It was in January 2001, when I met Eddie at the Holy Family Church, and I enquired about Padre Pio devotion, which normally would be held on the 23rd of the month. Since the church was under construction, I was told that the devotion was being conducted in his home. Eddie had been leading the devotion for almost 20 years. We were very happy when on 23rd February 2001, the parish priest of the Holy Family Church gave permission to continue the devotion in the church.
One of the most important of the many spiritual legacies that Padre Pio left to the world was his establishment of the prayer groups. He wanted the faithful to come together and pray. He would say “Prayer is the best weapon we possess. It is the key that unlocks the heart of God.” On hindsight, it must have been the work of Padre Pio. He must have wanted the devotion to continue, because everything to restart the devotion went without much of a hitch. On February 2002, just one year after we started the devotion again in Holy Family Church, the Lord rewarded Eddie by calling him to His Heavenly home, and I unworthily was thrust with the responsibility of leading the Padre Pio devotion.
Padre Pio devotion in Singapore started way back in the 1960’s by a man named Herbert Pereira, who had gone to Padre Pio for confession. It was not easy in those days for a Singaporean to go all the way to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy to have his confession heard by Padre Pio because the country had just attained independence, and most people then were busy, struggling to find work, let alone take leave and go to Italy for that purpose. Herbert must have been especially called upon to plant the seed of Padre Pio devotion. In the confessional encounter, I was told that Padre Pio scolded Herbert for being a man of little faith. When Herbert came back, he was very determined, and being inspired by Padre Pio, began to spread with great fervor, Padre Pio’s teachings and his love for Our Lady and the Rosary. Together with some friends, he started the home Rosary. Eddie was among his friends who faithfully persevered with this devotion until his demise.
It was not easy to promote the devotion of Padre Pio during that time. I, assisted with my wife Karen and children, together with a few very faithful devotees, had to move from one church to another. The last straw came when we had to discontinue our devotion because there was no church to hold the devotion. We were somewhat distressed. We prayed and asked Padre Pio whether we should stop our devotion because he already had been canonized, and if he wanted us to continue, he has to find us a church. Padre Pio certainly heard our prayers because weeks later, we were offered Our Lady of Lourdes Church where the new parish priest, Fr. Augustine Joseph, was most supportive of our devotion.
When Fr. Ermelindo Di Capua came with the Relics of St. Pio in 2008, the older devotees, who were then in their 70s and 80s came on wheelchairs and walking sticks. They were most happy as that was an opportunity for them to ‘meet’ with the Padre. We were surprised to see more than 2000 people gathered in Our Lady of Lourdes Church on the 23rd of September 2008 to venerate the St. Pio Relics. Tentages had to be provided to accommodate the large crowds of people who had come not only from all over Singapore, but from neighboring countries as well. From here, we realized that there was a large following of St. Pio devotees even before the arrival of Fr. Ermelindo.
Meanwhile, the number of people attending the monthly devotion grew, and on January 2009, we started the devotion at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church. In September 2010, Fr. Ermelindo came again to Singapor and had miraculously escaped the earthquake in New Zealand as it happened a day after he left the country. But this time, besides, Singapore, his trip included Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Malaysian States of Penang and Johor. We accompanied him during those trips.
I never dreamt to be a promoter or anything about promoting the spirituality of Padre Pio. It was a very spontaneous action given the circumstances. But one thing I have about Padre Pio is that I have felt very close to him ever since I was introduced to him by former Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Alberto Tricarico. Padre Pio being a new saint, reminds me constantly that there is a God who is full of love and mercy, and Padre Pio merely asks that I be his very humble instrument in helping him bring more souls to Heaven through this devotion. Padre Pio encourages us to live a good Christian life, and to prove our faith with words and actions, and all his spiritual children are expected to follow his teaching in order to enjoy the fruits of his prayers and protection. It is heartening to be reminded always that as spiritual children of Padre Pio, he says “I shall stand at the gates of Paradise until all my spiritual children have entered.”
My wife Karen and I had the privilege of visiting Padre Pio’s Room No 5. I visited the room twice in 1993 and 1997 when e were in Pietrelcina. Looking back, I suppose this was all arranged by Padre Pio because we were taken by car to Pietrelcina by three strangers whom we had never met before. We were taken to Padre Pio’s home in Pietrelcina, St. Anne’s Church where he was baptized, and the other places that Padre Pio spent time during his life there.
After my visit to San Giovanni Rotondo on June 1993, I started communicating with the late Fr. Alessio Parente and bought prayer cards, calendards, and books, and I would normally distribute them to the devotees during monthly devotion on 23rd. The devotees attending the monthly devotion were also encouraged to subscribe to the Voice of Padre Pio magazine because we often would announce that, that would be a good way of keeping on informed of news about Padre Pio, and there were many new subscriptions of the magazine. Since I was running a small business, it was very convenient to have everything about Padre Pio based in the office. In fact, we had a very small room named after Padre Pio, and we used to have meetings conducted in that room. I used to receive devotees coming to the office to collect books, which they had ordered or making payments for the Voice magazine.
I do not have the number of local devotees in Singapore but it should be in the region of a few thousand. Through our monthly devotion celebrations, more people are slowly beginning to know about the spirituality and teachings of St. Padre Pio, as he is popularly known. There are countless graces received through his intercessions, and most who know him, know that he will never refuse a grace because he himself has said that Jesus has never refused him anything if he asked him. We are also very well supported by Catholic foreigners working in Singapore. But, our Filipino Catholics top the list of foreigners who support the St. Pio devotion, as can be seen in our Facebook : St Pio Devotion Sg. The devotion to St. Pio is very well supported in our monthly church and home devotions. The prayer group of St. Pio is known as St. Pio Devotion Singapore, and the group is supported by a committee of 9 members, with our Spiritual Director Fr. Augustine Joseph.
~ Written by Mr. Philip Lee (SPDS Coordinator)
One of the most important of the many spiritual legacies that Padre Pio left to the world was his establishment of the prayer groups. He wanted the faithful to come together and pray. He would say “Prayer is the best weapon we possess. It is the key that unlocks the heart of God.” On hindsight, it must have been the work of Padre Pio. He must have wanted the devotion to continue, because everything to restart the devotion went without much of a hitch. On February 2002, just one year after we started the devotion again in Holy Family Church, the Lord rewarded Eddie by calling him to His Heavenly home, and I unworthily was thrust with the responsibility of leading the Padre Pio devotion.
Padre Pio devotion in Singapore started way back in the 1960’s by a man named Herbert Pereira, who had gone to Padre Pio for confession. It was not easy in those days for a Singaporean to go all the way to San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy to have his confession heard by Padre Pio because the country had just attained independence, and most people then were busy, struggling to find work, let alone take leave and go to Italy for that purpose. Herbert must have been especially called upon to plant the seed of Padre Pio devotion. In the confessional encounter, I was told that Padre Pio scolded Herbert for being a man of little faith. When Herbert came back, he was very determined, and being inspired by Padre Pio, began to spread with great fervor, Padre Pio’s teachings and his love for Our Lady and the Rosary. Together with some friends, he started the home Rosary. Eddie was among his friends who faithfully persevered with this devotion until his demise.
It was not easy to promote the devotion of Padre Pio during that time. I, assisted with my wife Karen and children, together with a few very faithful devotees, had to move from one church to another. The last straw came when we had to discontinue our devotion because there was no church to hold the devotion. We were somewhat distressed. We prayed and asked Padre Pio whether we should stop our devotion because he already had been canonized, and if he wanted us to continue, he has to find us a church. Padre Pio certainly heard our prayers because weeks later, we were offered Our Lady of Lourdes Church where the new parish priest, Fr. Augustine Joseph, was most supportive of our devotion.
When Fr. Ermelindo Di Capua came with the Relics of St. Pio in 2008, the older devotees, who were then in their 70s and 80s came on wheelchairs and walking sticks. They were most happy as that was an opportunity for them to ‘meet’ with the Padre. We were surprised to see more than 2000 people gathered in Our Lady of Lourdes Church on the 23rd of September 2008 to venerate the St. Pio Relics. Tentages had to be provided to accommodate the large crowds of people who had come not only from all over Singapore, but from neighboring countries as well. From here, we realized that there was a large following of St. Pio devotees even before the arrival of Fr. Ermelindo.
Meanwhile, the number of people attending the monthly devotion grew, and on January 2009, we started the devotion at Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church. In September 2010, Fr. Ermelindo came again to Singapor and had miraculously escaped the earthquake in New Zealand as it happened a day after he left the country. But this time, besides, Singapore, his trip included Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Malaysian States of Penang and Johor. We accompanied him during those trips.
I never dreamt to be a promoter or anything about promoting the spirituality of Padre Pio. It was a very spontaneous action given the circumstances. But one thing I have about Padre Pio is that I have felt very close to him ever since I was introduced to him by former Apostolic Nuncio to Singapore, Archbishop Alberto Tricarico. Padre Pio being a new saint, reminds me constantly that there is a God who is full of love and mercy, and Padre Pio merely asks that I be his very humble instrument in helping him bring more souls to Heaven through this devotion. Padre Pio encourages us to live a good Christian life, and to prove our faith with words and actions, and all his spiritual children are expected to follow his teaching in order to enjoy the fruits of his prayers and protection. It is heartening to be reminded always that as spiritual children of Padre Pio, he says “I shall stand at the gates of Paradise until all my spiritual children have entered.”
My wife Karen and I had the privilege of visiting Padre Pio’s Room No 5. I visited the room twice in 1993 and 1997 when e were in Pietrelcina. Looking back, I suppose this was all arranged by Padre Pio because we were taken by car to Pietrelcina by three strangers whom we had never met before. We were taken to Padre Pio’s home in Pietrelcina, St. Anne’s Church where he was baptized, and the other places that Padre Pio spent time during his life there.
After my visit to San Giovanni Rotondo on June 1993, I started communicating with the late Fr. Alessio Parente and bought prayer cards, calendards, and books, and I would normally distribute them to the devotees during monthly devotion on 23rd. The devotees attending the monthly devotion were also encouraged to subscribe to the Voice of Padre Pio magazine because we often would announce that, that would be a good way of keeping on informed of news about Padre Pio, and there were many new subscriptions of the magazine. Since I was running a small business, it was very convenient to have everything about Padre Pio based in the office. In fact, we had a very small room named after Padre Pio, and we used to have meetings conducted in that room. I used to receive devotees coming to the office to collect books, which they had ordered or making payments for the Voice magazine.
I do not have the number of local devotees in Singapore but it should be in the region of a few thousand. Through our monthly devotion celebrations, more people are slowly beginning to know about the spirituality and teachings of St. Padre Pio, as he is popularly known. There are countless graces received through his intercessions, and most who know him, know that he will never refuse a grace because he himself has said that Jesus has never refused him anything if he asked him. We are also very well supported by Catholic foreigners working in Singapore. But, our Filipino Catholics top the list of foreigners who support the St. Pio devotion, as can be seen in our Facebook : St Pio Devotion Sg. The devotion to St. Pio is very well supported in our monthly church and home devotions. The prayer group of St. Pio is known as St. Pio Devotion Singapore, and the group is supported by a committee of 9 members, with our Spiritual Director Fr. Augustine Joseph.
~ Written by Mr. Philip Lee (SPDS Coordinator)