Page 46 - Padre Pio

Gemma and her grandma spent some days in San Giovanni Rotondo in 1967, and detailed
her story To Clarice Bruno. Gemma was 28.” 235
"I had no pupils in my eyes," said Gemma in an interview with Father John Schug in 1971,
several years after Padre Pio's death. “I had no sight at all. Today I still see normally. As you
can see I have no pupils." 236

To Maria Gennai: “Why are you crying so loud? Cant’s you see that your child is
sleeping?”
Maria Gennai, the mother of a few month old sick baby, in May 1925 was told by the doctors
that there was nothing else to be done to save him. Out of desperation and faith, in a hurry
she wrapped the child in some clothes, took her fiber suitcase, and jumped on a train to go
see Padre Pio. The child stopped breathing and turned blue during the trip. She put the
child in the suitcase and continued on her way.
When she was in front of Padre Pio she started crying pitifully, and opened the suitcase.
Padre Pio appeared moved. He put his hand on the child’s head and prayed silently. Then
he said to Maria: “Why are you crying so loud? Cant’s you see that your child is sleeping?”
As he was waking up from a long sleep, the child started moving and returned to life. 237 238

To the husband and children of Paolina Preziosi: "She will resurrect on Easter
Sunday."

Paolina Preziosi, mother of five, from San Giovanni Rotondo, known to Padre Pio as a special
soul, fell gravely ill before Easter.
The doctors said there was nothing that they could do to save her. The husband and children
went to Padre Pio to implore his help.
He said: "She will resurrect on Easter Sunday".
On Good Friday she lost consciousness. On the morning of Holy Saturday she went into a
coma.
The relatives went again to Padre Pio. He said: "She will resurrect."
She died late Saturday evening. The family made the preparations for her body to be
dressed in her wedding gown as it was customary in the area.
Padre Pio started the Easter Vigil Mass and at the moment of the Glory,
when the bells ring and the organ resound he started crying. At the same time Paolina got
up un-helped, kneeled beside the bed and started reciting aloud the "Credo".
Everybody was astonished. They asked her what had happened. She said: "I was climbing
and climbing happily. When I was about to enter in a great light I started coming back, and
went back."
Padre Pio had not said "She will recover" but "She will resurrect."239 240 241 242 243 244

235 Bru70, 111-6
236 Ruf91, 333-4
237 Cat91, 110-11
238 Mal99, 182-3
239 Mor73, 162

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