4 Military service of Padre Pio

Italian Army 1915-1918, age 28-31

Summary: Padre Pio drafted in the Italian Army on November 6, 1915, in the Benevento district. Caserta and Naples. 12 months convalescent leave. Foggia: Raffaelina Cerase. San Giovanni Rotondo: Lucia Fiorentino.  Trinity Hospital in Naples in 1916. To Rome with his sister Graziella Forgione. Presumed deserter. Monte Sant’Angelo. Declared able. In uniform at the Sales barracks in 1917. Giuseppina Morgera and Antonietta Vona. Luigi Cadorna. Unexplained high fevers. Discharged for double broncho-alveolitis. Umbrella. Cup of coffee. Mini paper umbrella. Paid ticket. Returns to San Giovanni Rotondo on march 18, 1918.

Images of World War I

A Capuchin friar, chaplain in WWI

Italy in WWI

Italy entered WWI on May 23, 1915. Every able body was needed, and many Capuchin friars were drafted. The convents were depleted.[1]  [2]  [3]

In letters to his spiritual director and to his friends Padre Pio gave insight in what was going on with him.[4]

Padre Pio used to refer to his military service as “My one hundred days.” In reality he spent as active duty 182 effective days in four different periods of time that he used to call “stations”, in the Italian Army.[5]

Pietrelcina, June 8, 1915: “I feel that the draft of my class 1987 is not far away. This thought concerns me a bit, because I don’t know what will happen. I am sick, I am sick of an incurable disease, according to the doctors. But, in these so sad days, who knows if the military doctors will consider me sick.”[6]

Pietrelcina, November 1, 1915: “Today the classes of ’86 and ’87 have been recruited. I am included in the ’87.”[7]

Pietrelcina, November 4, 1915: “It is two days before my departure. I feel very strong inside. I have no idea of what is going to happen to me. Jesus wants to keep me in the dark on this matter. In the military doctors, especially in my district, I find little or none humanity. My sickness is quite evident and known to all; but I fear that a painful surprise is waiting for me. I hope that the most clement God averts this lightning from my head!”[8]

Military District in Benevento  

After leaving the train station, as Gennaro Preziuso points out, Padre Pio crossed the bridge on the Calore river,

turned left towards the Trajan arch, and reached the Military District in Benevento (Pre96, 7)

In those days the Military District was located in Caserma Guidoni.

On November 6, 1915 Padre Pio, at age 28, left Pietrelcina to go to the military district in Benevento. A medical officer examined him and diagnosed him as suffering from tuberculosis. He sent him to the military hospital in Caserta for further evaluation. [9]  [10]

Military Hospital in Caserta

Caserta, November 18, 1915: “The ferocious captain doctor in Benevento visited me, and diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis, and sent me here eight days ago in the military hospital in Caserta, for further evaluation. Here the exam of the rude medical colonel was a pure formality, and he said that the new superiors in the regiment would take care of me”[11]

On December 4, 1915 he was designated recruit #12094, and assigned to the Infantry, 10^th Company of the Medical Corps, 4^th platoon, stationed in Napoli at the Sales barracks. He had to be in Naples on December 6.[12] [13] [14]

The Sales barracks became school buildings

Pietrelcina December 5, 1915: “Tomorrow I will have to leave for Napoli. I have been assigned to the 10^th medical company. This is a very hard test for me.”[15]

Napoli in 1915

The train station "Stazione Centrale" in Piazza Garibaldi at the times of Padre Pio.

Padre Pio presented himself to the barracks in Napoli, on December 6, 1915. He was not given a military uniform yet, because his status was pending, and was asked to provide meals and lodging outside the military compound, while waiting for a medical evaluation. He was staying at the pension of Maria Valillo, in Via Cappuccinelle, 18.[16] [17]

Napoli, December 12, 1915: “I have been asking for a physical exam since day one, but the captain doctor states that he is extremely busy. I am longing for the moment I can get out of this prison; I have not been assigned a military uniform yet.”[18]

Napoli, December 13, 1915: “The captain doctor is delaying day by day my exam.”[19]

Napoli, December 17, 1915: “Deo Gratias! They did moments ago a physical exam and they gave me a year of convalescent leave because of my illness: pulmonary infiltration.”[20] [21]

Pietrelcina

"La Torretta" The one room dwelling were Padre Pio lived in Pietrelcina after the ordination to priesthood.

Pietrelcina, December 20, 1915: “On Saturday the 18^th, with the help of Jesus I came back from Napoli.”[22]

The fact that Padre Pio, because of his poor health, had to stay at home in Pietrelcina and not in the convent, had his superiors feeling uneasy about it. They tried repeatedly to have him return to the conventual community life. Soon an opportunity came about to have Padre Pio to go to the Capuchin convent in Foggia.[23]

Foggia

The Capuchin convent in Foggia. The cell of Padre Pio in the convent of St. Anna in Foggia.

On January 31, 1916, Padre Agostino wrote to Padre Pio that the noblewoman Raffaelina Cerase, gravely ill, had expressed the desire to meet Padre Pio before dying. He suggested to him to make the trip to Foggia to visit her.[24]

Padre Agostino didn’t want to pick him up, because in previous occasions the people of Pietrelcina had insulted him fearing that “our little saint” would be removed from town. Padre Agostino “feared a lynching”.[25]

On February 17, 1916 Padre Pio, having agreed with the request, left Pietrelcina and reached the convent of St. Anna in Foggia. He thought that he would stay there only few days; instead he remained for about six months, until September 4, 1916, when he moved to San Giovanni Rotondo.[26]

Raffaelina Cerase

Noblewoman Raffaelina Cerase.

Raffaelina Cerase from Foggia, now Servant of God, In 1914 she started exchange of numerous letters with Padre Pio for spiritual direction. The second volume of Padre Pio’s Epistolary is all dedicated to the correspondence between Padre Pio and Raffaelina.[27]

In 1915 she became gravely ill and asked his superiors if Padre Pio could be sent to Foggia to assist her. At that time Padre Pio was at his home in Pietrelcina in convalescent leave.[28]

Raffaelina Cerase was visited daily by Padre Pio from February 17, 1916, until the day of her death on March 25, 1916.[29]  [30]

At 4:00 in the morning of the 25^th a man knocked at the door of the convent. Padre Nazareno da Arpaise opened the door. The man said that Raffaelina Cerase had died. Padre Nazareno went to tell the news Padre Pio. Padre Pio: “I know. I assisted her: she went straight to Paradise.”[31] [32]

Convent in Foggia

Church of St. Anna Capuchin convent in Foggia, and relics of Padre Pio.

While in Foggia Padre Pio usually did not join the friars for dinner. One evening the friars heard a terrible noise coming from Padre Pio’s room. They run to his room and found him beaten and prostrated. He was sweating so profusely that the undershirt looked like it had just been removed from a basin full of water. [33]

That was until the Superior ordered Padre Pio to ask the Lord to stop those noises that disturbed the peace and scared the friars. Padre Pio obediently asked, and the noises coming from the devils stopped.[34] [35] [36]

Mons. Andrea D'Agostino

On another evening, as reported by Padre Paolino da Casacalenda, Mons. Andrea D’Agostino, Bishop of Ariano Irpino was staying at the friary. At dinnertime he was notified of the noises that frequently came from Padre Pio’s room. He said: “The Middle Age is over, and you still believe in these things?” Only few seconds passed, and they heard “an infernal fracas” coming from Padre Pio’s room. Mons. D’Ambrosio was so scared that he didn’t want to stay any longer, and left the convent on the spot.[37] [38]

Padre Paolino da Casacalenda

Padre Paolino da Casacalenda was about to leave Padre Pio's cell, in the Foggia convent, after a conversation with him. Padre Pio asked: "Don't leave; otherwise the devils (cosacci) will come." He stayed a little longer and then left. But just a few steps away he heard a terrible noise, and run back. Padre Pio had been assaulted. He was pale and sweating profusely.[39]

Rachelina Russo

Rachelina Russo

Rachelina Russo owned a store in San Giovanni Rotondo. She took the sons of St. Francis to heart and was their benefactress. Rachelina heard about Padre Pio who at that time was in the convent in Foggia, and went there to meet him. She saw him suffering in the torrid summer of 1916. Rachelina suggested him to “come to San Giovanni Rotondo where the air is fresh.” Padre Pio: “I don’t want to come to San Giovanni Rotondo. They are all bandits there.” Rachelina: “Especially because we are bandits you must come. You must come and convert us.”[40] Rachelina spoke to Padre Nazareno the superior, and a short holiday was arranged for Padre Pio. On July 28, 1916, Padre Pio went from Foggia to San Giovanni Rotondo, 25 miles away, to visit for few days. The cooler mountain air and fresh breezes proved extremely beneficial to his health, and the quiet and solitude were most agreeable to his spirit.[41] [42]

San Giovanni Rotondo

The convent in San Giovanni Rotondo when Padre Pio moved there.

Upon returning to Foggia, Padre Pio petitioned the provincial superior to be transferred to the convent in San Giovanni Rotondo.[43] The request was granted on August 17.[44] On September 4, 1916 Padre Pio left Foggia for San Giovanni Rotondo.[45] The convent would be his permanent home for next 52 years, except for the stint in military service, until his death.[46]

Lucia Fiorentino

 

Lucia Fiorentino, from San Giovanni Rotondo, met Padre Pio in the convent, at the end of July, 1916. She became one of the spiritual daughters, and wrote a diary on sixteen notebooks currently kept in the friary.[47]

In 1906 she had written in her diary of a vision she has had: “I saw an enormous tree in the atrium of our Capuchin convent. And I heard a voice telling me: ’This is the symbol of a soul that now is far away, and will come here, and will do so much good in this town. His mission will extend all over the world, and many will come and take refuge in the shade of this mystical tree. This  tree will cover with his shade the whole world.’ ”[48]

Return to Napoli in 1916

In December 1916, at the expiration of the twelve months of convalescent leave, Padre Pio returned to the military district of Napoli.[49]

Souvenir plaque at #30 SS. Cosma e Damiano street, were Padre Pio stayed in Naples.

In Napoli he stayed for room and board at the pension of Carolina Montanile, who was a native of Petrelcina.[50] Her pension was located on #30 SS. Cosma e Damiano street.[51]

Saturday December 16, was set as a date for his medical examination at the military hospital in Napoli. In that examination the diagnosis of the previous year was confirmed, and he was put under observation.

Trinity Military Hospital in Naples at the times of Padre Pio

On December 21 after a second examination he was sent to the Trinity Military Hospital for further evaluation.

During this stay in Naples Padre Pio was visited by his father Zi’ Grazio, who brought him fresh products from the farm in Piana Romana.[52]

The altar were Padre Pio celebrated Mass on Christmas day in 1916

He spent Christmas at the Hospital. He assisted to the midnight Mass with the other soldiers. In the morning he said Mass alone, with one other recruit serving at the altar.[53] [54] [55] [56]

On December 30, after a third examination he was given a six month convalescent leave, with the instruction to wait for new orders. Padre Pio left the military hospital on January 2, 1917. He had brief stays in Pompei, Pietrelcina, and Foggia, and returned to San Giovanni Rotondo on January 6, 1917.[57] [58]

December 30, 1916, Trinity Military Hospital: “Just this morning I had last physical examination and they gave me only six months of convalescent leave. I’m happy anyway.”[59] “They wrote: pulmonary infiltration on both apexes and chronic bronchial catarrh widely diffused.”[60]

Back in San Giovanni Rotondo Padre Pio tried to resume a normal life in the convent, but he fell ill.

San Giovanni Rotondo, February 8, 1917: “I have been sick of pneumonia, with very high fevers.”[61]

Roma

Convent of the Bridgidines in Roma, Piazza Farnese.

Sister Pia dell'Addolorata, formerly Graziella Forgione, alone,

and with her father Grazio, at the home of Mary Pyle (standing).

For Padre Pio the longest trip of his life was the one from San Giovanni Rotondo to Rome. He accompanied his sister 22 years old Graziella to Rome, where she would take the veil in the Order of St. Bridget. He left San Giovanni Rotondo May 14, 1917, went to Pietrelcina the 15^th, and the 16^th he and his sister left for Rome. He returned to San Giovanni Rotondo the 23^rd of the same month.[62] [63]

Padre Agostino repeatedly asked Padre Pio to give him details of his trip to Rome, to no avail. On June 9, 1917 Padre Pio wrote to him: “I am sorry I can’t satisfy your request in the two last letters. That’s what Jesus wants and so be it.”[64] [65] [66]

“Deserter”

On June 30, 1917 the six months of convalescent leave had expired. In the official record of service there is clearly written that he “Returned to the Corps on June 30, 1917.” (‘Ritornato al Corpo il 30 Giugno 1917’).[67]

However Padre Pio was still in San Giovanni Rotondo, on August 18, 1917, because he was waiting for instructions. On that day he received an order by telegraph to report immediately to the Military Corps, as he reported in a letter. He left San Giovanni Rotondo On August 19, and was in the barracks on August 20.[68]

San Giovanni Rotondo, August 18, 1917: I have been recalled by telegraph for military service. I will have to leave right away tomorrow morning. May God help me in this hard trial, and free me as soon as possible.”[69]

A story of Padre Pio deserted by misunderstanding is reported frequently. [70] [71] [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [83] However it doesn’t seem to have solid ground.[84]

Monte Sant’Angelo

In the early days of July 1917 Padre Pio went in group pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Michael in Monte Sant’Angelo. The group consisted of Padre Pio, Nicola Perotti who offered his horse and carriage, Rachelina Russo, Vincenzo Gisolfi and fourteen students of the seraphic college. Padre Pio did the pilgrimage part on foot and part on the carriage. Saint Francis of Assisi too had visited the sanctuary of St. Michael some centuries earlier.[85]

Again in Napoli in 1917

Padre Pio in military uniforme with the fourth platoon of the Tenth Company of Italian Medical Corps

Back in the Sales barracks in Naples, on August 20, 1917, Padre Pio had two physical examinations and got the same diagnosis of infiltration of pulmonary apex.[86]

First Medical Clinic of the University Hospital in Naples

He was kept on observation. A following exam on August 26, confirmed the diagnosis and Padre Pio was transferred to the fist medical clinic of the University Hospital.[87] There, he was examined on September 24, and despite confirming the diagnosis, he was declared able for internal services and assigned to infantry. [88] [89] [90]

He asked to be assigned to the health services, and after some negotiation his papers were changed and he went to the Tenth Company of Italian Medical Corps, fourth platoon, stationed in the Sales barracks. [91]

Napoli, September 4, 1917: “By now I have resigned myself. Jesus wants that I too, like many others of our brothers, do military service. I’d like to be wrong, but it’s not possible.”[92]

On September 4, 1917 he was assigned a military uniform and he had to put in storage the Capuchin habit. He stayed in uniform until November 5, 1917.[93]

Padre Pio remembered frequently in his older age, in a humorous way, conversing amiably with friars and friends, those challenging months.[94] [95]

Umbrella

While in uniform Padre Pio was holding open an umbrella during a thunderstorm. In crossing Piazza Dante he was stopped by an officer and reminded that it was absolutely forbidden to carry an umbrella while in military uniform. Padre Pio recalled how the officer mellowed up during the conversation, and let him go unpunished, even suggesting which streetcar to take to reach faster the barracks.[96]

In the barracks, for fear that his clothes would be stolen, Padre Pio put on everything he had. When he was asked to undress, at a physical exam on September 4, 1917, it was not an easy task. The doctor, observing the layers removed, remarked that he had put on an entire store of clothes![97]

Because of his condition he was ordered special meals, including chicken. The chicken ended up in the drawer of the bedside table, and later in the stomachs of other patients.[98]

In October 1917 the soldier Forgione was sent to the train station to pick up 12 wounded soldiers. [99] Upon their return the captain pointed out that there were not 12 but 13 sick soldiers. He had included Padre Pio in the group sick. “Aren’t you the sickest of them all?”[100]

During this stay in Naples, Padre Pio was visited by his father Zi’ Grazio.[101]

Giuseppina Morgera and Antonietta Vona

Giuseppina Morgera      Antonietta Vona  

During his stay in Naples Padre Pio met two of his spiritual daughters, and he started a correspondence with them for spiritual direction.

Giuseppina Morgera, from Casamicciola, a town on the island of Ischia, received several letters from Padre Pio, but those letters have not been found.[102]

Antonietta Vona from Castrocielo in the province of Frosinone, was living with Giuseppina in Casamicciola. She received forty letters from Padre Pio. They are included in the third volume of the Epistolary.[103]

Convalescent leave

On November 5, 1917 Padre Pio got again four months of convalescent leave, and after a brief stay in Pietrelcina he returned to San Giovanni Rotondo the 12^th of November.[104]

Bilocation to save a General

General Luigi Cadorna was the Supreme Commander of Italian Army, when Italy suffered a humiliating defeat when six hundred thousand troops either deserted or surrendered to the Austrians at Caporetto, on November 9, 1917. Cadorna was relieved of his command.[105] Alone in his office he was about to pull the trigger to shoot himself. A Capuchin friar appeared in front of him. "General, you will not do this stupidity!" He didn’t. [106]

After the war he recognized Padre Pio in a picture, and went to visit unannounced.

Padre Pio from afar: "Yeah, general, we had a narrow escape that night!"[107] [108]

Last time in Napoli in 1918

On March 5, 1918, Padre Pio was again at the military district in Naples.

Streets of Napoli at the times of Padre Pio's military service

The next day he was visited by a team of military doctors at the Trinity Military Hospital in Naples. During the routine physical, Padre Pio's temperature was taken by dr. Giuseppe Grieco, lieutenant medical doctor in the Italian Army, with an armpit mercury thermometer. In less than one minute the thermometer cracked, having gone over the maximum temperature of 42C (107.6). Three other thermometers cracked the same way. Dr. Grieco called in a colleague dr. Francesco Melle.

They decided to try with a bath thermometer, removed from the casing that could read up to 80C (176F). The thermometer read 48C (118.4).

They couldn't believe it, so they tried with a laboratory precision thermometer. This time the temperature was 49C (120.2).

They informed the captain prof. Dr. Felice D'Onofrio, chief of medical services. He came in, measured again, and the reading was 49C. "This is a mystery. This is impossible. I can't believe my eyes. He should be in agony. This man is either a saint or a devil." He prescribed quinine and went to see him in the morning. He took again the temperature and was 36.7C (98.06). "I don't understand anything. Let's send him home to die in peace." [109]  [110]  [111] [112]

Honorable discharge from the Italian Army

Matricular record of Francesco Forgione Padre Pio given to the capuchin friars, on February 2, 2012,

by Col. Luciano Iannetta of the Military District of Caserta, were he belonged.

The 15^th of that month he was granted honorable discharge from the Italian Army, with the medical diagnosis of “double broncho-alveolitis”. [113]  [114]

March 6, 1918: “I am in the Trinity Military hospital. Today I had a favorable physical exam. They will submit me to further testing.”[115]

March 9, 1918: “Since the day before yesterday I am in this medical clinic, for better testing. It has been three days that I have an un-abating fever.”[116]

March 15 1918: “I am superlatively glad that God’s grace delivered me completely from the military. Soon my discharge papers will be signed so that he will happily leave Napoli, promising never to come back. I am full of bugs, up to the top of the hair.”[117]

 Mini paper umbrella

Padre Pio left definitely the barracks. He was give 1 lira for the trip back home. On his way to the train station he spent 50c of the lira he had, to buy a paper umbrella from a street vendor out of compassion.[118]

 Street vendors in Napoli at the times of Padre Pio's military service:

Cup of coffee

Padre Pio ordered a coffee at the bar.  When he went to the cashier he was told that somebody else had already paid for his coffee. He was not able to identify the donor.[119]

Paid ticket

After he reached Benevento by train Padre Pio went on the bus for Pietrelcina. The fee was 1,80 lire to be paid to the ticket man when he passed by. On the bus he sat alone.

Soon a man sat beside him. The man offered him a hot cup of coffee from a thermos he had. When the ticket man came to him Padre Pio was prepared to say that he did not have the money for the ride but could offer to pay once reached home in Pietrelcina. When the ticket man came, he told Padre Pio that his ticket had already been paid for. Padre Pio looked around, but there was nobody to thank. When he got off the bus in Pietrelcina he looked around because he wanted to thank the man for the coffee. He did no see him anymore, like he had disappeared.[120] [121] [122]

At home in Pietrelcina everybody, including family and relatives, wanted to see him in uniform; so he had to put it on and off several times. When he patiently did it he would say: "Are you happy now? You have seen the clown!"[123]

Zi’ Grazio asked Padre Pio to leave his uniform and military equipment with him. Padre Pio: “No, this is not mine. It belongs to the Government.”[124] [125]

On March 18, 1918 Padre Pio was back for good in San Giovanni Rotondo.[126]  [127]

On June 11, 1921 Padre Pio answered a question by Mons. Rossi: “As for the military service, I was in active duty only for a few days, because of my poor health. I was often sent on convalescent leave until I was dismissed permanently the March preceding the Armistice. I spent those few days in the military in Naples, as a patient at the hospital.”[128]

Padre Ignazio da Ielsi

Padre Ignazio da Jelsi on June 17, 1921 to Mons. Rossi: “They granted him a military pension, on account of his tuberculosis, and now they suspended it, since it was found that the illness was pre-existing. And according to Padre Pio the bacteriological analysis done in Napoli gave a negative result.”[129] [130]

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