Padre Pio’s Daily Life as a Capuchin

3:00 a.m. His day began. He liked to spend several hours in prayer and meditation before Mass.

He would not celebrate Mass prior to 5:00 a.m.

Celebration of Mass – could last up to 2 hours

Padre Pio would bless, meet, and talk to people in the sacristy while vesting

After Mass and removing his vestments, Padre Pio would proceed to the choir on the balcony above the small church and make prayers of thanksgiving.

Padre Pio Hearing ConfessionThen he heard confessions. – all morning (would take a morning break) and several hours in the afternoon

12:00 Noon – would have lunch in the friary refectory

After lunch would go into the garden for 30 minutes of recreation

Would then take a short siesta

Pray a rosary

Early afternoon joined the community for afternoon Office

Would have private prayer time in the choir, sometimes for 2 hours

Would then work on correspondence

Mid Afternoon – resumed hearing confessions

4:30 p.m. Vespers and Benediction

Go into the garden for ten or fifteen minutes

At supper would join his community for juice and a cracker (By 1950, he was eating only an ounce of food a day.)

At sundown he would bless the people underneath the window of the choir

In the evening he would confer with other priests, deliver a lecture in town, or work on more correspondence

Late in the evening Padre Pio joined the community in Compline, the Night Office

The rest of the community would go to sleep, Padre Pio would study Scripture and pray

Nightly he would visit Padre Agostino’s room and get his blessing

Go to his room and read the Bible until 12:45 a.m., until it was time for Matins.

Then he would join 20 friars in the choir

At 1:30 a.m. would lay down