Hundreds turn out to venerate the controversial Italian cleric.
Richard Cowen | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
“Ninety-five percent of the people venerating today will never get to Italy to see where Padre Pio lived and worked,” said Luciano Lamonarca, the founder of the Saint Pio Foundation, which brought the relics on a tour of the United States. “So we decided that if the people can’t go to Padre Pio, we would bring Padre Pio to them.”
Born in 1887 to a poor family in Pietrelcina, Italy, Francesco Forgione dedicated his life to God at the age of five. He claimed to have holy visions as a child, and joined the Capuchin Friars with the goal of becoming a priest. His father emigrated to America to earn enough money to send home to pay for his studies.Although he was frail and sickly, Pio was ordained in 1910.
“My mom stayed at the hospital,” said Nicola Giancasplo, 68, a Mahwah resident who was one of hundreds people who came to the cathedral on Monday. “So there are a lot of emotions for me to be here.” “He prayed to Jesus to give suffering to him,” Lamonarca said. “He asked God to let him bear more suffering, so he could relieve the suffering of others.”
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