‘Nobody is perfect’ we say. Nobody is a saint until in heaven. One of the most revered holy people of our time is Padre Pio, now Blessed Padre Pio. He became famous because he was the first priest in history with the stigmata, the five wounds that Jesus suffered; one in each hand, one in each foot and the wound in the side. He is well known as an extraordinary confessor who spent many hours each day in the confessional helping pilgrims who came to his monastery in San Giovanni in Italy. Many people have attributed miraculous healings to his intercession. During the Second Vatican Council in 1964 a friend of his wrote “so many bishops came to see him that sometimes it seems the Council is at San Giovanni.” (Alive July 1999 page 15) Undoubtedly he was a person who was very close to God. However there is also the weaker side to this holy man. “Late in 1965 his health began to decline rapidly, and he complained of “unbearable insomnia”. For a while he became dependent on anti-depressants. After several months he stopped taking them…” (Alive July 1999 page 15). It is a consolation to us to know that a person as holy as Blessed Padre Pio also suffered human weakness. Nobody is perfect and nobody is a saint until in heaven.