The Padre

Borderland immigration and drug trafficking are heated issues for most people living in the Southwest. But for Arizona rancher-author Richard Collins, who operates a 13,000 acre ranch near the Mexican border, they are a daily occurrence. Wanting to hear firsthand from those living and working in the middle of the action, Collins embarks on a horseback journey along the Arizona-Sonoran borderlands in Riding Behind the Padre: Horseback Views from Both Sides of the Border. In this true story, Collins joins up with a congenial group of Mexican riders retracing the pathways of Eusebio Francisco Kino, the pioneering Jesuit priest who explored the same borderlands three hundred years prior. The riders include a cross-section of Mexico's growing middle class, bonded by faith in the Catholic Church, love of family and their country, and dedicated to the cause of Kino's sainthood. They are also troubled by America's failed war on drugs and its outdated immigration policies, and they often wonder if the United States is their ally or adversary. Through their perspectives and insights, the reader comes away with a better understanding of borderland complexities and a difficult but workable road map for the future. With a passion for landscape, horses, and history, this modern-day cowboy adventure unfolds in the Sonoran Desert where the dangers are fewer than advertised, beauty far outweighs ugliness, and most people are still friendly and caring.

There are two doorways into the life of the gallant Mexican priest Padre Pro. One doorway begins at the end, during an intense period of anti-Catholicism in Mexico, in the high public drama of a daring young priest’s use of disguises and audacious risks to secretly carry communion to the faithful, with his subsequent capture and courageous death. The other doorway starts in the heart of Miguel’s closely knit, devout family. Born in 1891, by fifteen, Miguel is at once a beloved son and a mischievous rascal. Rather than attending school far away from the affectionate society of his sisters and brothers, he assists his father, an agent assigned to a remote mining camp in Zacatecas. His family begins to worry when at twenty the generous, yet often moody, young man still has no idea about the direction his future should take. Then he knows. Miguel’s journey to the priesthood is plagued by difficulties and setbacks that temper and transform the mischievous youth into Padre Pro, a man ready to lay down his life for Christ his King. Blessed Miguel Pro dies before a firing squad in Mexico City in 1927, this last unforgettable triumph-in-death photographed for posterity by his very enemies. Padre Miguel Pro was beatified in 1988 by Pope John Paul II. Historical Insight article by Daria Sockey Revised edition Ages 9-14; about 189 pages

Reproduction of the original.

St. Pio of Pietrelcina had a deep devotion to the Christ Child. The man more commonly known as Padre Pio also possessed extraordinary and unique mystical gifts: Jesus often came to him in the form of a little child. In Welcoming the Christ Child with Padre Pio, stories about the saint known for his stigmata and ability to bilocate are woven with scripture and prayer to help you experience Advent—Padre Pio’s favorite season—with greater hope and joy. Each day of Advent you will read an account from someone who knew Padre Pio, including his Capuchin brothers’ amazement as they witnessed Padre Pio walking the halls of the monastery, cradling an apparition of the Christ Child; the miraculous healing of Vera Marie Calandra, who was blessed by the Franciscan monk as an infant and whose parents later founded the National Centre for Padre Pio; and examples of the extraordinary spiritual gifts of this holy confessor, including his stigmata, his ability to bilocate and read hearts, and the healing gifts that flowed from his fervent devotion to the Holy Family. This book contains daily readings for Advent. Each day includes a quotation from Padre Pio, a short story about the saint, a scripture reflection, and prayer to help you follow this extraordinary saint’s example and welcome the Christ Child into your home and heart during Advent. An appendix includes additional resources and prayers to learn more about Padre Pio.

With the memoir A Padre in France, Irish clergyman James Owen Hannay (who used the pseudonym "George A. Birmingham") takes a break from the humorous political satires that were his typical stock in trade. Still, Hannay's characteristic wit and lighthearted take on life shine through in this firsthand account of his stint as a chaplain during World War I.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you to the Living Water that feeds our well of faith. When asked about his spiritual gifts of healing, bilocation, prophecy, and stigmata, Padre Pio replied, “You know, they are a mystery to me, too.” While you might think he is just being modest, he is actually getting at the heart of how the Holy Spirit works in every Christian’s life. We can’t fully understand why God gives us certain gifts, but as we walk with Christ, we can engage with this mystery and journey towards holiness. In Welcoming the Holy Spirit with Padre Pio, Susan De Bartoli shares stories and wisdom from the life of this humble monk to show how we can use our unique spiritual gifts to love others and draw from the well of faith to encounter Christ in profound ways. Following the success of her Advent devotional, Welcoming the Christ Child with Padre Pio, Susan De Bartoli invites you to explore Padre Pio’s relationship with the third member of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Spirit, who is the source of all spiritual gifts. Through the stories of this simple Capuchin priest, you’ll discover what is possible for those who surrender themselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. At Baptism, we all receive the fruits of the Spirit—gifts like wisdom, fortitude, and piety—that empower us to “dive deep” into the well of faith. The Holy Spirit also graces some of us with special charisms—supernatural gifts such as healing, teaching, or intercessory abilities—intended to serve the Church. In this book, you’ll learn how to nurture these gifts, just as Padre Pio did, so that even your “ordinary“ spiritual gifts and charisms can bless others and deepen your own faith. Each chapter offers quotations from Padre Pio, a short story about the saint, prayer, and reflection questions that you can apply to your own life, such as: What are my spiritual gifts and how have I seen them play out in my life already? Am I consistently drinking from the well of faith? What does the Lord want me to do with my life, and how can I use my spiritual gifts to serve the Church? Am I willing to surrender even the good things in my life to glorify the Lord? Welcoming the Holy Spirit with Padre Pio is the perfect companion for those who are already drawn to Padre Pio’s spirituality or anyone yearning to strengthen their relationship with the Holy Spirit. Through the example of this extraordinary saint, you will discover how continually drawing from the well of Living Water can drastically change your everyday walk with Christ.