New film on Padre Pio provides intimate look into saint’s life from those who knew him
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, better known as Padre Pio. / Credit: After Elia Stelluto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons CNA Staff, Dec 7, 2024 / 08:00 am (CNA).
A documentary drama about the beloved 20th-century friar St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known as Padre Pio, will be making its television debut on EWTN on Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. ET.
Co-produced by EWTN and the Saint Pio Foundation, “Saint Pio of Pietrelcina: Man of Hope and Healing” is a compelling docudrama that shares the story of a man whose simple humility and profound faith impacted lives around the world.
The documentary provides an insightful look into the Franciscan friar’s life, featuring testimonies from a variety of notable individuals, including actor Gary Sinise; Elia Stelluto, Padre Pio’s personal photographer; and Renzo Allegri, the journalist who was among the last to interview the saint before his death.
The film also includes never-before-seen photos and letters that provide an intimate view of the saint’s life.
Actor Joe Mantegna — known for his roles in “Criminal Minds,” “Boys Town,” and “The Godfather,” narrates the English version of the film and is one of its executive producers. According to a press release, taking part in this film strengthened the actor’s faith and prayer life.
Luciano Lamonarca, founder and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation, spoke to CNA about his own personal devotion to St. Pio and what he hopes people will take away from the film.
A native of Puglia, Italy, Lamonarca grew up in the same region as the saint. Despite being surrounded by the presence of Padre Pio from a young age, it wasn’t until Lamonarca and his wife experienced a terrible loss that his devotion grew.
“Fifteen years ago, I was a different man,” Lamonarca said. “Padre Pio did change the way I look at life.”
In 2010, Lamonarca and his wife, Valentina, were expecting their first child — a daughter whom they named Alma. Suddenly, their whole life changed when Alma was delivered stillborn and Valentina had to undergo additional surgeries due to complications from the delivery. Due to those surgeries, it was unlikely that Valentina would ever be able to give birth again.
“The moment where doctors told us that a pregnancy was not in our radar, it [would be] very difficult to happen, it was devastating for us as a young couple,” he shared.
In their despair, the couple spent their first wedding anniversary in San Giovanni Rotondo, the hometown of Padre Pio. It was here that they were blessed with an opportunity to pray with a first-class relic — a handkerchief with blood stains from Padre Pio. The couple grew closer to the beloved saint and turned to him for his intercession.
Despite suffering multiple more miscarriages, they continued praying and on Dec. 25, 2014, Valentina discovered she was pregnant. Their son Sebastian was born in September 2015.
During their struggles with fertility, feeling inspired to spread the story of Padre Pio to the faithful in the United States and worldwide, Lamonarca founded the Saint Pio Foundation on April 4, 2014.
“The Saint Pio Foundation wishes to educate the public about the life of St. Pio and inspire the faithful about following the teachings and the holy life of St. Pio,” Lamonarca explained.
The foundation recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary and with it launched an initiative called The Real St. Pio. The initiative included the translation of 365 letters written by Padre Pio into five different languages, the release of 10 never-before-seen images of Padre Pio taken by his personal photographer, the release of “The Song of St. Pio,” and finally the release of the docudrama.
Additionally, the foundation is working to set up six chapels around the United States that will each permanently host a relic of Padre Pio.
Lamonarca called the release of the docudrama “the cherry on the cake” and the “most important” part of the initiative.
He hopes that those who watch the film will enjoy getting to know Padre Pio better from “those who knew him very well and those whose lives have been changed [by him].”
