# 48 of 80 - THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO

# 48 OF 80 - THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO 

IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONE.BLOGSPOT.COM - SAT. MAY 23, 2020

PADRE PIO - THE TRUE STORY BY C. BERNARD RUFFIN

CHAPTER 23 - PADRE PIO AND THE GI's --- p. 257-259

    "Terrible as the war was, it was a means of opening up Padre Pio's ministry to the world. Up to now his fame had been largely confined to Italy. Now, as a result of visits by British an American soldiers, he would come to be known and revered throughout the world.

    The visits by Allied servicemen and servicewomen began almost immediately after the Eight Army secured Gargano peninsula in 1943. By Christmas Eve of 1943, Padre Augustino was recording in his diary,"Every Sunday, American soldiers came to hear Padre Pio's Mass. All of them are amazed and contrite, even the Protestants.

    Perhaps the Padre's most renowned visitor was the songwriter Irving Berlin, who wrote and performed in a musical show which he staged for the troops in Europe. In 1943, while performing in Foggia, he went to San Giovanni Rotondo to visit his wife's cousin, Count John Telfener. The count persuaded Berlin to visit Padre Pio, The meeting between the priest and the songwriter seems to have consisted of a perfunctory exchange of pleasantries and the gift of the rosary for the Jewish songwriter's Catholic wife.

    But hundreds of ordinary soldiers made their way top San Giovanni to meet Padre Pio. Many Catholic men stationed in Cerignola, where Padre Paolina was the superior of the friary there. Paolina was fluent in English and French and befriended many of the servicemen who attended Mass in Cerignola, inviting some of them to visit San Giovanni Rotondo with him....

    One of the most frequent American visitors at San Giovanni was Bill Carrigan, who had taught psychology at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. until named to his position with the Red Cross at the time America and entered the war... Shortly after he arrived in Foggia, Carrigan began to hear reports from the soldiers about a man in the mountains who had the wounds of Christ. It happened that some American soldiers, while searching for eggs, had found themselves at San Giovanni Rotondo  where they had met their fellow countrywoman Maria Pyle, who offered them hospitality and regaled them with stories about Padre Pio...

    Carrigan, who was a devout Catholic, agreed to furnish transportation and on a cold winter's day with eight inches of snow on the ground (a rarity for the area), he and twenty soldiers made their way to S.G. Rotondo. Padre Pio was well into his Mass when the men entered the church. There was no heat, even though the Americans wore heavy overcoats, they were chilled to the bone.   But, as Carrigan later recounted, "it wasn't very long before I experience a physical warmth. Quickly I realized that [Padre Pio] was very unique."

    There was indeed something very unusual going on. Carrigan noticed a transformation in the celebrant during the consecration. He seemed to take on physical sufferings. Although he knew nothing at the time of Padre Pio's stigmata, noticed that the Capuchin leaned on the altar, first on one elbow and then the other, as if he were trying to relieve the pain in the feet.

    At the words of the Consecration, he seemed to have great difficulty speaking the words of the Consecration, he seemed to have great difficulty in speaking the words. "Hoc est enin corpus meum." {"This is my body'} Carrigan recalled that Pio shouted the words, hesitating and biting them off "as he were in physical pain." When he reached for the chalice, he jerked his hand back violently, "as if the pain were so great he could not grasp it." His facial muscles were twitching and tears were rolling down his cheeks. Occasionally, he jerked his head to one side or the other, as if he were suffering blows to the head and neck.

    After the Consecration, it seemed as if Padre Pio's suffering had subsided. The priest seemed exhausted and leaned forward as if in deep meditation. At this moment, Carrigan was convinced that Padre Pio was speaking directly to God. ...Through an interpreter, Padre Pio told Carrigan that he and his group were the first American military personnel that he had met during the war, and indicated that he was delighted to see them. After that the priest allowed the Red Cross director to kiss his ungloved hand...."

George H. Kubeck, "Happy Memorial Day Weekend."