In 1947, newly ordained priest Fr. Karol Wojtyla (John Paul II) visited Padre Pio to meet the famous Capuchin friar. It was a brief visit, but Wojtyla didn’t forget it, as he later wrote a letter to Padre Pio asking for prayers.
The letter was written (in Latin) in 1962, when Wojtyla was a bishop in Poland. The following is an excerpt of the letter fromthe book The Making of the Pope of the Millennium.
Reverend Father, I ask you to pray for a woman about 40 years old, mother of four daughters, who spent five years in a concentration camp in Germany during the war. At present her life is threatened by a tumor. Ask God through the intercession of the Most Holy Virgin to show his mercy to this woman and her family.
John Paul II never received a reply letter from Padre Pio, but a few short days afterwards, there was a miracle. John Paul II wrote a letter back to Padre Pio, expressing his joy.
Reverend Father, the woman from Krakow was instantly healed on November 21 before the surgical intervention. I give thanks to God. I also thank you.
It is no surprise that St. John Paul II became a strong advocate of St. Pio when he became pope, canonizing the Capuchin friar in 2002.
And today we celebrate...