@14 Perfume, radiance, ecstasy, levitation

Whenever anyone smells the perfume it is a sign that God bestowed some grace through the intercession of Padre Pio. The scents are violets, lilies, roses, incense, or even fresh tobacco.

The perfume has always a positive value. It testifies his presence as an approval for something going on, a warning of approaching danger, appeal against sin and temptation, message of comfort to a soul in distress, an answer to a cry for help, the announcement or the confirmation that he has heard our prayer or request.^{^[1]} ^{^[2]}

handkerchief

Padre Romolo testified in 1921: “In 1919 I passed by this convent. Padre Pio was accompanying the bishop of Melfi outside the convent. His handkerchief fell. A friar who picked it up gave it to me. I took it to my convent in Umbria. The handkerchief was for twenty days in my suitcase. When I opened it, after such a long time it still had the scent in all its intensity.”^{^[3]}

Bandage

Padre Romolo: “In the small drawer of the nightstand in my cell there was a bandage from Padre Pio’s side. This small drawer has been in my cell for a year now, and every time I open it I notice Padre Pio’s scent.”^{^[4]}

Precipice

Grazia Formichelli, the midwife who delivered the future Padre Pio, reported: “I was on the mountain picking berries and was walking backwards. Suddenly I smelled the perfume of Padre Pio. I lifted my head, turned around, and saw behind me a steep precipice. Another step and I had fallen into it.”^{^[5]}

Domenico Tognola of Zurich, Switzerland wrote to the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo: “One morning I awoke and had a strong odor of violets, roses, and lilies. I recognized it as associated with Padre Pio and wondered what it could mean. I understood its meaning when the postman brought me a letter from my brother whom I had not seen in thirty two years, and had presumed dead. I had been praying to Padre Pio for any kind of news concerning my brother, and this was an answer to my prayer.”^{^[6]}

Gian Carlo Pedriali wrote a book on Padre Pio called “I have seen Padre Pio”. He described what happened when he went, out of curiosity, to see Padre Pio: “I was standing in the church with my young son, when I first saw him being greeted by a crown of people. I was some distance away when all at once a sharp and pleasant odor invaded my nostrils. At the same time my son pulled at my sleeve, asking what the perfume was.”^{^[7]}

James Bulmann, an American seminarian, one morning had the privilege of serving Padre Pio’s Mass. Afterwards, he told the friars: “While answering the prayers at the foot of the altar, I noticed a beautiful perfume, the likes of which I have never smelled before. I had come with little knowledge of Padre Pio and did not know of this phenomenon.”^{^[8]}

Ginette Estebe from Royan, France, reported: “I was paralyzed on my left side, arms and legs; and the face was drawn and deformed. Eighteen doctors had told me that I was incurable. One day I was told about Padre Pio. I decided to write him a letter. It took three days to write the letter with my right hand.

After I sent the letter I found that I could move my arms, hands, and legs. After a short time I was entirely healed.

I went to thank Padre Pio. I was in a hall with a crowd of many other people. He recognized me, and beckoned me to him. He blessed me and put his hand on my head.”^{^[10]}

Padre Clemente lived for 26 years in the convent, and was confessor and friend of Padre Pio. He testified that on October 3, 1923, while approaching padre Pio he was "surrounded by an intense perfume of violets, so intense that I was almost overcome. So it was for about ten minutes."

Padre Clemente also reported: "I was bringing the Holy Communion to the home of Dr. Sanguinetti, who was sick. When I rang the bell I found myself surrounded by a strong perfume.

Back to the Friary I told the story to Padre Pio and asked him, "Padre, why did you make me smell your perfume?" Padre Pio replied: "Because I’m so fond of you."^{^[11]}

A woman from Switzerland convinced her son to visit Padre Pio with her. He agreed, with the condition that he would not have to kiss his hand: “These are things of Middle Ages.”

After the confession he kissed Padre Pio’s hand without thinking about what he had said to his mom.

When he went to his mom few moments later she noted that his lip were markedly swollen and blue. When he tried to explain, his breath had a strong perfume of violets.

Sao Paulo, Brazil

Carlo Campanini, the Italian comedian, was standing in line to confess in Sao Paulo. He was tormented by the fact that he didn’t know the language, and prayed Padre Pio for help. An empty confessional opened, and a priest, pointing at him said in perfect Italian: “Sir, do you wish to confess? Please, come.” After confession, while doing the penance, Campanini was thinking how the priest knew that he was Italian. At that moment “a wave of perfume” made him understand what had really happened.[12]

Fra Modestino, the doorkeeper of the convent, reported: “I was serving Padre Pio's Mass when I started smelling his perfume. It was so intense that I was about to faint, and mentally asked him to stop. The perfume stopped.

Later I asked Padre Pio about it. "My son it's not me. It's the Lord. He decides who smells it, and when. Everything happens if and when He wants."^{^[13]}

A woman involved in an accident broke arm and shoulder, and after 3 years of surgeries the doctors said that she would never be able to use her arm. She wants to Padre Pio. He said: "Don't despair. The arm will recover." She went back home. No improvement.

3 months later, on September 17, 1930, feast day of the wounds of St. Francis, she and all in the family, and the neighbors smelled a strong perfume of daffodils and roses. It lasted about 15 minutes. The arm returned normal. The radiographs showed no abnormality in the bones and cartilages.

Alberto del Fante, a writer, has promised Padre Pio to make the sign of the Cross and say a prayer before starting to work. On February 28, 1931 he started writing an essay without first signing himself. He suddenly smelled incense. He called wife, children and maid, asking them if they smelled anything. They were smelling incense. He got the message.

A woman testified: "My husband was taken to the hospital in Taranto with life threatening injuries after a car accident. After several days of no improvement I prayed Padre Pio. I smelled a marvelous perfume of lily. From then on my husband made a fast recovery.”

On October 1949 Maria Galiano was about to die from uterine adenocarcinoma. The daughter sent a telegram and 2 letters to Padre Pio. On April 29 1950 Maria smelled an intense perfume. It lasted for 2 days. The third day she felt healed. The doctors run tests and found that the tumor has completely disappeared.”

The Bishop Carlo Rossi was sent to investigate Padre Pio in 1921. He was particularly impressed by the perfume, and examined the cell and found only plain soap. “This very intense and pleasant fragrance, similar to the scent of violet, I have smelled it. It is sensed in waves, when he walks by, in his spot in the choir, even from a distance. The scent remained with hair of Padre Pio’s that had been cut two years before, as it also attached itself to the stigmatic blood and bandages.”^{^[14]}

On July 1930, 24 years old Giuseppina Marchetti had her right arm and shoulder badly crashed in an accident. Several doctors couldn't help. She went to Padre Pio with her father. Padre Pio told her: "You will recover." Back home, on September 17, 1932 father and daughter smelled an intense perfume of daffodils and roses lasting 15 minutes. She felt healed. An x-ray was perfectly normal. ^{^[15]} ^{^[16]} ^{^[17]} ^{^[18]} ^{^[19]}

Robert Hopcke, a Lutheran seminarian, was attending a Catholic Mass with his friend Vincenzo Mandato.

Robert reported: “I remember smelling very distinctly a strong odor of roses just before the homily, It went away, and then it came back during the Creed. It faded and came back during the Consecration of the Host.” Robert looked around but there was no woman nearby, and no flowers, and the candles were far away.

After Mass Vincenzo asked Robert: “Did you smell anything during Mass?” They had had the same experience. Later Robert wanted to report the episode to Vincenzo’s father, Mr. Mandato, who had known Padre Pio well.

Mr. Mandato explained in detail about the perfume of Padre Pio that Robert had smelled. Robert concluded: “I cannot deny that, before I even spoke of what I smelled, Mr. Mandato had described it perfectly.”^{^[20]}

“On my first visit I took from Padre Pio a small cloth stained with blood, to do a microscopic examination back in Rome. I am entirely deprived of the sense of smell, but the persons that were with me in the car smelled a fragrance very distinctly, and said that it corresponded to the perfume emanating from Padre Pio. They didn’t know that I had the cloth, enclosed in a case.”

“In Rome, I conserved the cloth in a cabinet in my study. The room was frequently filled with perfume, and many patients spontaneously asked me what the origin of the perfume was.”^{^[21]} ^{^[22]} ^{^[23]}

On the 19th of September 1968, four days before Padre Pio’ death, Padre Alberto D’Apolito was present when a spiritual son brought Pio a bouquet of roses for the 50th anniversary of his stigmata. Padre Pio asked the spiritual son to take one of the roses to the shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii. He did so.

One of the Sisters at the shrine placed the rose in a vase with other flowers. On the 23rd, when Padre Pio died, the Sister saw that the vase of flowers had withered and was about to throw them out when she noticed that the Padre Pio rose "had closed and become a fresh and perfumed bud again." The rose was placed in a glass container. ^{^[24]}

A year later, when Padre Alberto went on a pilgrimage to Pompeii, he and his group saw the rose "preserved in its container, still fresh, with the stem slightly yellowed."^{^[25]}

The Miscony family

Dr. Zuhair Yusuf Miscony, his wife dr. Myriam, and daughter Zena, all Catholics of the Syrian Rite in Iraq, moved to London. In July 1989 they were given a prayer card with the relic of Padre Pio. They said the prayer every day.

One evening Dr. Miscony, on his way home from the University College Hospital, was hit by a motorcycle, “thrown about fifteen feet in the air and landed on the road again with a mighty thud”.

The motorcyclist tried to help, but Dr. Miscony stood up and said he was fine, and went home. His wife and daughter, told of the accident, rushed him to the hospital to be examined for possible internal injuries.

Back home, one evening Dr. Miscony was watching a video on Padre Pio when he smelled “like a sphere of perfume in the middle of the room. Like lilies but more beautiful.”

Half hour later, Myriam and Zena returned home and were “immediately struck by the perfume, entering the TV room. Miriam said: “He’s here.” All three ”checked every bottle but none was producing the perfume they smelled.” The perfume “lasted from 6 PM to around midnight.”[26]

Don Pierino and friends

Don Pierino Galeone asked Padre Pio if he would have lunch with him and his friends. Padre Pio: “Yes, I’ll join you.” Don Pierino: “Once at the table, a strong perfume inundated the room, and everybody smelled it. I lasted only for few bites. Back to the convent I thanked Padre Pio and asked why he had left so soon.” Padre Pio: “My son it was too hot in the room.”[27]

Don Pierino

Don Pierino asked Padre Pio to be present the day of his ordination to priesthood. Don Pierino: “I was prostrated at the altar when I started smelling the strong perfume of Padre Pio. It continued unabated during the whole time of the liturgical ceremony.”[28]

Lauro Bonaguro

Lauro Bonaguro from Ferrara in 1998 had a stroke. He was paralyzed on right side, with speech difficulties. After a month in the hospital he went home, still unable to walk or raise his arm, with sharp pains. On May 2, 1999, while watching the ceremony of beatification on TV, he and his wife smelled a strong perfume “almost suffocating”. The wife went everywhere in the house and in the garden. There was no explanation. At the moment of the unveiling of the image of Padre Pio the perfume become even stronger. It ended after several minutes. A little later Lauro’s wife saw him standing in the bathroom , and combing his hair. He hadn’t realized that he was walking normally, and using the right arm as he used to. He started working again.[29]

Padre Pellegrino

"The night that Padre Pio died dr. Sala was with me. We smelled the perfume. I can’t explain what kind of perfume was, but I can say that it was very intense.”[30]

“As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant the skin of his face had become radiant.” Exodus, 34:29

Transfiguration: “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.” Mt. 17:2

Padre Raffaele da Sant’Elia a Pianisi wrote that on August 19, 1919, he was staying in the convent in a cell not far from the one of Padre Pio. It was very hot and he couldn’t sleep.

Around midnight he got up and was getting out of the cell in the dark, when he saw Padre Pio, radiant in light, holding Baby Jesus. Padre Pio walked the hallway going towards his cell, passing by the cell of Padre Raffaele. Padre Pio didn’t realize that Padre Raffaele was watching.^{^[31]} ^{^[32]} ^{^[33]}

The night of Christmas Eve December 24, 1922, Lucia Iadanza and 3 other women had been preparing the altar for the Midnight Mass. When they finished they sat around a brazier, waiting for the time of the celebration.

While the other three women were dozing, Lucia saw Padre Pio coming downstairs in the sacristy. He was "radiant in a brazing light," holding Baby Jesus in his arms.

When Padre Pio went close to the women around the brazier the vision had disappeared. Padre Pio then saw Lucia looking at him in amazement. He said: “Lucia, what did you see?” Lucia: “Father, I saw everything.” Padre Pio: “Don’t tell anybody.”^{^[34]} ^{^[35]}

Padre Agostino Daniele reported in his diary on April 8, 1946: ”The farmer Nicola Pazienza living not far from the convent, told me that one summer night he saw from his yard Padre Pio’s room resplendent in a light brighter that the sun, and Padre Pio was in this light. I checked that yard, and from there Padre Pio’s window is clearly visible.”^{^[36]} ^{^[37]}

Dr. Giorgio Festa reported that during the surgery performed on Padre Pio in 1925, he had the opportunity to see one of his wounds, and “from the edges emanated brief but evident luminous radiations.”^{^[38]}

Cleonice Morcaldi reported that a young university student accompanied his fiancée to the convent, and she invited him to see the Mass of Padre Pio. He did, and they come back for several days sitting always in the same spot.

One day the fiancée told Cleonice in secret that since the first day he was seeing, at every Mass, Padre Pio in a dazzling light, with a mass of thorns on his head, and blood flowing on his face.

After Mass he told Padre Pio about it. Padre Pio: “Thank the Lord, don’t be shocked because I don’t suffer as much as it seems. Don’t tell anybody. The Lord loves you. Be always faithful to him.”

Cleonice asked Padre Pio if that was true. He replied: “And you doubt about it?” ^{^[39]} ^{^[40]}

Enrico Cerioni

Enrico Cerioni was present at a Mass of Padre Pio. Upon his return to Rome he wrote a letter to Fra’ Daniele Natale about his experience. Fra’ Daniele showed the letter to Padre Pio asking if Enrico had written the truth. Padre Pio confirmed.

Enrico Cerioni wrote: “I saw two rows on Angels coming out of the sacristy in front of Padre Pio. He reached the altar while God’s Mother took place at his side. As soon as the Mass started, Padre Pio become full of light and remained so all through the celebration. At the Elevation of the Host Jesus appeared and he blended with Padre Pio. It was difficult for me to distinguish the two people. During the Communion the fusion became complete.”[42]

Giant

Fra Daniele Natale and Padre Agostino were praying in the choir, when the door opened, and Padre Pio came in. Fra Daniele: “I became breathless because I saw a giant, an enormous man coming the door. I had never seen Padre Pio like that before. He was tall. He was as tall as the Crucifix in the choir. He knelt down at his usual place and stayed motionless for about fifteen minutes. Then he got up, but what a transformation! He seemed so and aged. I went towards Padre Agostino to ask him if he had seen the same thing. He had, and added: “We will never understand who Padre Pio is.””[43]

Since infancy Padre Pio had visual contact with the guardian Angel, which helped him, and by the devils, which tormented him.

In a letter on December 13, 1912: “The companion of my infancy tries to alleviate the pain inflicted on me by those impure apostates.”^{^[44]}

By age five Padre Pio saw frequently Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Francis.^{^[45]} ^{^[46]}

In the letter to padre Agostino on January 18, 1913: “I am the amusement of Baby Jesus. I’m sorry that He has chosen a toy of no value.”^{^[47]}

In 1916 Antonietta Pompilo asked Padre Pio how to meditate. She reported that during the conversation “He started talking about the agony in the Gethsemane, and then he went in ecstasy. For about an hour he stayed with the eyes closed, without moving. Then he returned normal and said: "God be blessed. Let's continue."

Padre Costantino reported that he, with the architect Antonio Gentile and his son, were conversing in Padre Pio’s room.

The young man asked Padre Pio: “What do you see when you distribute the Holy Communion to the people? You stare at the host in that manner!”

Mons. Rossi asked formally Padre Pio: “Does anything mystical happen to you during you prayers?”

Padre Pio: “Yes. I have visions of heavenly persons: of Our Lord, of Our Lady, of Saint Francis.” ^{^[49]}

Padre Tarcisio Zullo da Cervinara and Padre Mariano da Magliano Santa Croce were in Padre Pio’s room. They took the courage and asked him: 'Father, is the Madonna at this moment in this room?'

Padre Pio's answer: "Wrong formulation. You should have asked 'Did the Madonna ever leave this room?' "^{^[50]}

Maria Cassano confessed weekly with Padre Pio and went daily to his mass. During confession: “Padre, last time I was here I didn’t understand what you meant to say. I made you suffer terribly.”

Padre Pio: “And you went off and told everybody about it right away,” he said accusingly. “No, Padre, this was something we discussed in confession. It was secret. I didn’t tell anyone. I only invoked the Madonna and the saints.”

Padre Pio: “So you think it’s a small thing to turn Paradise upside-down?"^{^[51]} ^{^[52]}

Cleonice Morcaldi: “At Christmas the face of Padre Pio was transformed. He was in continual ecstasy. Like Saint Francis, he was seeing a live Baby Jesus, as he was in the grotto of Bethlehem. He celebrated the three Christmas Masses one after the other in the same night. He cried a lot. He said: “In the grotto Baby Jesus cried, suffered, and with him suffered Mary and Joseph. Outside, the angels and the shepherd were singing and were joyful. But it is betted to make company to Jesus.”^{^[53]}

Padre Damaso da Sant’Elia a Pianisi, superior of the convent, testified: “During WWII several pilots of the Anglo America Air Force, after September 8, 1943 were in the Bari area for a missions on the Italian territory. They were from different nationalities, and of different religions (Catholics, Orthodox, Muslims, Protestants, Jewish). They reported a sensational episode.

Every time that the pilots approached the area of Gargano, near San Giovanni Rotondo, they saw a friar in the sky, forbidding them to drop the bomb there.

Foggia and almost all the towns in Puglia were bombed several times, but on San Giovanni Rotondo not a single bomb fell.

Direct witness of this event was the General of the Italia Air Force Bernardo Rosini, who was operating at that time in Bary with the Anglo American Allied forces.

General Rosini reported to me that they were talking about this friar who appeared in the sky stretching out his hands and forceing the planes to turn back.

Since the reports kept repeating, always with different pilots, the Commanding General decided to intervene personally.

He took command of a squadron of bombers with the intention to destroy a deposit of German supplies, signaled in San Giovanni Rotondo. When the squadron came back the general was devastated.

He reported that when they were near the target, he and his pilots had seen raise in the sky a friar with his hands stretched. The bombs got loose from the plains falling in open areas, and the planes made a sharp turn to return to base without the pilots intervening.

Everybody talked to everybody else about the happening, and wanted to know who that friar was.

After the war the General was told about Padre Pio and decided to visit him with some of the pilots in that squadron. The pilots immediately recognized Padre Pio.

When Padre Pio saw the general he told him: "So you are the one that wanted to destroy everything."

Padre Andrea D'Ascanio testified: "The sacristy was full of people and they were looking at the door from were Padre Pio had to go to the confessional. There was no way that Padre Pio could reach the confessional walking through such a large crowd. The door didn't open, and I saw Padre Pio walking over the heads of those people and go to the confessional. Later I asked him about it. Padre Pio: "I assure you, my son; it was like walking over bricks."

Answering a specific formal question by Mons. Rossi, Padre Pio confirmed that one day he left the confessional of men, walking over their heads: “The sacristy was overcrowded with men, it was hot; we were suffocating. I saw that the best thing was to leave, so that they would leave too. I remember that there was no room to walk: I had to step over those men; then I found myself outside. From there I turned, and sent them away.”^{^[64]}

Don Pierino

Don Pierino Galeone: “After the confession of the women, around 11:30 in the morning, Padre Pio opened the little door of the confessional, stood on the step, and looked around. The church war crowded with people waiting for him to pass. There was no room to move around. I was near the major altar, on the right. All of a sudden I saw Padre Pio raised about two yards from the floor. There was some sort of clouds around him. that enveloped him totally. The friars looked for him but they couldn’t find him. He had disappeared. In the afternoon the friars asked Padre Pio for an explanation. Padre Pio: “This morning, standing outside the confessional I felt dizzy, and fearing to fall to the ground I asked the angels to help me in the embarrassing situation. They helped me to walk over the heads of the people. How hard are those heads! Harder than briks!”[65]

Brother Bill Martin, later Father Joseph Pius, from Brooklyn, New York, helped Padre Pio last three years (1965-1968). He caught Padre Pio falling in his last Mass.

He reported: "It was near the end of Padre Pio's life. Another brother and I were helping him to the altar. He was going to say Mass. I remember thinking 'Why his weight on my arm feels like nothing at all." That's when I looked at the floor. Padre Pio's feet were six inches off the ground. He was just gliding. He was levitating on his way to say Mass. I exchanged a glance with the other monk. We had come to the same realization at about the same time. We never spoke about it. We just knew."^{^[66]}

Padre Placido Bux, former classmate of Padre Pio, was dying in the hospital of San Severo. One night he saw Padre Pio at his bedside encouraging him to have patience. He then saw Padre Pio place his hand on the glass window and disappear outside the window.

In the morning he saw the imprint of a hand on the windowpane. He told the story to all around him. The news spread and a lot of staff and other people came to see the imprint.

Padre Piergiuliano, superior of the convent of San Severo, was called, and he reprimanded Padre Placido. Every attempt was made with detergents to clean the window. Padre Alberto, superior of San Giovanni Rotondo was called. He didn’t believe the story. Padre Placido told him to ask directly Padre Pio, since he was his superior.

Back in the convent Padre Alberto approached Padre Pio, but before he could say a word Padre Pio asked: “How is Padre Placido?” Padre Alberto told him the story of Padre Placido. Padre Pio replied: “And you, do you doubt it?” Padre Placido recovered completely from his illness.^{^[67]} ^{^[68]} ^{^[69]}

Dr. Sala, Padre Pio’s physician, one evening was traversing the square in front of the church, when he saw Padre Pio making his way to the convent entrance. He said “Good evening” but had no answer, and Padre Pio passed calmly through the unopened door and disappeared. The day after: “Padre, I greeted you last night when you walked in the square, and through the door, but you didn’t answer.” “Oh! Evidently I didn’t hear you.”^{^[70]}

[1] Mor73, 31-54

[2] Mal02, 232-4

[3] Cas11, 191

[4] Cas11, 191

[5] Gau74, 71

[6] Gau74, 71

[7] Gau74, 71

[8] Gau74, 71-2

[9] Gau74, xiv-xv

[10] Gau74, xiii

[11] Ing78, 94-5

[12] Ias07, 530-1

[13] Mod01, 55-6

[14] Cas11, 124-6

[15] Win88, 118

[16] Mor73, 165-6

[17] Cat91, 134-5

[18] Del62, 120

[19] Nap76, 138

[20] Ruf91, 320-1

[21] Cap12, 268-9

[22] Win88, 115-6

[23] Win88, 115-6

[24] Nap78,223

[25] Alb07, 387-9

[26] Gal95, 224-6

[27] Gal09, 74-5

[28] Gal09, 74-5

[29] Ias97, 657-9

[30] Positio II, 239

[31] Raffaele manuscript

[32] Cap12, 275

[33] Con01, 166

[34] Mod01, 41

[35] Cap12, 275

[36] Cap12, 277-8

[37] Ago12, 189

[38] Cap12, 277

[39] Mor97 45-6

[40] Sch87, 92

[41] Alb07, 109-11

[42] Ias07, 668-9

[43] Ias07, 591-2

[44] Epist. I, 321

[45] Ago12,29

[46] Ago12, 53

[47] Epist. I, 331

[48] Cap06, 246-7

[49] Cas11, 221

[50] Ing78, 136

[51] Duc83, 124

[52] Mal97, 198

[53] Mor97, 168

[54] Positio III/1, 689-690

[55] Mor73, 25-7

[56] Reg05, 202-211

[57] McC78, 31-2

[58] Sch87, 80-4

[59] Ruf91, 249-53

[60] Cap12, 196-9

[61] Cov07, 93-4

[62] Mod01, 57-8

[63] Cap06, 74-5

[64] Cas11,220

[65] Gal09, 72-4

[66] Sta07, 4-6

[67] Jng78, 91-2

[68] Ruf91, 328

[69] Alb07, 152-6

[70] Bru70, 26

handkerchief

Bandage

Precipice

Sao Paulo, Brazil

The Miscony family

Don Pierino and friends

Don Pierino

Lauro Bonaguro

Padre Pellegrino

Enrico Cerioni

Giant

Don Pierino

Bibliography