The Permanent Stigmata
From the spring of 1918 onward, Padre Pio remained in San Giovanni Rotondo, never leaving the small friary. Over the summer, extraordinary phenomena began to manifest in increasing numbers, adding to the earlier appearance of the wounds on his hands—stigmata that had first emerged eight years earlier, just one month after his ordination to the priesthood. At that time, the marks had vanished after he fervently prayed to God to remove them, yet he continued to endure pain in those areas on specific days. In early August, he experienced the mystical transverberation of the heart—a profound spiritual piercing that left him physically and spiritually transformed.
Then, on September 20, while praying alone in the friary choir after celebrating Mass, a mysterious figure appeared to him. He felt himself pierced anew.
From that moment, Padre Pio was permanently stigmatized: wounds appeared on his hands, feet, and side, mirroring those of Jesus. This mystical gift, a seal upon his extraordinary spirituality, brought him both profound grace and immense suffering. Blood flowed from the wounds, forming thick scabs on the palms and backs of his hands, as well as on the tops and soles of his feet. The wound on his side appeared as a deep, transverse lesion.
Crowds and Clinical Examinations
The extraordinary nature of this event could not remain hidden, even though Padre Pio refrained from speaking about it and tried to conceal the wounds on his hands by tucking them into the wide sleeves of his habit. Yet, it was precisely his quiet, reserved demeanor that caught the attention of his most perceptive followers. They began to suspect his secret, and Padre Pio, though reluctant, was eventually compelled to reveal it. By then, it was also impossible to keep the truth from his confreres.
News of this miraculous phenomenon spread quickly—not only through San Giovanni Rotondo but across the Gargano region and beyond. Crowds began to descend upon the friary, eager to see Padre Pio.
The influx of people grew so overwhelming that public authorities were needed to maintain order among the throngs, who came not only out of curiosity but with the hope of receiving graces from this man, bearing the wounds of Christ. Physicians were soon involved. At first, this was at the request of Padre Pio’s immediate superiors, but later the Holy See itself sought detailed reports on the nature of the wounds.
The opinions of the examiners were divided. Two of the doctors, who conducted multiple evaluations, stated unequivocally that the wounds were inexplicable from a natural standpoint. Conversely, a prominent clinician took the opposite view and attempted to heal the stigmata with treatments. These efforts, however, were completely ineffective. The wounds remained unchanged, continuing to bleed.
