THE LIFE OF PADRE PIO
Between the Altar and the Confessional
Author: Gennaro Preziuso
Translated & Edited by: Jordan Aumann, OP
Copyright: 2000
First Printed: 12-13-1999
Padre Pio, Capuchin priest, stigmatist and “humble friar who prays” is one of the most fascinating figures of the twentieth century. Among the countless writings dedicated to telling his story each year, the present biography stands out for its thoroughness and the hitherto unknown information about him which it provides. For the most part it makes use of his own diary and the sworn testimony of those who lived with him and knew him best to reconstruct the details of his long and fruitful life.
Gennaro Preziuso was given extraordinary access to these materials having collaborated in the diocesan process that studied the life and virtues of this famous Capuchin friar. He was thus able to uncover the roots of Padre Pio’s profound wisdom which was honed in the crucible of suffering and nurtured by his prolonged dedication to the apostolate of the confessional where he administered the sacrament of reconciliation to countless thousands of the faithful. Written thirty years after his death, this work contains the Decree regarding the heroic virtues that characterized the life of this stigmatized priest who literally spent his days between the altar and the confessional.
Padre Pio was beatified on May 2, 1999 and was canonized on June 16, 2002. Pope John Paul II presieded over both ceremonies. The feast day of St. Pio of Pietrelcina is on September 23.
About the Author: Gennaro Preziuso, journalist and author, has long studied the life and miracles of Padre Pio and is presently the Editor‑in‑Chief of the Italian newsletter Voce del Padre Pio which keeps readers throughout the world informed about the graces received through the intercession of this holy man, “the first priest to bear the stigmata.”
Book: 251 pages
ISBN-10: 0-8189-0831-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-8189-0831-6
Prod. Code: 0831-9
Reviews
"Gennaro Preziuso's Life of Padre Pio is a recently published biography of the renowned Capuchin priest, stigmatist, and confessor. Preziuso's story is made more authentic by his access to the Italian monk's own diary and to the sworn testimony of those who lived with Padre Pio and those who knew him. The author combines a scholar's love for accuracy with a storyteller's instinct for the human details that make his subject accessible to readers. The result is a biography that is at once informative and entertaining." --Clare Boehmer, ASC in Review for Religious, July-August 2000
"The Life of Padre Pio (Between the Altar and the Confessional), by Journalist and Cause Advocate, Gennaro Preziuso, translated and edited by Fr. Jordan Aumann, O.P., is a thorough biography concentrating on the subject's ministry, described as literally "between the altar and the confessional." The book gives particular emphasis to the "apostolate of the confessional." Sources include Padre Pio's diary, correspondence, and sworn testimony of close associates. Includes reference to information often glossed over, e.g., Padre Pio's great love for Scripture and the proclamation of God's Holy Word. With Chronology and select reading list." --Crux of the News, February 7, 2000
