This colorful memoir offers a rare, up-close glimpse of the life and personality of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, the beloved Italian monk who was blessed with extraordinary gifts.

The late Fr. Amorth—well-known as an exorcist —enjoyed over two decades of a close friendship with the holy, quirky Padre Pio, whom he considered his spiritual father. Adding his own personal experience to a foundation of biographical research, Amorth gives an entertaining and illuminating account of perhaps one of the best-known saints of the twentieth century.

In this book, we span from Padre Pio's childhood—where he cured himself of a disease by wolfing down all his mother's fried bell peppers—to his miracle-filled priesthood, to his Italian gift for mimicry, humor, and storytelling.

Rather than a plaster image of a saint, this book is a portrait of a fully human kind of holiness, proof that even the most astonishing graces can be lived out with simplicity and joy.

"In the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, only 340 people have had the stigmata, and of those, only 8 have been canonized. Padre Pio is at the top of that list! In this book, you will discover why. A must read!"
— Terry Barber, Author, How to Share Your Faith with Anyone

"A powerful and personal testimony. Anyone who knows of Padre Pio's life will be inspired and amazed again by the extraordinary story of the St. Francis of our times."
— Fr. Dwight Longenecker, Author, Immortal Combat; Blogger, Standing on My Head

"Fr. Gabriele Amorth impresses me as a down-to-earth, blue-collar priest who spent the entire tenure of his priesthood in the church's trenches. His biography of Padre Pio draws the reader into the person of this remarkable saint. It's a story that keeps unfolding page by page, and one is unable to close the book until the last page is read."
— Fr. Gary Thomas, Exorcist, Diocese of San Jose, California

"Many books have been written about Padre Pio, but not with the personal touch of a longtime friend. Now we have the curtain pulled aside to share the experiences of Fr. Amorth as he walked, talked, and prayed with his mentor. Padre Pio comes alive for us in a new way."
— Steve Ray, Author, Crossing the Tiber and Upon This Rock