Born into a devout Roman Catholic family, he consecrated himself to Jesus at age 5. At age 15 he joined the Capuchin order and took the name Pio in honour of St. Pius I. In 1910, the year in which he became a priest, he received the stigmata (bodily marks corresponding to the wounds suffered by the crucified Jesus) for the first time, though they eventually healed. He was drafted into the Italian military in 1915 for medical service during World War I but was shortly discharged because of his poor health. He received the stigmata again in 1918, and this time they remained with him until his death. These and other signs of his holiness (such as his reported ability to be in two places at once and his gift of healing) drew growing numbers of pilgrims to him. He was noted for his charity and piety and was canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.
