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FEAST OF ST. PADRE PIO OF PIETRILCINA

ST. PADRE PIO AND LUISA PICCARRETA

Padre Pio

Mama Luisa

St. Padre Pio and Luisa Piccarreta, Servant of God, The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

an excerpt from the book

LUISA PICCARRETA  collection of memories of the Servant of God

BERNARDINO GIUSEPPE BUCCI, O.F.M.

 

Blessed Padre Pio, Luisa Piccarreta and Rosaria Bucci

Luisa Piccarreta and Blessed Padre Pio of Pietrelcina knew one another for some time without ever having met, for Luisa was always confined to the bed where she sat, while Padre Pio was enclosed in the friary of the Capuchin Fathers of San Giovanni Rotondo.5

One question naturally arises, how did they come to know one another?

This is difficult to discover, yet one thing is certain, that the two did know and esteem one another.

My aunt recounts how Luisa would speak with respect and veneration of the blessed father, describing him as a “true man of God“, who still had great suffering to face for the good of souls.

In about 1930, a well-known figure arrived at Luisa’s house, sent personally by Padre Pio. He was Federico Abresch, a convert of Padre Pio. Federico spoke at length with Luisa. What they said we are not given to know; but one thing is certain. Federico Abresch became an apostle of the Divine Will and regularly visited Luisa, with whom he always had long conversations.

When his little son received his first communion from Padre Pio’s hands, he was also immediately taken to see Luisa who, according to the story, foretold that he would become a priest.

The small boy of that time is now a priest and works at the Congregation for Bishops in Rome; he is known by the name of Mgr. Pio Abresch.

When Luisa was condemned by the Holy Office and her works put on the Index, Padre Pio sent her this message though Federico Abresch: “Dear Luisa, saints serve for the good of souls, but their suffering knows no bounds“. At that time Padre Pio was also in very great difficulties.

Blessed Padre Pio sent many people to Luisa Piccarreta and would say to the people of Corato who went to San Giovanni Rotondo: “What have you come here for? You have Luisa, go to her“.

Padre Pio recommended to certain of his faithful (including Federico Abresch) that they open a spirituality center at San Giovanni Rotondo, inspired by the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta.

Miss Adriana Pallotti (a spiritual daughter of Padre Pio) is currently an heir to Padre Pio’s wishes. She has opened a House of the Divine Will at San Giovanni Rotondo, keeping alive the torch lit by Padre Pio with Federico Abresch. Miss Adriana Pallotti says that it was Blessed Padre Pio who encouraged her to spread Luisa Piccarreta’s spirituality in San Giovanni Rotondo and to help disseminate the Divine Will throughout the world, as Padre Pio desired.

Aunt Rosaria went regularly to San Giovanni Rotondo, especially after Luisa’s death. Padre Pio knew her very well, and when Luisa was still alive he would ask Aunt Rosaria when he saw her: “Rosa’, how is Luisa?“.

Aunt Rosaria would answer him: “She is well!“.

After Luisa’s death, Aunt Rosaria increased her visits to San Giovanni Rotondo, in order to receive enlightenment and advice from Padre Pio.

Aunt Rosaria was the one lamp that stayed alight to resolve Luisa Piccarreta’s case regarding the sentence of the Holy Office, visiting various ecclesiastical figures and, in addition, confronting the Congregation of the Holy Office. Once she managed – it is not known how – to enter the office of the Cardinal Prefect, Ottaviani, who heard her kindly and promised to take up the case.

Indeed, a few days later, Aunt Rosaria was summoned by Archbishop Addazi of Trani, who said to her: “Miss Rosaria, I do not know whether to reprimand you or to admire you for your courage. You have faced the guard dog of the Church, the great defender of the faith, without being bitten“.

The conclusion was that permission was obtained to move Luisa’s body from the cemetery to the Church of Santa Maria Greca.

Luisa said to my aunt: “You will be my witness” and one day Padre Pio told her point-blank in his Benevento dialect: “Rosa’, va nanz, va nanz ca Luisa iè gran e u munn sarà chin di Luisa” (Rosaria, go ahead, go ahead for Luisa is great and the world will be full of Luisa). My aunt often recounted this episode, but things were not going well: everything indicated that Luisa would soon be forgotten.

After the venerated Padre Pio’s death, my aunt said one day: “Padre Pio prophesied that Luisa would be known throughout the world“. And she repeated the phrase Padre Pio had said in his dialect.

I answered that there would be no easy solution to the case of Luisa Piccarreta Indeed nothing further was said of it in Corato either, and Padre Pio’s words could have been considered merely a comforting remark. But Aunt Rosaria retorted: “No! During my confession Padre Pio told me that Luisa is not a human factor, she is a work of God and he himself will make her emerge. The world will be astounded at her greatness; not many years will pass before this happens. The new millennium will see Luisa’s light“.

I was silent at this assertion and my aunt asked me: “But do you believe in Luisa?.

I answered her that I did.

Then she said to me: “Come to my house in a few days’ time, because I have something very important to tell you“.

It was during the 70s and Padre Pio had been dead for a several years.

 

ADRIANA PALLOTTI FOUNDER OF THE “HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR THE KINGDOM OF THE DIVINE WILL”

 

Adriana Pallotti

 ADRIANA PALLOTTI

 Adriana Pallotti is a wonderful lady who lives in San Giovanni Rotondo (Foggia – Italy), where she founded the “House of Prayer for the Kingdom of the Divine Will”. She is originally from Modena (Northern Italy), but she moved to San Giovanni Rotondo many years ago, “..to live close to Padre Pio..”, as she says. Padre Pio, then, became her Confessor and Spiritual Director.

In San Giovanni Rotondo, she attended the Cenacles of Federico Abresch on the Divine Will, when Luisa was still alive.

During the 40’s, Federico Abresch became a close friend and disciple of Luisa. He used to visit her house and learn,

directly from her and from her manuscripts, of the Sublime Truths of Living in the Divine Will. He also exchanged

frequent correspondence with Luisa. Federico Abresch, a Franciscan Tertiary. Complying with wishes of Padre Pio of

Pietrelcina, he was the first apostle of the Divine Will in S. Giovanni Rotondo and did much to spread Luisa Piccarreta’s

In the following interview, made in 1994 on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Transit into Heaven of Luisa

Piccarreta, Miss Adriana Pallotti gives clear testimony on the fact that Padre Pio knew and loved Luisa and her Writings.

She also gives wonderful testimony on the conversion of Federico Abresch through Padre Pio, on the First “Divine Will”

Cenacle in the San Giovanni Rotondo, and on direct and specific comments of Padre Pio regarding the spreading of the

writings of Luisa.

In San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy with Padre Bucci

  

Andriana Pallotti with Fr. Bucci

Interview with Andriana Pallotti at San Giovanni Rotondo – Foggia – Italy

Legenda:

Interviewer = I Adriana Pallotti = AP 

I – Well. Adriana, we are very happy to have you with us today, to witness to the world, which is getting to know Luisa.

We know that you are very important in this process, since you have been one of the first and most persevering persons to

spread this message, so important for the world. We would like to hear from you a little bit about your story. Let’s start

from the beginning, when you came here to San Giovanni Rotondo. How did you begin your growth under the guidance

of Padre Pio, and then, your first meetings with Federico Abresch?

AP – I came to live here, in San Giovanni Rotondo in 1945, when I heard from some friends that here there was a saint, so

great, so holy, and with the stigmata. I decided to leave the house of my father and all my things to come here, to live in

poverty close to Padre Pio. After a few years, I met Federico Abresch, who was a German man, converted by Padre Pio.

He had come to live in San Giovanni.

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I – Wasn’t Federico a doctor, from Bologna?

AP – No. Federico was a photographer, who had established his laboratory in Bologna.

I – …And how did he arrive here?

AP – He was here because a friend of his invited him to come and visit this great saint. He didn’t know him, but he came

out of curiosity. As soon as his eyes met the eyes of Padre Pio, his heart was touched and he felt the desire to kneel at

Padre Pio’s feet. And Padre Pio told him: ‘What are you doing here after so many years without going to Confession?!’

He said: ‘Father, please help me!’

And Padre Pio: ‘Start from your last Confession!… No, I don’t mean this confession now… I mean from your last

Confession before you got married!’ So he started his new Confession and then, touched by the words of Padre Pio, he

was converted. After his conversion, he started to go around in search for spiritual things and beautiful souls. He heard

that there was a saint in Corato, bedridden for 70 years, so he went to visit this soul, who began to talk to him about

beautiful spiritual things on the Divine Will. He was very touched, and continued to visit Luisa with the permission of

Padre Pio. Luisa continued to talk to him about living in the Divine Will, and he wrote notes.

Sometimes, he saw her when she received the stigmata. One day, he was visiting Luisa and saw her bed shaking. He

asked: ‘What’s happening?’ And Luisa said: ‘I suffer, I suffer! – but gladly!’ She was suffering the Passion of Jesus.

Abresch went to her very often, also with his little son Pio, who was three years old. He asked: ‘So, what are we going to

do with this little boy… a Priest?’ And Luisa said: ‘Eh, eh, let’s pray.’ In fact, Pio became a priest and now he is in the

Vatican. Abresch always continued to go to her. He learned from her diaries, which she wrote at night. He would copy

them and then return them to Luisa. We learned this spirituality from him, since he always continued to keep these

I – So he started his first little cenacles…

AP – Yes, at night we used to go and listen to his talks about Luisa. We were enthusiastic! I couldn’t wait to go there,

every Saturday night. We were about 5 or 6. He spoke every week for one hour and a half, but we never wanted him to

stop, so much we loved this spirituality! It was about to give our human will to God, and to receive His Will in exchange,

so as to become divinized… In hearing this, we felt that we had found Paradise on earth! We were enthusiastic, and Padre

Pio was happy too.

Once I asked Padre Pio: ‘Father, is it good for me to listen, write and print the writings of Luisa Piccarreta? And he said:

‘Yes! Repeat it!’ So, I asked again: ‘Father, can I give some money to Andrea Magnifico to buy the equipment to print the

books of Luisa? And he again: ‘Yes!!!’ So I understood that it was really the Will of God to have the writings

printed…and we did it.

I – In which year did Federico start these conferences?

AP – Before I came, in 1945, he had already started with another group.

I – So, Luisa was still alive…

AP – ….yes, Luisa was still living.

I – …so, you started during the 50’s…

AP – …Yes, I started from the 50’s to talk about Luisa in my home to my guests. All were enthusiastic about this

spirituality of the Divine Will…

I – Who were some of the other souls?…You and who else?..

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AP – There was a certain Giulietta Marchi from Bologna…She was very happy… Jesus spoke to this beautiful soul… She

died all of a sudden, after many years in which we were going together to Abresch. Before dying she told me: ‘Adriana,

you must get some tapes and record all that Abresch says, because in the future you will have to talk about this

spirituality…. The Lord wants this, because He wants to free us from the misery of the human will, in order for us to live

in a divine manner!…

I – Tell us about Andrea. When did you meet him?

AP – Andrea Magnifico from Milan came to my home to “change air.” I told him that we were going to listen to Abresch

who spoke about the spirituality of a certain Luisa from Corato, who lived in bed for many years…. and that the

spirituality that Jesus taught to Luisa was so sublime and so great that we felt that were living in Heaven,.. no longer on

earth! He said: ‘I want to come and listen’ And after he came he said: ‘Oh Finally! I had asked St. Joseph to let me know

if there was something, in the spiritual life, much greater than the things I knew…. And here it is! St. Joseph is now letting

me discover this great novelty….much greater than anything else

I – …So he started to make copies of the books…

AP – Yes, he started with photocopies, which we gave to many people… and we started to distribute them also to Priests

and others. Many souls followed them and were very happy about these spiritual lessons which Jesus had given to Luisa,

and which – through Luisa – we were able to know.

I – Are there other things that – as you remember – Padre Pio said about the DivineWill? Did you talk with Padre Pio

about Luisa?

AP – Yes, I asked him if it was a good thing to get a recorder in order to tape the writings of Luisa….and I went to Milan

to buy a recorder, because here I couldn’t find a good one… I asked him and he said: ‘Yes!!!’ After this other positive

answer…I went to Milan to get it.

I – …So he was aware of this…

AP – Yes, yes, yes, very much… Even more, among the young people who came to Abresch to listen to the lessons on the

Divine Will, one of them told us that he went to Confession to Padre Pio, asking him: ‘Father, is it true that the Blessed

Mother is Great not because She has been the Mother of God,.. for her virginity…her being Immaculate, but because – as

Luisa says in the writings – She never did Her human will, but only and exclusively the Will of God?’ Padre Pio

answered: ‘Yes, my son, this is the truth! This is the truth!’ And he continued: ‘Father, allow me to ask you one more

thing. Is it true that Jesus would have remained on the Cross even till the end of the world in order to save the humanity?…

And that His Cross is long as much as the centuries, and large as much as humanity?’ And Padre Pio: ‘Yes, my son, this is

the truth! This is the truth!’ And he said: ‘Father, please, can we hug each other?’ And they hugged.

I – Adriana, you have been reading about this spirituality, teaching it to many people, for years. What does this spirituality

of Luisa mean to you?

AP – It means that as we give to the Lord our own will, and we no longer use it, receiving His Will in exchange, we feel

such an interior peace that we are able to bear things that, humanly speaking, we were not able to suffer. But with His

Divine Will, the Lord gives us His Power, His Divine Power…His Creative Power.

I – He says that these writings will renew the face of the earth…

AP – …we will live on earth as the Blessed in Heaven…. It is the fulfillment of the Our Father!

I – …so, in you opinion, this is the future of the Church…

AP – Yes, in the writings of Luisa it is said that when the Church will possess them, there will be a fire within the

Church… It will be that same fire which the Gospel talks about: ‘They came to bring the fire on earth. Oh, how I wish that

it could be already burning…’ This is the fire of the Divine Will!!!

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I – …and do you think that Luisa herself is important in this? I mean, is it possible for people to know the Divine Will

without knowing Luisa?

AP – The two things go together!

I – Is Luisa a saint?

AP – … remaining in bed for all those years, writing all these things…Of course!! We know from Abresch, who knew

Luisa personally, that Jesus Himself called her “My Divine Luisa… I exalted her up to the highest Seraphim”

I – Will she be Canonized, in your opinion?

AP – It might be that the Lord does not need this, since He is already glorified if we live this spirituality. If we do it, this is

His Glory! But it is up to us to live this spirituality…so that It may open its ways. In this way Luisa is “ipso facto” (by

fact) a Saint!

I – Well. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? What would be your advice to someone who has just heard about

the Divine Will for the first time?

AP – If these souls have sufferings, problems and many other things, they can say the Lord: ‘Lord, I can do nothing, but I

know that You can do everything. Take my will, and come to act in me,…to work, to walk, to breathe, to suffer in me…’

As we empty ourselves and let Him do, our lives become more simple,… and perfect. It will be easier to proceed along

the path of this life.

I – Are you happy to have known this spirituality?

AP – It has been the greatest grace I have received on this earth. Even greater than knowing Padre Pio, who has been a

great Confessor and Spiritual Director,… But with this spirituality we become divinized. We find this also in the Gospel,

but Jesus teaches this to Luisa with many examples, which make it easy and attractive. This is the greatest grace for us,

which allows us to bear and suffer things that we could not bear before; but with the suffering of Jesus within us,

everything becomes easy!

I – Very well Adriana. May God bless you always. Thank you.

AP – Thank you.

I – Adriana, do you know whether Padre Pio did ever read any of the writings of Luisa?

AP – One lady who went to Confession to Padre Pio told him that she had read the Hours of the Passion. Padre Pio said: ‘I

read it four times! Oh, how beautiful! And now, another one is about to come out – about the Blessed Virgin in the

Kingdom. Oh, how beautiful that one too!’ So, Padre Pio was aware of everything that came from Luisa’s hands.

I – Is it possible that he was reading the Hour of the Passion when he received the stigmata?

AP – It is possible. It is said that they found a “pool of his tears” on the floor of the Chapel, when he meditated on the

I – Adriana, do you know whether any vocations matured from the conferences of Federico Abresch?

P – Yes, many vocations! For example there was a young lady, who left her boyfriend to become a cloistered nun. When

Padre Pio told her that those things were the truth, she said: ‘So, what am I doing here in the world? I want to be in a

Convent and lead a cloistered life.’ So she went and died in the Convent. Also, other young people, when they heard

Abresch talking about this spirituality – which is living on earth as the Saints and the Blessed live in Heaven – decided to

become priests or monks…. Yes, listening to Abresch… saying that, as we exchange our miserable human will, which is

only capable of evil, with the Divine Will, we start living in a divine way, and our acts become like shining suns…like

stars…divine things! So they said: ‘What are doing in the world? We’d rather spend our lives thinking about these

things!!’

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