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St. Padre Pio was first known as Francesco Forgione, the son of a Southern Italian family. Later, he was to become known as Padre Pio of Petrelcina. But, to all of us who know of his life, he will always be remembered as St. Padre Pio.

His life was relatively quiet until the Summer of 1910. Born on May 25, 1887 into a family of Italian farmers, he entered into novitiate of the Capuchin Friars in Morcone at the age of fifteen. Four years later, at age nineteen, he joined the friars, and on August 10, 1910, at age twenty-three, became an ordained priest.

The first twenty-three years of St. Padre Pio's life were relatively quiet. That all ended one day. The date was September 7, 1910. One month after his ordination. He was praying in the Puana Romana when he became the first priest ever to be blessed with the Stigmata of Christ. He prayed for it to go away, and the Stigmata healed.

He continued his life as a friar and priest, even though his health began deteriorating. But, life changed again just under eight years later. He was in the choir loft at the Church of Our Lady of Grace praying on September 20, 1918, when, once again, he was visited by a vision of a Heavenly Being. St. Padre Pio received the blessing of the Visible Stigmata. All five wounds of Christ. This time, they did not heal, remaining with him until his death on September 23, 1968.

The miracle that got St. Padre Pio Canonized happened in 2000. A seven year old boy by the name of Matteo Pio Colella was in a coma due to his internal organs shut down showing no signs of live. The child's father was a doctor who worked at the House of Relief of Suffering in San Giovanni Rotundo – a hospital founded by St. Padre Pio.

Young Matteo's mother and some Capuchin Friars were holding a pryer vigil when the child came out of his coma. He told his mother and the friars of a vision he had while in the coma of an elderly man with a white beard and long brown habit. It the vision, St. Padre Pio told the boy not to worry that he will soon be cured. Not long after that, little Matteo was fully healed.

St. Padre Pio was Canonized in 2002 by John Paul II in Vatican City on June 16^th drawing one of the largest crowds ever.

A medal was created for those devote to his life and ways. The face of which is engraved with his name, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, and a portrait of him. On the reverse, it is engraved with the words, “Pray for us”.

Catholics everywhere have this keepsake in remembrance of our most recent saint. It is a beautiful medal to commemorate the miraculous life of one of our saints. Not only the first to receive the blessing of Visible Stigmata, but receiving it twice in his lifetime, and then the most recent ot be Canonized...St. Padre Pio.