Padre Pio: A Patron Saint for the Unborn
The Blessed Mother said to him: “I am entrusting this unborn child
to your care and protection.”
Frank Rega
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While two patron saints are generally invoked for the protection of the unborn, St. Joseph and St. Gerard Majella, neither is specifically designated by the Church for that cause. St. Gerard is in fact the patron of expectant mothers, and by accommodation becomes a patron for the unborn. St. Joseph has often been proposed as a patron saint of the unborn, because of his role as protector of the Holy Family and patron of the Universal Church. (St. Raymond Nonnatus, who was born by Caesarean section in the year 1204, is the patron saint of childbirth.)
However, St. Padre Pio has a specific claim to the honor of patron saint of
the unborn, since it is a prerogative that was confirmed by the Blessed
Virgin Mary herself. The story begins in 1905, well before he became famous for his stigmata and other spiritual gifts. At that time he was still a seminarian, known as Brother Pio, and was assigned to the humble friary of St. Elia a’ Pianisi, in southern Italy. After his involvement in an unusual and striking spiritual encounter, Brother Pio immediately wrote everything down and handed it to his spiritual director, Padre Agostino. The note eventually became part of the documentation presented to the Vatican during the process of his canonization over seventy-five years later.
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Read the complete article in the above book, available in print or Kindle format.
Frank Rega is the author of Padre Pio and America, TAN Books,
www.frankrega.com www.sanpadrepio.com www.thepoverello.com www.lifeofluisa.com
This page was last updated on 01/25/14