Padre Pio suffered from poor health his entire life, however he offered all of his sufferings to God as a sacrifice for the conversion of souls. By the age of thirty, he had been living each day in almost continuous prayer, and at thirty-one, he became the first priest to receive the stigmata. On Friday, September 20, 1918, Padre Pio received the wounds of Christ while praying before a crucifix. Although he never had a fever or drops in blood pressure, his wounds bled day after day for 50 years. In addition to the stigmata, God endowed Padre Pio with many other spiritual gifts including the gift of healing, bi-location, gift of tongues, and many other miracles. With all these gifts however, Padre Pio never felt worthy of having these abilities and always remained humble. Each day he would rise at 2:30 a.m. and prepare for mass. Between Mass and confessions, Padre Pio served for 19 hours a day. For 51 years he never took a day of rest, and encompassed the Franciscan spirit of poverty and detachment from possessions and comforts. | 
