MY FAVORITE PHOTO OF PADRE PIO

My favorite photo is of Padre Alessio dabbing Padre Pio's face with a cloth: there is something akin to the way Veronica wiped the face of Our Lord. Padre Alessio was Pio's devoted assistant in the last 3 years of the stigmatist's life when Pio endured the wounds of crucifixion and simultaneously a total bodily agony as well as the greatest period of spiritual darkness of his life. He would be heard by Alessio to say, "Never in my life have I suffered so!" Pio would also cry out, "My Jesus, my mother Mary, I offer up to you the groaning of my poor soul!".

I have "punched up" the last chapters of my book on Pio with reminisces from Alessio who was a gentle soul, and he treated Pio with exquisite softness, so much on display in this photo.