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PADRE PIO PRAYER GROUP: Answering Saint’s Great Call to Prayer
St. Padre Pio was a constant advocate for surrendering all of our worries to God in prayer. And he once said, “Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart.”
The Padre Pio Prayer Group at our parish answers the great saint’s call to prayer. During his life, Padre Pio encouraged Catholics to come together with their prayers. Now, Padre Pio Prayer Groups exist around the world.
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Hilda Rausini has been part of the Padre Pio Prayer Group since 2010. She initially joined the group when she was looking for ways to get involved in the parish after moving to the area and losing her husband. After some time mourning her loss, Hilda was ready to find her place in the parish.
“I started looking through the bulletin and got involved with Right to Life, the ladies’ group, and the Padre Pio Prayer Group because my husband was Italian,” she says.
Involvement in the Padre Pio Prayer Group is fairly straightforward. The members bring their prayer intentions and gather on the second Friday of the month from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. They follow the same format at each meeting. Together, everyone prays for certain set intentions including the Church, the Holy Father, our country, and all those serving our country and community. Members have a chance to share their prayer intentions and can pray for sick loved ones, conversions, or anything else on their hearts. After praying, the group sings together and those who have time stay to pray a Rosary.
“There’s no chit-chatting and no food or drink — we are there to pray,” Hilda says. “It is all under Padre Pio because he was so dedicated to helping with prayer, confessions, Communion, and the sick. We’re very dedicated to praying for all our needs so we go around and take requests.”
To spread the wisdom and influence of Padre Pio, the prayer group hosted an event during which they showed a movie about Padre Pio, with 65 people in attendance. Hilda and fellow members also helped with a booth at the Fall Festival to share Padre Pio’s message.
When Padre Pio began to encourage Catholics to gather in groups to pray together, the world was facing the reality of World War II. However, the movement didn’t end with the war — instead, it has grown and spread across the globe. Prayer is both a consolation to those who come to our Lord in prayer and a powerful way to reach the heart of God, filled with mercy and love for those in our broken world.
“It’s a wonderful group,” Hilda says. “We love it because we all share our prayers and pray together.”
Hilda Rausini at the Padre Pio booth during the Fall Festival
