When Padre Pio Miraculously Stopped Planes From Dropping Bombs During WWII

A legendary mystic and stigmatic, above all Padre Pio was a great saint. Padre Pio was distinctly known for his devout prayer life, calling it the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God.

In fact, he said this prayer every single day of his life that he called a “secret weapon.”

But do you know about the time he saved his town of San Giovanni Rotondo from being bombed during WWII?

Read below an excerpt about the miraculous true story of The flying monk:

“During WWII many Allied Aviation Pilots of different nationalities and religions were based in Puglia.

Each time that the pilots approached the area of San Giovanni Rotondo they saw in the sky a Friar, who in stretching out his wounded hands, prevented them from dropping their bombs.

General Bernardo Rosini of the United Air Command reported that “Each time that the pilots returned from their missions, they spoke of this Friar that appeared in the sky and diverted their airplanes, making them turn back.

“Everyone was talking about these incredible stories. But since the episodes kept recurring, the Commanding General of USAF general Nathan F. Twining who happened to be in Bari, decided to pilot himself a squadron of bombers to destroy a target near San Giovanni Rotondo.

When he and his pilots were in the vicinity of the target they saw the figure of a monk with upraised hands appear in the sky.

The bombs got loose from the plains falling in open areas, and the planes made a sharp turn to return to base without the pilots intervening.

Back on the ground everybody asked everybody else about the happening and wanted to know who was that friar.

The General was told about Padre Pio and decided to visit him with the pilots in that squadron. The pilots immediately recognized Padre Pio, and he told the general: “So you are the one that wanted to destroy everything.” The general become a friend of Padre Pio.

Colonel Loyal Bob Curry of Birmingham Alabama served on the 464th Bomb Group of the 15th Air Force at the Base in Spinazzola under commanding general Nathan F. Twining, reported that several airman had seen a flying monk, preventing them from releasing the bombs. “Everybody was talking about it.”

Alfonso D’Artega serving at the Air Base of Amendola reported: “One of the pilots said:’ I saw the phantom fly again.'”

“Another pilot saw a figure of a monk flying as fast as the plain waving his arms. The pilots and copilots saw it. “

D’Artega and a pilot went to visit Padre Pio, and the pilot recognized in Padre Pio the monk seen through the clouds.”

🙏 Padre Pio, pray for us!

How much do you know about the life of Padre Pio?

See what you know about his life and watch his last Mass here! 

Story excerpt credit: caccioppoli.com