Purgatory

Cleonice Morcaldi talking to Padre Pio

Cleonice Morcaldi: “There has been no other saint who, every time he was asked, would tell if a soul had been saved, if had gone to Paradise or Purgatory, and say the day and hour of the liberation.” Padre Pio has revolutionized the Purgatory. He often said: “Let’s empty Purgatory”.

 

Padre Romolo da San Marco in Lamis: I asked Padre Pio if my grandmother, who had died suddenly, was saved. He answered: “The account is settled.” Before he said that, he had turned away, whispering in a very low voice, as if he was talking to another person.

 

Padre Paolo Covino

Padre Paolo Covino  asked Padre Pio: “Are my parents saved?” Padre Pio answered: “Yes, they are.”

 Padre Pio was asked if he suffered like the souls in Purgatory. He replied: “Yes. The souls in Purgatory don’t suffer more than I do. I am sure that I am not wrong on this.”

  

  Gerardo De Caro

Gerardo De Caro had long conversations with Padre Pio in 1943. In his written notes, he testifies: “Padre Pio had an exact knowledge of the state of the souls after death, including the duration of the pain until they reached total purification.

 To Gerardo De Caro: “We need to pray for the souls in Purgatory. We can’t believe how much they can do for us, through the gratitude they have for those who pay for them!”

 

   Padre Alessio

To Padre Alessio: “The prayers of the souls in Purgatory are much more efficacious before God, because they pray while suffering.”

 To Padre Alessio: “You will be surprised to find in Paradise souls that you’d never expected to be there.”

 

   Padre Benedetto

November 29, 1910 to Padre Benedetto: “I am asking your permission to offer myself to the Lord as a victim for the poor sinners and the souls in Purgatory.”^[10]

 

 Bill Martin before becoming Padre Joseph Pius da New York

To Padre Joseph Pius: “More souls of the dead from Purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers.”

 

  Padre Pio Capuano showing the use of the box

Every time that Padre Pio passed by the box on top of the stairs he used to pick the number, than consult the list on the wall, and pray for the corresponding intention for a soul in Purgatory.

 

During a relaxed conversation with friars and friends, Dr. Gasdia said jokingly: “Padre Pio will not go to Purgatory. He will go straight to Heaven.” Padre Pio smiling replied: “Lets shake hands”, and shook his hand very warmly.

 

“The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours, because they are accompanied by their suffering. So, let’s pray for them, and let’s pray them to pray for us.” “The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them.” “When we pray for the souls in Purgatory we will always get something back.” 

 

 

Souls from Purgatory

In 1922 Bishop Alberto Costa asked Padre Pio if he had ever seen a soul in Purgatory. Padre Pio: “I have seen so many of them that they don’t scare me anymore.”

 

Annita Lodi’s parents

Annita Lodi testified that she told Padre Pio after confession: “Tomorrow is the feast if St. Francis. Please ask him to go to Purgatory and free the souls of my parents.” Padre Pio replied: “I can do it myself.”

 

A friar in Purgatory

Padre Francesco Napolitano reported that in 1945 Fra’ Pietro, entering his cell at night, saw a young friar sitting on his desk, with the head down like he was meditating. He asked who he was, but he disappeared. He was terrorized, and run to Padre Pio. Padre Pio accompanied him back to his cell and said: “That young friar is a poor novice who is serving his Purgatory in this cell. But don’t worry he will not bother you again, and you will never see him again.”

 

Julius Fine

Florence Fine Herman in 1965 asked Padre Pio to pray for her father who had terminal ALS. He promised to take him under his protection. He was a devout Jew. Two years later he died. She was told by friends that without baptism one cannot be saved. She went back to Padre Pio with a heavy heart. She took the courage to ask: “Where is my father?” Padre Pio replied: “Julius Fine is saved. But we need to pray a lot for him.”

 

2 friars from Purgatory

Padre Francesco Napolitano reported what he had heard from Grazio, Padre Pio’s father.  Grazio went to spend some few days with his son in 1926. He was assigned the cell #10. When he tried to enter the cell, two friars stood in front of the door, not letting him in. He explained who he was, to no avail. When he made a step to force himself in, they disappeared. He was terrorized, and went to Padre Pio. “Dad, don’t get agitated, those are two poor friars in Purgatory. They have to serve their Purgatory in the spot where they disobeyed the rule of St. Francis.”

 

  Fra’ Gerardo with Padre Pio;        Fra’ Gerardo on duty

Viva Padre Pio

One night in 1944 the friars heard loud voices coming from downstairs saying “Viva Padre Pio”. The superior Padre Raffaele da S. Elia a Pianisi told the doorkeeper Fra Gerardo da Deliceto to let those people out and lock the door properly. Fra Gerardo went downstairs, didn’t find anybody, and the door was double locked as it was supposed to. He went back to report. Padre Raffaele was puzzled and went straight to Padre Pio asking if he knew something.

“Oh! Those were soldiers who had died on the battleground, and came to thank me for my prayers for their salvation.” And he added: “There are more souls of the dead coming up that road to ask for my prayers than souls of the living.”

 

 Fra’ Modestino with Padre Pio

The flames of Purgatory

In 1945 Fra’ Modestino asked Padre Pio a comparison between a fire on hearth and the flames of Purgatory. “They compare like fresh water and boiling water.”

 

The ancestor

One day Padre told his doctor: “I’m praying for the good death of my great-great grandfather”. “But he died more than one hundred years ago!” replied the doctor. Padre Pio: “Remember that for God there is no past and no future, and everything is present. So God made use at that time of the prayers I’m saying now.”

 

   Padre Paolino da Casacalenda

Pietro Di Mauro

Padre Pio was in the common fireplace room at the convent in 1917 when he saw an old man sitting near him. The man said: “I am Pietro Di Mauro, nicknamed Precoco. I died on September 18, 1886, in this friary in cell #4, in a fire. The Lord let me come to you from Purgatory. If tomorrow you say the Mass for me, I will go to Paradise.” 

Padre Pio reported: “I was agitated. I told the superior Father Paolino da Casacalenda what had happened and asked to celebrate the Mass for Pietro.” Father Paolino gave the permission and later went to consult the registry at City Hall. In that date in 1886, when the convent had been expropriated by the government and was a nursing home, a disabled man with that name had died in a fire suffocated by smoke.

 

Capuchin novice

One evening Padre Pio was praying alone in church. He heard a crash like candles falling to the ground. He got up and went to the communion rail. There was a young friar he had never seen before. The friar said: “I am a Capuchin novice, and I am from Purgatory, doing penance for lack of diligence in my work in the church.” Padre Pio said: “Tomorrow my Mass will be for you. Now go away and never come back.” Padre Emanuele happened to pass by. He and Padre Pio went to give a closer look. They found behind the altar many large candles on the floor, all broken.

 

He is saved

A woman went to Padre Pio to know about her brother, who had committed suicide after a financial difficulty. She went to his Mass but was unable to talk to him. She sat in church, crying and praying, while Padre Pio was confessing. At a certain moment she got a nudge and was told: “Padre Pio is calling you.” She turned towards the confessional. Padre Pio was making a sign to her with the hand, to approach the confessional. She did, and kneeled in front of him, and Padre Pio said: “Don’t worry, stay calm, he is saved.”

 

 Padre Alberto D’Apolito with Padre Pio

Salvatore D’Apolito

Salvatore D’Apolito in 1938 returned to San Giovanni Rotondo with his daughter Nunzia after 22 years in the United States. They visited with Padre Pio and with Padre Alberto D’Apolito, son of Salvatore. Few months later, in February 1939 Salvatore got pneumonia and died within few hours. Padre Pio told Padre Alberto: “Have courage, be tranquil, your father is saved.”

 

   Elena Bandini

Elena Bandini

Elena Bandini had been helping for many years the church, the monastery, and the local people of San Giovanni Rotondo. When she died, John McCaffery told Padre Pio: “She certainly went without any stop from here to Paradise”. Padre Pio with two great tears rolling down his cheeks: “Oh! Without stop at all!”

Elena Bandini, from Borgo San Lorenzo in the province of Florence, had been very active in the Franciscan apostolate in the Mugello area. Padre Pio wrote to her twenty four letters. She moved permanently to San Giovanni Rotondo in 193, and died in 1955.