Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry

I have always believed that nothing happens to us in life unless God wills it so. Yes, we have our free will and we make our own choices, but it is with great conviction that I know our Loving Almighty Father always watches over us. “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11)

Today, on the feast of Saint Padre Pio, I reminisce and reflect on my visit to San Giovanni Rotondo in the summer of 2011. The experience left an indelible mark on my soul.

It was weeks after weeks after World Youth Day Madrid. I went on a pilgrimage to several religious sites, Lourdes and Lisieux among them, and was at the end of my European sojourn. I visited relatives in Milan, and instead of flying straight to Manila, I decided to pay Padre Pio a visit.  

Milano Centrale. Photo © en.wikipedia.org

I did a little research on how to go around Padre Pio’s town. I was scheduled to leave Milano Centrale on August 31st, a little past 11pm and was expected to arrive Foggia at around 7 in the morning the next day. My aunt prepared packed breakfast for me (chicken adobo and rice), and my cousin ensured I had enough supply of water and snacks till I reach Fiumicino (in Rome). My aunt was not totally in favor of me travelling alone to an unfamiliar town. I did not speak the language. And I did not know anyone in San Giovanni Rotondo. But I assured her that I wouldn’t be entirely alone ~ I have my guardian angel to protect me, and Padre Pio to pray for me. 

My bus ticket to San Giovanni Rotondo; 
and a souvenir calendar.

Inside the night train, I barely even had forty winks. I used the time to pray several decades of the rosary and process everything I had been learning in that particular trip. I was inside a cabin for 6, with all male passengers except myself. At day break, when everyone started to wake up from a peaceful slumber, the Italians took notice that I was l'unica donna (the only lady), and got me engaged in conversation thanks to a younger passenger beside me who spoke comprehensible English! They gave me tips for my solo pilgrimage, and asked that I include them in prayers, saying that God knows who they are, and what the desires of their hearts are. A reminder on the lesson on charity: to always pray for others.

I arrived at Foggia around 7:30 in the morning. I freshened up before going to the bus stop that would take me to San Giovanni Rotondo. It wouldn’t leave till 8:15am. The Sita bus ride, according to one of my train cabin mates, would be about an hour. On the way, I sat by the window side to take in the beauty of that Italian city. From a distance was the Gargano Mountains, where San Giovanni Rotondo is. It felt like I was going to burst with excitement. 

(L-R) Entrance to the old Church of 
Holy Mary of Grace and the sanctuary inside

The Chiesa delle Santa Marie della Grazie (Church of Holy Mary of Grace) is atop a hill. The old church was where Padre Pio used to celebrate the Holy Mass, but due to the increasing number of pilgrims each year, the Santuario de Padre Pio was built beside it. As I entered its wooden door, it felt like coming home. I always have this sense of being welcome every single time I enter a church. I can spend hours and hours inside, contemplating the immeasurable love of God for me and for mankind! What a lovely way to end my European trip ~ to be in the house of God, to spend time adoring Him, together with His Mother Mary and servant Padre Pio!

I cannot remember exactly how long I spent inside the church, praying for my loved ones, for my country, for the world, and for my personal intentions. I even had the time to put all my prayer intentions in writing and drop it in one of the prayer boxes inside. 

It felt like a taste of a piece of heaven here on earth just being there. I can only imagine what God’s kingdom would be like; I am certain it’s going to surpass my expectations!

(L) Main Altar inside the Santuario de Padre Pio; and (R) details

I have to specially note that I absolutely loved the statue of Our Lady of Grace! There was that mother-son intimacy in the way the Blessed Virgin and the baby Jesus was depicted. Mother Mary had a faint smile on her face, and sadness in her eyes, too. Oh such sorrow and anguish she must have felt, knowing how her precious Son would suffer and die on the Cross. Yet she surrendered to the will of God, and believed with trust, courage and love that echoed her fiat until the very end.

I visited the crypt just below the Santa Maria delle Grazie Church, where Padre Pio’s body used to lie. He had an unfulfilled wish ~ “When I die I wish to be buried underground, because I am a worm, a great sinner.” His body is now inside the golden crypt of the Padre Pio pilgrimage church. 40 years after his death on September 23, 1968, his remains were found incorruptible on March 02, 2008.

The statue of Santa Maria delle Grazie

Around noon, my stomach started to grumble. (I opted a granola bar and water for breakfast). I tried to walk around the vicinity of the church but did not find a shaded area where I can eat lunch. Still inside the old church, I saw a nun and politely asked her if she spoke English. She replied in Filipino, to my utter joy I almost hugged her! She took me to a café downhill from the shrine, where I willingly shared my food with her. 

Over lunch, she told me how she has been inspired by Padre Pio’s simplicity and love for God. Padre Pio was known to have been a man of prayer who prayed almost continuously. Bearing the stigmata, his health declined, and yet he offered his sufferings to God for the conversion of souls. Sr. Marlyn Castor of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit in Ulpiani,  also shared that Padre Pio’s witness of the Love of God was almost palpable because of his humility and total submission to the will of God. 

Padre Pio's confessional. 
He had the gift to "read hearts"

Padre Pio used to say, "Unite yourself to my prayers... Pray, pray to the Lord with me, because the whole world needs prayer. And every day, when your heart especially feels the loneliness of life, pray. Pray to the Lord, because even God needs our prayers." He also encouraged his parishioners to pray for souls; "We must empty Purgatory with our prayers", he said.

I enjoyed my conversation with Sr. Marlyn about life, faith and even love. I told her someday I want to return to San Giovanni Rotondo again. Next time, mainly to thank Padre Pio for interceding for me. She told me to "Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer." Sr. Marlyn said, if it's meant to be, there is no way we can escape from God's will. I cannot even hide inside the belly of a whale!

Padre Pio Pilgrimage Church, 
dedicated on July 01, 2004.

Time and again, I have proven the power of prayer and the perfect timing of Divine Providence. God's generosity can never be outdone. And how amazing are His surprises, too! Sr. Marlyn was one of my earth angels that day. It was a wonderful blessing to have gained another precious friend. I also met some sisters from the Suore dell'Immacolata di Santa Chiara. I was spiritually refreshed and nourished and felt God’s love through the people He sent to me. 

What of my misadventures? Imagine going around a quaint Italian town pulling your 20-kilogram suitcase. Yup, I did just that. I won’t go through the details but I did learn from that experience, too.

Sr. Perpetua of Suore dell'Immacolata di Santa Chiara beside me,
and the Sr. Marlyn (in white habit).

What has Padre Pio taught me during my visit to his town?

In his words, “You must always humble yourself lovingly before God and before men, because God speaks only to those who are truly humble and He enriches them with His gifts. The Lord is willing to do great things, but on condition that we are truly humble.”

"Stairway to heaven." 
From the crypt of the new church 
going back to the old shrine.

“Don’t allow any sadness to dwell in your soul, for sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from acting freely. Live in such a way that your Heavenly Father may be proud of you, as he is proud of so many other chosen souls.”

A painting inside the Santuario de Padre Pio.
(Quotations added.)