we know,it was in his tenth year that Francesco had his first experience with death. On August 22, 1896, he lost his grandfather, Fortunato De Nunzio, who died in Pietrelcina at he age of seventy five. We know nothing of Fanci's relationship with his grandfather or whether the boy was present at the old man's deathbed. But what we do know, from what of his school's essays, that a few months earlier young Francesco actually saw a man die....

    Shortly after Franci experienced another separation, of a different sort. This was prompted, in part, by Franci's stated desire to be a monk. In later years Padre Pio insisted the "I always wanted to be a friar." Gra and Beppa were first aware of this when he told them, after hearing a particular inspiring sermon, that he wanted to be a priest. It was when the boy was ten that he decided that he wanted to be part of the Capuchin Order.

    It was about that time that twenty-six-year-old Fra Camillo of Saint'Elia a pianisi was      appointed cercatore di campagna of the friari at Morcone, about thirteen miles from Pietrelcina. The job of the cercatore was to go through the countryside soliciting provisions. He carried with him a large sack of donations of wheat, grain, flour, eggs, and similar goods, as well as a coffer for cash donations. Fra Cami' was a merry little man who was a favorite with the children, to whom he handed out pictures, medals, chestnuts, and walnuts. Francesco was attracted to this happy and genial friar, and was especially fascinated  by his huge black beard.When Fra Cami' told him that all Capuchins wore beards, Francesco was determined to become a Capuchin, because he wanted one day to have a beard like Fra Cami'.

    When he discussed his desire to become a Capuchin with his parents, they told him that they would prefer that he become a parish priest, promising to finance his studies to that end. "No, no." insisted the boy. "I want to become a friar with a beard." "With a beard?" his mother laughed. "Why, you're still a little kid. You don't know anything about having a beard or not having a beard." ...

    There was a problem, however. Franci, if he wanted to be a priest, needed further education beyond the three years of public schooling that was coming to an end.... So, after further, conversation with Franceso that convinced Grazio that the boy was serious, he decided to go to America to e3arn money sufficient to pay for his son's education. ...

George H. Kubeck