# 27 of 45 - THIS HAPPY BOOK REPORT ON PADRE PIO
IN PURSUIT OF THE TRUTH - HTTP://WWW.CINOPSBEGONEBLOGSPOT.COM - FRI. JUNE 14/19
PADRE PIO - THE TRUE STORY BY C. BERNARD
CHAPTER 10 - SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO 127- 135
"Padre Pio remained at St. Anne's Foggia, for about six months. During that time, he was constantly ill and spent most of his time in bed. Although he could scarcely retain any of the food he ate. He should no signs of starvation. What his colleagues at St. Anne's noticed most. however, were the horrible noises that come from his room early every evening....
"But, Most Reverend Father, Pio humbly responded, "Your Paternity knows very well that I am not to blame and that I have nothing at all to do with what is happening ... It is God's will that is permitting this!"
Incredibly, Benedetto ordered Pio to, Tell the Lord that I as superior, for the greater good of this community, want to be contented ... is having these noises to stop!"
Pio obediently, relayed Benedetto's command to the Lord, and the noises stopped....
"San Giovanni Rotondo - a town of twelve thousand that derives its name from an ancient circular temple dedicated in Roman times to the go Janus, but, with the coming of Christianity, consecrated to St. John the Baptist --lies have been adopted about eighteen hundred feet above see level in the Gargano Mountains on the spur of the Italian boot, within sight, on clear days, of the Adriatic Sea....
The town in 1916, circular in shape, was a "conglomerate of old houses," one on top of another, on either side of narrow, curving lanes.Most of the land in the town was in the hands of a few wealthy landowners.... Poverty, illiteracy, and disease were rampant. Lives were vitiated and shortened by malaria, pernicious anemia, and tuberculosis. Most people subsisted on a diet of cereal, vegetables, and potatoes. Spaghetti was a feast-day meal and meat was a luxury, eaten only on Sundays....
When the Italian government shut down the religious orders, the friary was converted into a nursing home. It was not until 1909 that it was reopened, ... There was a long-standing feud between the friars on the hill, who had a reputation of asceticism and spirituality, and the secular clergy who ran the three parish churches in town. These men, headed by Archpriest Giuppe Prencipe, were often accused of siding with the great landowners against the poor, whose material plight they allegedly ignored....
Padre Pio's chief duties during his early years at our Lady of Grace were teaching in the minor seminary, or "seraphic college," and serving as spiritual director to twenty or so students. He became a great favorite of the boys, who seemed to be unaware of his mystical interior life. To them he was simply a kind teacher and an exceptionally warm human being. Padre ... Elia a Pianisi studied under Padre Pio from 1916 o 1918. He admitted in an interview in July 1971 that Padre Pio was not the world's greatest teacher: He had a superficial way of teaching. He taught history and grammar, but he knew little of the former and non of the latter. His lectures were never more that twenty minutes long, and they were unprepared. He was not strict, not even when he administered examinations. He let the kids do pretty much of what they wanted.
Aurelio nonetheless recalled that there was something special about the friar with the dreamy eyes and beautiful smile. "He cast a spell over people. There was something just about him - a charm, a spell. It was only later that people considered him a saint. ... he was very human,... he could understand us. The key to his charm was his humanity. His sanctity was his humanity.
In early 1917, after Padre Angelico was called into the military, Padre Pio was made principal of the college. In addition to administrative work, Pio continued to teach, dividing classroom duties with Paulino, who, with most of his community away, was forced to act as jack-of-all-trades....
Private Forgione was miserably unhappy. He had to wear an army uniform this time, which he despised.... An army certificate from this time records the thirty-old Padre Pio's height as just a shade over five feet five inches. His weight is not given, but it must have been somewhat less than the one hundred seventy pounds that was normal in later life. His hair is described as "chestnut" (reddish brown), as were his eyes. His complexion is described as "rosy," and the army dentist who examined his teeth noted that they were in good condition and that none were missing...." George H. Kubeck
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