Chronological Data - Padre Pio Group - Official Site

Chronolgical Data:
1887  (May 25) Padre Pio was born in Pietrelcina, province of Benevento (Italy). His parents: Grazio Forgione and Maria Giuseppa Di Nunzio Forgione.
(May 26) Baptism by D. Nicolantonio Orlando, at church of S. Anna (in Pietrelcina). Was christened as Francesco.
1899 First Communion.
(September 27) Confirmed by Mons. Donato Maria dell’Olio, archbishop of Benevento, at S. Anna church (in Pietrelcina).
1903  (January 1) Vision that convinced him that his life would be a continuos fight with the evil one.
(January 6) Enter the Capuchins novitiate in Morcone.
(January 22) Received the Franciscan habit. Assumed the name of Fra Pio.
1904  (January 22) Profession of temporary vows.
(January 25) Departure to S. Elia a Pianisi for elementary school.
1905  (October) Departure to S. Marco la Catola to study Philosophy.
1906  (April) Return to S. Elia a Pianisi for high school.
1907  (January 27) Profession of solemn vows.
(October 9-10) Departure to S. Marco la Catola for Philosophy exams.
(October) Departure to Serracapriola to study Theology.
1908  (November) Departure to Montefusco to continue his Theology studies.
(December 19) Received the Minor Orders in Benevento.
(December 21) Received the Subdiaconate Order in Benevento.
1909  (May) Return to Pietrelcina due to health issues.
(July/18) Received the Diaconate Order at the Convent of Morcone.
1910  (August 10) Ordained a priest at the Benevento Cathedral.
(August 14) Celebration of his First Solem Mass in Pietrelcina.
                          - Pain in his hands and feet: the invisible stigmata.
1911  (September 8) Information to Padre Benedetto of S. Marco in Lamis, his spiritual director, about the first sign of the stigmata.
(October) Departure to Venafro. Medical visits in Naples.
(December/7) Return to Pietrelcina.
1915  (October 10) Revealed that he bore for many years already the crown with thorns and the scourging.
(November 6) Called for military service. Reported to Benevento.
(December 18) Return to Pietrelcina with a medical leave.
1916  (February 17) Departure to the Convento of S. Anna in Foggia.
(July 28) First trip to San Giovanni Rotondo.
(September 4) Temporary return to San Giovanni Rotondo.
(December 18) Re-reported to military service in Naples.
(December 30) Another medical leave.
1917 (January 6) Visit to the Santuary of Pompei and return to San Giovanni Rotondo.
(May 16) Acomppanied his sister Graziella to Rome, when she entered the Convent of the Order of St Bridget.
(August 19) Re-reported to military service in Naples.
(November 5) Another medical leave.
(November 12) Return to San Giovanni Rotondo.
1918 (March 5) Re-reported to military service in Naples.
(March 16) Dispensed due to double pneumonia.
(March 18) Return to the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo
(August 5-7) A misterious celestial character pierced his heart with a spear and blood poured continuously from the wound.
(September 20) The misterious character appeared to him again, in the choir of Santa Maria delle Grazie church. Padre Pio received in his body the signs of the crucifixion of Our Lord and found himself with wounds in his hands, side and feet.
(December 20) Since a couple of days he noticed the transverberation of his heart - as if a spear had pierced his heart.
1919 The news of the stigmata spread, and Padre Pio's fame grew fast throughout the world motivating the gathering of pilgrims.
(May 15-16) Consultation with Prof. Luigi Romanelli, the first doctor to examine Padre Pio's stigmata.
(July 26) Consultation with Prof. Amico Bignami.
(October 8) Consultation with Dr. Giorgio Festa.
1920 (July 15) Consultation with Dr. Giorgio Festa and Prof. Luigi Romanelli.
1921 (June-July) News were spread of a possible transfer of Padre Pio.
1922 (June 4) Orders that all around Padre Pio had to be closely observed.
1923 (June 17) Order that Padre Pio should not celebrate Mass in public and that letters addressed to him should not be replied.
(June 25) Celebration of Mass privately. Popular commotion.
(June 26) Padre Pio went back to celebrating Mass again at the Santa Maria delle Grazie church.
(August 8) Order that Padre Pio should be transferred to Ancona.
(August 17) Suspension of Padre Pio's transfer.
1925 (April 22) Popular agitation due to some restrictions imposed to the ministry of Padre Pio's confessions.
(October 5) Hernia surgery by Dr. Giorgio Festa.
1927 (March 26-April 5) Apostolic visti of Mons. Felice Bevilacqua.
1928 (July 10) Arrival of another apostolic visitor, Mons. Bruno.
1929 (January 3) Padre Pio attended his mother that passed away in San Giovanni Rotondo.
1931 (May 25) The convent of San Giovanni Rotondo is submitted to the immediate jurisdiction of the general Superior.
(June 9) Order of the suspension of all the ministries of Padre Pio, except from Mass, that he should celebrate privately.
1933 (March 14) Visit of Mons. Luca Pasetto and of Mons. Felice Bevilacqua.
(June 24) First meeting of Mons. Andrea Cesarano, new archbishop of Manfredonia, with Padre Pio.
(July 16) Padre Pio went back to celebrating Mass at Santa Maria delle Grazie church.
1934 (March 25) Padre Pio went back to listening to men's confessions.
(May 12) Padre Pio went back to listening to women's confessions.
1935 (August 10) Celebration of the 25th anniversary of Padre Pio's priesthood ordination.
1946 (October 7) Padre Pio attended to his father that passed away in San Giovanni Rotondo.
1947 (May 19) Beginning of the construction of Padre Pio's earthly work: the hospital House for the Relieve of the Suffering (“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”).
(July 6) Opening of the convent of the Capuchin Friars in Pietrelcina.
1950 (January 7) Beginning of the system of reservation - a list of names - to organize women's confessions.
1953 (January 22) Celebration of the 50th anniversary of receiving the religious habit.
1954 (June 6) Celebration of the first Mass in open air in the square in front of the church.
1956 (May 5)  Inauguration of the House for the Relief of the Suffering (“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”).
(July 2) Placement of the corner stone for the construction of the new church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
1957 (April 4) Padre Pio was designated, by Pio XII, director in life of the fraternity of the Third Franciscan Order “Santa Maria delle Grazie” and it was conferred to him the privilege of personally directing the House for the Relief of the Suffering (“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”).
(May 7-9) VII National Conference of catholic Italian doctors.
1959 (April 25) Padre Pio got sick. He began transmitting a spiritual message on the microphone, after the recitation of the Angelus at noon and in the end of the afternoon.
(July 1-2) Consecration of the new church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. Coronation of Our Lady by Card. Federico Tedeschini.
(August 5-6) Visit of the statue of Our Lady of Fatima to San Giovanni Rotondo. Padre Pio was cured.
1960 (July 30) Arrival of Mons. Carlo Maccari, apostolic visitor, to San Giovanni Rotondo.
(August 10) Celebration of the 50th anniversary of Padre Pio's priesthood ordination.
1963 (January 22) Celebration of the 60th anniversary of Padre Pio's receiving of the religious habit.
1964 (May 11) Padre Pio designate the Holy See the universal heir of all the assets related to his earthly work.
1966 (May 5) 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the House for the Relief of the Suffering (“Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza”). International Convention of Padre Pio's Prayer Groups.
(December 26) Celebration of 50th years of Padre Pio being in San Giovanni Rotondo.
1967 (May 9) Death of Michele, Padre Pio's brother.
(May 25) Padre Pio's 80th birthday.
1968 (March 29) Beginning of needing to use a wheelchair.
(September 20) Celebration of 50th years of Padre Pio's stigmata.
(September 21) International Convention of Padre Pio's Prayer Groups.
(September 22) Padre Pio celebrated his last Mass at 5:00am.
(September 23) Padre Pio dies at 2:30am.
(September 26) Padre Pio's funeral at 3:30pm, with the presence of more than a hundred thousand people. Burial in the crypt of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
(September 27) The crypt is open for visitation. Beginning of the peregrination of numerous people.
1969 (November 4) In behalf of the Order, the general postulator of the Capuchin Friars, Father Bernardino of Siena, asked bishop Antonio Cunial, apostolic administrator of Manfredonia, to begin the Cause for the Beatification and Canonization of Padre Pio.
(November 23) Mons. Antonio Cunial accepted the solicitation.
1971 (February) Beginning of the publishing of Padre Pio's Letters by the Capuchin Friars in the Epistolary, volume I: Correspondence of Padre Pio with his spiritual directors (1910-1922).
1972 (May 1-6) First Convention for the study of Padre Pio's spirituality.
1973 (January 16) Mons. Valentino Vailati, archbishop of Manfredonia, delivered the necessary documentation to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to obtain the "nihil obstat" for the introduction of the Cause for the Beatification of Padre Pio.
1974 (December 25) Publication of the first official biography of the Servant of God Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, under the orientation of the General Postulation of the Capuchin Friars.
1980 (March 3) Mons. Valentino Vailati, archbishop of Manfredonia, delivered additional documents to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints additional documents, to obtain the "nihil obstat" for the introduction of the Cause of the Beatification of Padre Pio.
1982 (November 29) Signature of the decree for the introduction of the diocesan process about the life and virtues of the Servant of God Padre Pio of Pietrelcina by pope John Paul II.
1983 (March 20) Beginning of the diocesan process.
1987 (May 23) Pope John Paul II went in peregrination to San Giovanni Rotondo, kneeled in prayer at the tomb of Padre Pio, talked about his love to God and to Our Lady and about his service to the souls at the altar and at the confessional.
1990 (January 21) Solemn closing of the diocesan process about the life and virtues of the Servant of God Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, in a public session, at the Santa Maria delle Grazie church. Deliverance of the admirable documentation collected in a hundred and four volumes to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, after seven years of work and with the testimony of seventy-three witnesses.
1997 (December 18) Proclamation fo the decree about the heroic virtues; pope John Paul II conferred to Padre Pio the title of “Venerable”.
1998 (December 21) Promulgation, in the presence of pope John Paul II, of the decree about the miracle for the Beatification of Padre Pio, with respect to the cure of Mrs. Consiglia De Martino (from Salerno, Italy).
1999 (May 2) Pope John Paul II declared Padre Pio “Blessed”. More than four hundred thousand people gathered at St Peter Square (Vatican), St John Lateran (Rome), in San Giovanni Rotondo and in Pietrelcina to watch the solemnity.
2001 (December 20) Promulgation, in the presence of pope John Paul II, of the decree about the miracle for the Canonization of Padre Pio, with respect to the cure of the boy Matteo Pio Colella (from San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy).
2002 (June 16) Pope John Paul II declared Padre Pio “Saint”. More than four hundred thousand people gathered at St Peter Square (Vatican), in San Giovanni Rotondo and in Pietrelcina, in an extraordinary manifestation of faith without precedent. In San Giovanni Rotondo the Mass was concelebrated by fifty priests and at the moment that Padre Pio was proclaimed a Saint, 12.327 blue and yellow balloons were released in the air (corresponding to the number of days since the death of Padre Pio until his santification), six millions of rose petals and milliards of small paper notes where thoughts of Padre Pio were written. Many festivities were programmed through the five continents, and the canonization was transmitted via satellite to the whole world.
2004 (July 1) Consecration of the new Sanctuary of Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina in San Giovanni Rotondo.