Article written by Rachael Philip.
At St. Padre Pio BEC, we hold Padre Pio in the highest regard. He is not just a symbol for our community but an icon – a healer, a prayerful person, and a true friend of God.
I moved to this BEC four years ago. Before moving, I didn’t know who the patron saint of my new BEC would be. I felt both curious and excited, knowing that my life would soon be connected with this saint for many years to come. I hoped it would be someone I could deeply relate to.
I still vividly remember the day I found out which BEC I belonged to. I nearly fell off my chair when I heard – it was none other than a dear, dear friend, Padre Pio!
Some years before I moved, I had been quite sick. There were days when I barely had the energy to get out of bed, eat, or even shower. My best friend, sleep, had deserted me. During one of those long, sleepless nights, I stumbled upon a website called Padre Pio Devotions on my phone. The name caught my attention because, back in the 1990s, I remember praying for the canonisation of this stigmatist. (Padre Pio was later canonised in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.) And, of course, his statue stands tall in the Church of the Divine Mercy.
I clicked on the “Newsletter” tab on the website and began reading. The newsletters dated back to 2000 and were filled with stories of people’s encounters with Padre Pio – the miracle-worker, heart-reader, bi-locator, rosary lover, stern yet kind father, and long-suffering man. He was every bit fascinating. As a child, Padre Pio had the gift of seeing and conversing with his Guardian Angel, and he innocently believed that everyone could do the same.
I devoured the newsletters daily, moving from issue to issue, year after year. These stories not only took my boredom away, but they also deepened my respect for this saint. They taught me that we have heavenly friends to help us on every part of our earthly journey. I learned the importance of maintaining strong connections with those in heaven.
A couple of years later, a friend of mine became very sick. Like me, she had cancer. I didn’t know how to help her, as it seemed like she wasn’t going to make it. I gave her a Padre Pio medal for pain and healing, telling her to keep it close and safe since it was blessed. Although she wasn’t Christian, she asked if it would be alright to keep the medal in her Buddhist religious books. After some thought, I told her yes, as long as it was kept safe.
She passed away a few months later. I admit, I didn’t visit her after that, as it wasn’t easy for me to face. I attended her funeral but stayed in the background. I didn’t know her family, but something prompted me to approach her brother and ask about the medal. Ever since I had heard of her death, all I could think about was the medal. I was worried it might be thrown away.
The conversation wasn’t as awkward as I had imagined. Her brother thanked me for helping his sister in this way and promised to look for the medal. I didn’t expect to hear from him again and said a quick “I’m sorry” to Padre.
A few weeks later, her brother called. He had found the medal in the pages of her prayer books. I was filled with gratitude and felt immense joy as I drove out to retrieve the blessed medal. I prayed that in her final moments, my friend had found consolation, and perhaps even friendship, in Padre Pio.
Last year, my BEC celebrated Padre Pio’s feast day with a lively fiesta filled with food, games, and praise and worship. We even created and sold Padre Pio merchandise – T-shirts! This year, we proudly wore our T-shirts and made a pilgrimage to the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Cheras for the feast day mass on September 23rd.