The monastery
of San Marco la Catola was built on the ruins
of an ancient chapel in 1585, when the lord of
the town, Marquis Giambattista Pignatelli, asked
a community of Capuchin friars to establish a
base in town. The complex was closed in 1811,
reopened in 1818 and vacated again in 1867 due
to civil suppression laws. The Capuchins returned
in 1901 at the express request of the inhabitants
of San Marco la Catola. Padre Pio came to stay
here several times: in 1905-1906, when he finished
his secondary studies, and again in 1918 (April
- May). Here he met Padre Benedetto from San Marco
in Lamis, who was his Spiritual Adviser until
1922. Padre Pio's behaviour was always exemplary
and full of charity.
"The Word made flesh is everywhere surrounded
by poverty, humility, abjection and disdain, but
we, from the darkness in which this word made
flesh is enveloped, understand one thing, hear
one voice and make out one sublime truth: You
did all this out of love, You only ask us to love
our fellow-beings, You only speak of love and
all You do bears witness to your love". (Epist.
IV p. 972)
Padre Pio's Spirituality
Spiritual
school
"Let
us always trust in God, and may our lively faith and the comfort of Christian
hope assist us in this. We must pray continually, moreover, that peace may soon
smile on the nations. We should turn our thoughts to heaven, our true homeland,
of which our earthly country is but a dim image, and make every effort with the
divine assistance to preserve at all times, amidst happy or sad events, the cheerful
calm that becomes the true followers of the fair Nazarene" (Epist. I,
p. 596)
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