Fernando Sanchez Campos, Costa Rica's ambassador to the Holy See, released in Manila last month the English translation of his book on Padre Pio's intercessory role in his family's life.

“We are here to speak about God’s love, and this is for three reasons: to help reinforce our faith, to share God’s graces knowing that Jesus is the best gift we can receive, and to know that the Lord is very persistent,” Sanchez said March 24 at the book launch.

The book, “A Spiritual Son Is Born: Our Story with Padre Pio of Pietrelcina,” is Sanchez' witness to grace and what he regards as the miraculous healing of his son and his wife through the intercession of Padre Pio, which he said “brought me near to God.”

The book launch was attended by more than 400 guests at the Wack-Wack Golf & Country Club in Manila, in collaboration with the Filipino embassy to the Holy See.

Mercedes Tuason, Filipino ambassador to the Holy See, is a patron of the translation and said, “it would be an enormous spiritual treasure.”

Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila said at the event: “Thank you for the gift of Padre Pio … if we belong to God, we are holy, we are saints. Let us all be a 'virus' of holiness.”

He said to Sanchez, “may your book influence others.”

The cardinal reminded the faithful present that when a believer decides to ask for a saint’s intercession, “it was actually the saint who chose (to help) us, to bring us closer to God.”

Cardinal Tagle added that any reader who has been through intense physical, emotional, or psychological pain would recognize the reassuring voice of God speaking through Sanchez’ book.

The English edition of the work was translated by Lourdes Mendonza, and features a foreword by Cardinal Tagle.

It was first published in Spanish in 2010, and has also been translated into Italian.

“Testimonies of faith ignite others' faith, and this book will serve in understanding the mystery of God, miracles, and in contributing to the new evangelization,” Josephine Bantug, book project coordinator, told CNA.

Sanchez' book docuмents how Sanchez' firstborn child, within hours of his birth in 2007, was diagnosed with an atrial flutter and tachycardia. He was taken to neonatal intensive care, but no treatments would regularize his heartbeat.

Sanchez' wife also developed health problems, four days later having renal haemorrhage and respiratory problems, losing 70 percent of her renal function.

Sustained only by the power of my faith, I gave everything up to God,” Sanchez wrote.

Seven days after his son's birth, a priest carrying a relic of Padre Pio visited the neonatal intensive care unit to pray for the cure of the child through the intercession of the saint; the relic was also brought to the bedside of his wife.

The following day, to the surprise of the medical staff, the child's heartbeat began to normalize, and his mother was healed.

Sanchez attributes both their healing to grace and to the intercession of Padre Pio.

The book narrates the family's experiences, and their encounters with Benedict XVI and with Pope Francis since the healings.

The book also contains a collection of prayers, novenas, and meditations of Padre Pio, which are “included with the hope of enriching the spiritual contribution and opportunities for meditation that the book may offer to the reader,” Sanchez said.

The book is produced by St. Paul's Publishing of the Philippines, and is available for 350 Philippine pesos, or $7.90.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/ambassador-launches-book-on-padre-pio-in-philippines/

Some Clairvoyant told me once that she could see that Padre Pio was very close to me.

Why were you talking to a clairvoyant in the first place?

How could they "see" that Padre Pio was close to you? Why did you give them any credence into what they've to say?

Maybe he saw the clairvoyant before he was a practicing Catholic. Or maybe he just didn't know it was a sin.

St. Pio, pray for us.

Once in the monastery of Padre Pio, a friar forgot to consecrate the Hosts for Holy Communion. There were only a few Hosts available. But after confessions when Padre Pio started to distribute Hosts to the people, many Hosts remained at the end of the service, more than had been consecrated before.

http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/Miracles.htm

Mrs. Cleonice, who was a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio, said: “During the Second World War my nephew was a prisoner. We had not received news for a year, and everybody believed he was dead. His parents were very worried about his life. His mother went one day to Padre Pio and knelt down in front of the friar who was in the confessional: “Please, tell me if my son is alive. I won’t go away if you don’t tell me!”  Padre Pio sympathized with her, and some tears were on his face when he said: “Stand up and go in peace.”  Some days later, I couldn’t resist the thought of pain that the parents were enduring, so I decided to ask Padre Pio for a miracle. I faithfully said: “Father I’m going to write a letter to my nephew Giovannino. I will write his name only on the envelope because we do not know where he is. You and your Guardian Angel will take the letter to him where he is.” - Padre Pio didn’t answer, so I wrote the letter.  In the evening I put it on my bedside table before getting into bed. The morning after, to my great surprise, astonishment and fear, I found that the letter was not there anymore. I went in thanksgiving to Padre Pio and he told me: “Give your thanks to Our Lady.” Almost fifteen days later our nephew sent us a response to the letter. Then everybody in our family was happy and giving thanks both to God and Padre Pio.”

http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/Miracles.htm

A woman at San Giovanni Rotondo was such a good person that Padre Pio said it was impossible to find any fault in her soul to forgive. In other words, she lived to go to heaven. At the end of Lent, Paolina felt seriously ill. The doctors said there were no hopes for her. Her husband and her five children went to the convent to pray with Father Pio and ask him to help her. Two of the five children pulled Father Pio’s habit and cried. Father Pio got upset, but he tried to console them and promised to pray for them, nothing else!  Some days later, at the beginning of the Seventh hour, the sainted Padre’s behavior changed. In fact, he asked for Paolina’s healing and told everybody: “She will resuscitate on Easter Day.” But on Good Friday Paolina lost consciousness as she fell into a coma.  On Saturday, after some hours, Paolina finally died. Some of her relatives took her wedding dress in order to put it on her according to an old tradition of the country. Other relatives ran to the convent to ask Padre Pio for a miracle. He answered them: “She will be resuscitated” and he went to the altar for the Holy Mass. When Padre Pio started to sing the Gloria and the sound of the bells announced Christ’s resurrection, Padre Pio’s voice broke off with a sob and his eyes were full of tears. In the same moment, Paolina resuscitated. Without any help she got up from the bed, she knelt down and she prayed for the Creed three times. Then she stood up and smiled. She has recovered...or it should be better to say: “She has resuscitated.“  In fact padre Pio had not said, “she will recover” but “she will resuscitate.” When she was asked what happened during the period when she was dead, she answered: “I went up, went up, went up; when I entered into a great light, I came back.”

http://www.padrepio.catholicwebservices.com/ENGLISH/Miracles.htm