Today's story revolves around Luigi Bellora, a police officer who had the privilege of being
a close friend of Padre Pio. Stay tuned to hear his heartwarming testimonies!
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Luigi Bellora served as a police officer in Turin, Italy. However, his life took a dramatic turn when
a friend gifted him a biography of Padre Pio. As you can imagine, this reading led him to reflect
on his spiritual life. It was a wake-up call that inspired him to reconnect with his faith.
Shows the importance of reading spiritual literature.
So, in 1953, he decided to pay a visit to Padre Pio. From that moment on, Luigi made it a point
to go to San Giovanni Rotondo whenever he had the chance, especially during his vacation days.
Soon enough, Luigi became a familiar face at the convent and felt blessed to know many
priests and Capuchin brothers. However, it wasn't always a joyous experience for Luigi;
he would often feel nervous while waiting in line for confession.
One day, in the confessional, Padre Pio noticed that Luigi was shaking. He couldn't help but ask,
"Why are you trembling like that? Do you think I am too strict?" Padre Pio,
being the kind soul that he was, gave Luigi a friendly nudge to calm his nerves.
Although Padre Pio could be strict with him during confession, Luigi knew that
every scolding was deserved. However, it was not always easy for him to accept criticism,
and sometimes he reacted immaturely. Once, Luigi had a big argument with
Padre Pio and decided to just leave San Giovanni Rotondo right away, without even saying goodbye.
He paid his hotel bill and headed straight to the bus stop, carrying his bag with him.
Now, here's the interesting part. Although the bus would stop in San Giovanni Rotondo every day,
on that particular day, for some strange reason, it just passed without stopping.
So, Luigi had no choice but to turn around and go back to the hotel to reclaim his room. He
was still feeling hurt and angry, and he made up his mind that even though he was
physically in San Giovanni Rotondo, there was no way he would attend Mass with Padre Pio.
But the next morning, as he lay in bed, he suddenly felt this strong bump on his shoulder.
It startled him, and he quickly jumped out of bed and turned on the light,
even though he knew he was all alone in the room. That's when he remembered Padre Pio was known
to work in mysterious ways. Could that nudge on his shoulder be the doing of the holy Capuchin?
"Maybe he's trying to reason with me," Luigi thought to himself.
Later in the day, a priest who was also staying at the hotel approached Luigi and
managed to convince him to go to Mass after all. (Sometimes a little persuasion goes a long way.)
On that very same day, Luigi mustered up the courage to talk to Padre Pio and apologize.
Padre Pio, in his wise and forgiving manner, simply said, "My son, it's all
in the past. Let us bury it and never think of it again." And that's exactly what they did.
In this act of forgiveness we are reminded of the timeless lesson to release grudges
and embrace forgiveness following the words, forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those that trespass against us . Luigi had a strong desire to serve Padre Pio and
the superior, Father Carmelo de Sessano, noticed his willingness to help. One day, Father Carmelo
asked Luigi if he wanted a "vacation job." He explained that they needed someone to guard Padre
Pio's cell and keep people from bothering him. Since Luigi already worked for the police and
was trusted by Father Carmelo and Padre Pio, he seemed like the perfect fit.
Now during that time, Padre Pio was feeling very sick, and everyone was worried about him.
The problem was sometimes strangers would dare to enter the restricted area of the convent and barge
into Padre Pio's cell. (Can you imagine that?) Well, Padre Pio needed some serious protection
from these people, and Luigi was more than happy to help out. He said to Father Carmelo,
There is nothing I would like more than to help Padre Pio in this way.
Now, every day was pretty much the same routine for Luigi. He would sneak into the convent
through a hidden door, cleverly concealed behind construction panels. Once inside,
he would warmly greet Padre Pio and take a seat on a humble straw chair placed in the hallway.
Occasionally, someone would enter the private area, but Luigi was there to send them away.
Luigi cherished his role as Padre Pio's "special guardian" and realized it came with unexpected
perks and rewards. Whenever Father Giustino and Padre Pio shared their morning coffee in Padre
Pio's cell, they often extended a kind invitation for Luigi to join them. Luigi noticed that Padre
Pio would never have more than a few sips of his coffee. So, Luigi always made sure to drink from
the same cup Padre Pio used. Also, the doctors would prepare a boiled egg for Padre Pio every
morning, but due to his frail health, he couldn't eat it. Luigi gladly accepted the
egg and finished it on Padre Pio's behalf. Every day, a doctor from Casa Sollievo della
Sofferenza would bring vitamin-enriched jelly. "Luigi, can you help me? I have no appetite,"
Padre Pio would say, offering him the dessert. To show his gratitude, Luigi would bring a
bottle of cold beer for Padre Pio. How can you afford to get this for
me? Padre Pio asked. Luigi simply replied, "I do it out of my deep devotion to you."
Luigi would sometimes lend a hand with sorting the mail that arrived at the convent. There was
one occasion when Padre Pio specifically spoke to him about a letter he had received. "Luigi,
let the person know that everything will turn out fine if they change their lawyer."
Later on, Luigi discovered that the person had taken Padre Pio's advice and switched their
lawyer, resulting in a positive outcome. Throughout the day, Luigi would often check
in on Padre Pio, opening the door of his cell to see if he needed anything.
Every time he did so, he would find Padre Pio in prayer, often gazing at a beautiful
image of Our Lady of Purity adorning the wall. This special service of looking after Padre Pio
lasted for a total of twenty-two days. However, the time came when
Luigi had to return to his work. "Now that I've gotten used to living
in this paradise so close to you, it's incredibly hard for me to think about going
back to Turin," Luigi shared with Padre Pio. Padre Pio warmly embraced Luigi on both cheeks and
said, "Dear Luigi, may God repay you a thousand times for all the good you have done for me.
In the years that followed, Luigi continued his visits to Padre Pio,
sometimes for extended periods and other times for shorter stays. Padre Pio lovingly referred
to him as "Dear Luigi," to which Luigi would respond, "But you are the one who is dear."
One time, Luigi made a heartfelt request to Padre Pio, asking him to be by his
family's side and his own at the hour of their death. Padre Pio's response was, "Yes, I will,
but you must prove yourself worthy of it." In one conversation, Luigi requested a
spiritual thought from Padre Pio, not only for himself but for his entire family.
"Always live under God's watchful eye," Padre Pio shared.
Luigi handed Padre Pio a piece of paper, requesting him to write down those words.
He cherished them as one of his most prized possessions throughout his entire life.
(Isn t it fascinating how Padre Pio was able to form deep friendships
with individuals from all walks of life? This story is a powerful
testament to the universal appeal and extraordinary charisma of Padre Pio.)
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