For Padre Pio, the Rosary Walk (Via del Rosario) was a spiritual journey during which he prayed the rosary and meditated on God’s greatness. Along the way, he would stop to reflect on nature, which he saw as a sign of God’s providence. Padre Pio also faced spiritual challenges, such as visions of demonic figures on the bridge crossing the Quadrielli stream, but he responded with prayer, finding strength in the rosary.
The Rosary Walk: Padre Pio’s spiritual path in Pietrelcina.
The Rosary Walk (Via del Rosario) is a narrow, simple path that winds through the countryside of Pietrelcina. It was the route Padre Pio took every day. Beginning in the Rione Castello district, near the Portal of the little Madonna (Porta Madonnella), the path meanders through fields and hedges. In just a few minutes, it leads to Piana Romana, (a tranquil agricultural area near Pietrelcina), rich with profound memories and peaceful charm.
A journey of Prayer and Contemplation
At Piana Romana stands the Forgione family’s Masseria, a rural home reflecting the simplicity of a farming lifestyle. For Padre Pio, this path was not just a physical route; it was a spiritual path of contemplation. As a young man, student, and later a priest, he walked it with a steady rhythm. Each “Ave Maria” accompanied his breath, his fingers slowly moving across the beads of his rosary. His gaze would linger on the surrounding nature, finding in it a reflection of God’s greatness. As he wrote in his school compositions: “All the farmers were scattered across the fields, and the shepherds were taking their flocks out. The nightingales sweetly chirped in the bushes. Here, you could hear the bleating of sheep, and there, you could see lambs hopping around.”
The Rosary Walk, with its shady trees and well-kept fields, evoked in Padre Pio a deep sense of gratitude for the Creator. Every element, from the sun warming the earth to the carefully tended vines, told the story of divine providence. Along the way, there were cool wells where Padre Pio would stop to drink or chat with the farmers. Not infrequently, he would rest in the shade of a fig tree, lost in thought or immersed in the simplicity of rural life.
Moments Between the Serious and the Surreal
There were moments along the path that, in their simplicity, remain vivid in the stories of Padre Pio’s life. Once, while walking with his mother, Mamma Peppa, they passed a field full of turnips. “How I would love to eat these!” she exclaimed. Francesco, with a smile, responded: “It’s a sin.” But not long after, near a fig tree heavy with fruit, he didn’t hesitate to pick and eat some. His mother, surprised, protested: “How come eating turnips is a sin, but figs aren’t?”
Not all the memories connected to the Rosary Walk were light-hearted. On the little wooden bridge over the Quadrielli stream, Padre Pio faced moments of spiritual trial. He spoke of “those faces”, demonic figures that appeared in the water’s reflection, trying to scare him. Mockingly, they would jeer at him: “Now here comes the saint! Now here comes the saint!” But Padre Pio, gripping his rosary, would respond with prayer, finding the strength to continue his journey. The bridge is also tied to a more mundane, yet amusing memory. As a young man, Francesco decided to try smoking a “Toscano” cigar. His curiosity led him to smoke, but the experience ended in a cloud of smoke that left him dizzy and slightly tipsy—probably more comical than harmful.
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