Adolfo Affatato is one of the last living spiritual sons of St. Pio of Pietrelcina. Recently translated into English, “Padre Pio and I” is the culmination of what he witnessed as he sat by the saint’s side for sixteen years. This is not a typical biography by a journalist, friar, or academic; instead, the author presents “the Padre” intimately and personally -- as a father figure who tenderly guided and directed him. This book is filled with riveting new accounts of the mystical side of Padre Pio: from the moment Affatato was called by name by Padre Pio out of a crowd to Padre ...

Padre Pio was born in a rural, farming village. He entered a Franciscan order centered on harsh penance and radical poverty. He lived more than fifty years in a mountain hermitage. And yet, everyone has heard his name. But few know who Padre Pio truly was. In his latest work, Bret Thoman has pierced the life of Padre Pio in a novel way: through a pilgrimage to all eleven Capuchin friaries and sites where the stigmatic saint lived. With Pietrelcina as his base, Thoman sets out each morning to the "Convents of Padre Pio." He accompanies the reader into these special places with captivating ...

Padre Pio of Pietrelcina is perhaps the single most extraordinary saint in the modern history of the Catholic Church. His heart was pierced. He carried the wounds of Christ on his hands, feet, and side for half a century. He communicated with his spiritual sons and daughters through bilocation and mystical perfume. He read the souls of his penitents. He offered his suffering so that others might be healed. He built one of the most significant hospitals in Southern Italy. Most importantly, Padre Pio wanted others to be redeemed. In Bret Thoman’s latest book, he has created a fresh, new ...

Lucia Fiorentino (1889-1934) lived a hidden but extraordinary life. She was one of the earliest spiritual daughters of Padre Pio. She was also a mystic, victim soul, and recipient of numerous charisms, such as visions and locutions. In 1906, she had a vision of an immense tree planted near the Capuchin friary in her native village of San Giovanni Rotondo. Then she heard a voice: “This is the symbol of a soul who is now far away but will come here. He will be strong and well-rooted like this tree and will cover the entire world with its umbrage.” When Padre Pio arrived in 1916, she ...

It is said that one cannot fully know someone else without visiting the place where they grew up. This is also true of Padre Pio. Like us, the saints led human lives. They were not formed in a vacuum. Among parents and relatives, educators and catechists, and companions and confreres—their personalities, minds, and spiritualities were formed. In this unique work, a continuation of Following Padre Pio: A Journey of Discovery from Pietrelcina to San Giovanni Rotondo, author and Padre Pio expert Bret Thoman explores all the convents where Padre Pio lived. There are ten sites. In 1903, young ...