Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Padre Pio inspires help for homeless veterans in Maryland

Padre Pio inspires help for homeless veterans in Maryland

Last updated on: March 31, 2016 at 5:41 pm by CNA Daily News

Padre Pio inspires help for homeless veterans in Maryland 2016-03-31T17:41:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Baltimore, Md., Mar 31, 2016 / 11:41 am (CNA/EWTN News).- St. Padre Pio’s spiritual life inspired many veterans of the Second World War – and now, his example has helped inspire support for homeless veterans in Maryland.

“Wherever there is suffering in the healing process, Padre Pio has been known to bring relief,” Luciano Lamonarca, president and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation, told CNA March 30.

“Because we know that veterans suffer as much as other people, we decided to establish a kind of annual grant that would help the veterans in having some relief,” he said.

The effort also recognizes their service to their country.

The New York-based Saint Pio Foundation promotes the charism of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, colloquially known as “Padre Pio.” The Franciscan Capuchin priest was a stigmatist, a mystic and a miracle-worker. He ministered in the Italian city of San Giovanni Rotondo from 1916 until his death in 1968.

The foundation has made its first donation of $20,000 to the homeless veterans program of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Maryland Health Care System. Another $10,000 grant is planned for this year.

The donation aims to provide homeless veterans with transportation assistance, meals, clothing, and household supplies when they get apartments. The donation will also support the clothing room, the kitchen and the laundry facility at the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Community Resource & Referral Center, which supports homeless veterans.

Lamonarca said some of the homeless veterans are very poor and sometimes cannot afford to travel to the facility to eat or to spend the night. The foundation acts in Padre Pio’s name “to bring any relief to suffering” and to give food and shelter to those who live on the street.

“We like to bring Padre Pio out to the people,” he said.

The foundation cited Padre Pio’s service in the Italian army’s medical corps during World War I. He befriended many military personnel during World War II, including American servicemen.

Lamonarca said Padre Pio had a “very strong” relationship with many American servicemen.

“Many people do not know that Padre Pio got to be known in the United States after the Second World War because all the G.I.s returning to this country were speaking about him. Many of them actually returned to San Giovanni Rotondo to live close to Padre Pio while he was alive. Some of them even became priests.”

VA officials welcomed the support.

“We’re grateful that the Saint Pio Foundation has recognized our efforts to serve homeless veterans,” Dr. Adam M. Robinson, director of the VA Maryland Health Care System said March 24.

The foundation’s other supported projects include the Home for the Relief of Suffering and Padre Pio’s Shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy; the Archdiocese for Military Services; and the Path to Peace Foundation, which complements the work of the Holy See’s mission to the United Nations.

Lamonarca has a special devotion to Padre Pio, a devotion which strengthened when he immigrated to America.

“He has touched so many lives and converted many people,” he said. “He touched my life through his motto ‘pray, hope and don’t worry’.”

He said he hopes that the foundation’s support will help veterans learn more about Padre Pio’s life and encourage them “to pray to Padre Pio daily, to ask Padre Pio to help them carry on through their pain and their suffering and to hope in Jesus, with the intercession of Padre Pio.”

“Padre Pio has been known internationally. I like to say he’s not just a saint that belongs to the Catholic Church. He belongs to any kind of people of faith.”

The foundation will hold its second annual award ceremony on May 27 at the Naval Heritage Center in Washington, D.C. Honorees include veterans’ advocates like actor Gary Sinise and Jim Nicholson, former U.S. Secretary for Veterans Affairs and past U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Guests at the dinner include Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington and Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the apostolic nuncio of the Holy See heading the permanent observer mission to the United Nations and to the Organization of American States.

The foundation’s website is www.SaintPioFoundation.org.

Previous Post

March 31, 2016

Pope Francis' post-synod doc to be released April 8

Next Post

March 31, 2016 FDA's abortion pill expansion targets babies up to 10 weeks into pregnancy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Christ" mean in Greek?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Lord of Lords Savior Chosen One Anointed One