Biography

1887	(25 May) Birth at Pietrelcina in the Province of Benevento.
1903	(2 January) He goes to Morcone in the Province of Benevento to begin his novitiate with the Capuchins.
	(22 January) He takes the Capuchin habit and becomes Fra (Brother) Pio.
1904	(22 January) Makes his simple (temporary) vows.
	(25 January) Transferred to S. Elia a Pianisi in the Province of Campobasso to begin his college studies.
1907	(27 January) Makes his solemn (perpetual) vows.
	(End of October) Goes to Serracapriola in the Province of Foggia to begin his studies in theology.
1908	(End of November) At Montefusco in the Province of Avellino he continues his studies in theology.
	(19 December) Receives Minor Orders at Benevento.
	(21 December) Becomes a subdeacon in the same city.
1909	Spends the first months of the year at Pietrelcina; ill.
	(18 July) Becomes a deacon in the friary church at Morcone.
1910	(10 August) Ordained to the priesthood in the chapel of Cathedral of Benevento.
	(14 August) Says his first solemn Mass at Pietrelcina. In this year, the stigmata first occur (Letters, Vol. I pp. 264-265).
1911	(End of October) Sent to Venafro but is almost continually confined to bed because of illness. Extraordinary phenomena occur.
	(7 December) Returns to Pietrelcina.
1915	(25 February) For reasons of health he obtains permission to remain outside the friary, keeping the Capuchin habit.
	(6 November) Inducted into the army.
	(6 December) Assigned to the tenth Medical Corps in Naples.
1916	17 February) He goes to the Friary of Saint Anne in Foggia.
	(28 July) He goes for the first time to San Giovanni Rotondo for eight days.
	(18 December) He re-enters the Medical Corps in Naples, but is repeatedly discharged and recalled until 16 March 1918, when he is declared unfit for military service because of “double bronchial pneumonia”.
1918	(5-7 August) Transverberation.
	(20 September) Stigmatization.
1919	(15-16 May) The visit of Luigi Romanelli, the first doctor to examine Padre Pio after his stigmatization.
	(26 July) Medical examination by Dr. Amico Bignami.
	(9 October) Medical examination by Dr. Giorgio Festa.
1922	(2 June) First steps taken by the Holy Office.
1923	(31 May) After an inquest, the Holy Office decrees that it does not find any “supernatural nature in the facts attributed to Padre Pio.”
	(17 June) Further orders – that Padre Pio celebrate Mass in the private friary chapel without the presence of the public, and that he should not answer, either personally or through others, any letters addressed to him.
	(26 June) As a result of rebellion by the people, Padre Pio celebrates Mass in the church again.
	(8 August) Padre Pio is told of the order (given on 30 July) for his transfer to Ancona.
	(17 August) Owing to agitation of the people, transfer is deterred.
1929	(3 January) Padre Pio’s mother dies in San Giovanni Rotondo.
1931	(23 May) Padre Pio is deprived of all exercises of his priestly duties except Mass, which he may celebrate privately and only in the inner friary chapel.
1933	(16 July) Padre Pio descends to celebrate Mass in the church.
1934	(25 March) He takes up hearing the men’s Confessions once again.
	(12 May) He takes up hearing women’s Confessions also.
1946	(7 October) Padre Pio’s father dies in San Giovanni Rotondo.
1947	(19 May) Work begins for the construction of the Home for the Relief of Suffering.
1955	(31 January) The traditional ground-breaking for the new friary church.
1956	(5 May) Dedication of the Home for the Relief of Suffering.
1959	(I July) Dedication of the new church.
1965	(17 February) Permission for Padre Pio to continue saying Mass in Latin.
1966	(21 November) He may celebrate Mass seated, in public.
1968	(29 March) He begins to use a wheelchair, since his legs are no longer strong.
	(22 September) At 5 a.m., his last Mass; at 6 a.m., his last blessing for the crowds in the church.
	(23 September) At 2:30 a.m., Padre Pio, having received the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, dies peacefully with the Rosary in his hands, and with “Jesus!… Mary!…” on his lips.
1969	(4 November) The Cause for his beatification and canonization begins to be considered.
1973	(16 January) Mgr. Valentino Vailati, Archbishop of Manfredonia, consigns to the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, all the documents requested, for the purpose of obtaining the “nulla osta” for the introduction of the Cause for beatification.
1980	(3 March) The same Archbishop consigns further documentation to the above-mentioned Congregation, in order to obtain the much desired “nulla-osta”.
1983	(20 March) The official opening of the Cognitive Process on the life and virtues of the Servant of God, Padre Pio of Pietrelcina.
1987	(23 May) Pastoral Visit of the Holy Father, John Paul II, to San Giovanni Rotondo. The Holy Father knelt and prayed at Padre Pio’s tomb.
1990	(21 January) Conclusion of the Cognitive Diocesan Process on the life and virtues of the Servant of God. All the documentation, contained in 104 volumes, is consigned to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
1991	(December 7) The aforementioned Congregation issues the decree «de validate» on the diocesan process. Brother Cristoforo Bove of the Conventual Friars Minor is appointed official rapporteur for the preparation of the «».
1995	(January – November 1995) With the collaboration of three valid scholars, Brother Gerardo Di Flumeri prepares the «Positio»; the 104 volumes of the diocesan process are reduced to 4 volumes in 6 tomes for a total of approximately 7000 pages.
1996	(April) Brother Gerardo is in Salerno to collect documentation regarding a miraculous healing attributed to the intercession of Padre Pio. This is the healing of Mrs. Consiglia De Martino, from a traumatic rupture of the thoracic duct in the neck, which occurred from November 1-6, 1995 in the hospital of Salerno.
	(November 5) The General Postulator, Fra Paolino Rossi, delivers the 6 volumes of the «Positio» to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
	(December 19) The 6 volumes of the «Positio» are entrusted to the Theological Consultors for an opinion on the heroism of the virtues of Padre Pio.
1997	(June 13) The 9 Theological Consultors meet in a special congress and unanimously, nine out of nine, express a favorable opinion on the heroism of the virtues of Padre Pio.
	(October 21) The Commission of Cardinals also unanimously expresses a favorable opinion on the heroism of the virtues of the venerated Father.
	(December 18) In the Consistory Hall, in the Vatican, in the presence of Pope John Paul II, the decree on the heroism of the virtues of Padre Pio is read, who acquires the title of «Venerable».
1998	(January) The Congregation for the Causes of Saints begins the study “super miro”, that is, on the miraculous healing of Mrs. Consiglia De Martino.
	(April 30) The Medical Committee of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints examines the healing of Mrs. Consiglia De Martino from a “traumatic rupture of the thoracic duct in the neck”, which occurred on November 3, 1995 and, with a unanimous opinion (5 out of 5), judges it to be “scientifically inexplicable”.
	(June 22) The Theological Commission, composed of the General Promoter of the Faith and six theological consultants, examines the same extraordinary event and, after careful discussion, expresses itself with a clear affirmative (7 out of 7), qualifying it as a third-degree miracle or quoad modum.
	(October 20) The Most Excellent Msgr. Andrea M. Erba, Bishop of Velletri-Segni, the Ordinary Congregation of the Most Eminent Cardinals and Bishops, members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, meets to examine the miracle attributed to the intercession of Padre Pio. The opinion is favorable.
	(December 21) In the Consistory Hall, in the Vatican, in the presence of the Holy Father John Paul II, the Decree on the miracle, attributed to the intercession of Padre Pio, is promulgated. On the same day, Sunday, May 2, 1999, is set as the date for the Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God.
1999	(May 2, Sunday) In St. Peter’s Square, amid the exultation of millions of faithful, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II proclaims the Venerable Servant of God Padre Pio of Pietrelcina Blessed.
2000	(January 20) While at school, Matteo Pio Colella, aged 7, feels ill. In the evening he was admitted to Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, where he was diagnosed with “hyperacute meningitis in septicemic form with multi-organ functional failure”. Late in the evening he was transferred to intensive care.
	(January 21) Little Matteo was incubated and placed on assisted respiration. The clinical picture worsened. The prognosis was dire. The mother prayed and asked for prayers. Around 11, against all medical predictions, the child’s condition began to improve.
	(January 31) Recovery was rapid.
	(February 6) Matteo Pio Colella was discharged completely healed.
	(June 11) The Canonical Process for the collection of documents and testimonies on the healing of Matteo Pio Colella opened at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Manfredonia – Vieste.
2001	(October 17) The Canonical Process closed.
	(October 23) Father Gerardo di Flumeri delivered the documentation to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
	(November 22) The Medical Council of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints unanimously recognizes that the healing was “rapid, complete, lasting, without after-effects and scientifically inexplicable”.
	(December 11) The Special Congress of Theological Consultants of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is held, which unanimously evaluates the healing as a “third degree miracle”.
	(December 18) The Ordinary Session of the Cardinals and Bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints is held, which confirms the judgment of the Theologians.
	(December 20) In the Consistory Hall, in the Vatican, in the presence of the Holy Father Giovanni Polo II, the decree on the miracle is promulgated, attributed to the intercession of Blessed Padre Pio.
2002	(February 26) During an ordinary consistory, the date for the canonization of the Blessed is set for Sunday, June 16, 2002.
	(June 16) In St. Peter’s Square, the Supreme Pontiff Giovanni Polo II proclaims Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina a Saint and establishes his liturgical memorial with the rank of “obligatory”, for September 23, “the day of his birth into heaven”.