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Father Alessio: Memories, both
sad and grateful, from some of his many friends. Reviewed Thursday May
9th edition by Brian Poole:-
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| While most Irish
Catholic readers will be familiar with Blessed Padre Pio, the little Capuchin
who made such an impact on the Catholic world, few will have heard of Father
Alessio Parente. |
| Fr. Parente was another Italian Capuchin
who lived for most of his life in the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo and
acted as Padre Pio’s indispensable assistant for six of those years. |
| This little booklet is full of reminiscences
of Father Alessio's life from those who loved him up to his death last year
at the early age of 66. It seems that everyone who came under his spell
desired to help him in some way or other and once he had captured their
friendship, he and they - remained faithful for life. Born in Montefusco
in the province of Avellino on December 17, 1933, Alessio grew up in a devout
atmosphere where daily family prayers were the norm and sound religious
principles constantly inculcated the children. |
| Alessio willingly responded to the call
to religious life and, at the age of 12, entered the friary. During his
student years, Alessio was perceived to be scrupulously observant of the
rules, studious, and pious. Following ordination, he was sent to San Giovanni
Rotondo and remained there for much of his life. Towards the end of Padre
Pio’s life, Fr. Alessio was sent to Dublin to study English and it was then
that he became firm friends with the Maguire family (with whom he stayed)
and other devotees of Padre Pio. During this time he established firm links
with Ireland which were to remain with him for the rest of his days. |
| Following Padre Pio’s death in 1968,
Father Alessio’s life’s work was to be the promotion to devotion to this
latter-day saint through a gruelling round of travel, retreats and lectures
throughout the English- peaking world and the Padre’s Beatification in May
1999 was a source of great joy for him. |
| This little book provides much information
about both Padre Pio and Fr. Alessio. In these pages there are little insights
that may surprise, for example, the Padre’s discomfort in crowds, his irritation
with those who wished to touch him, the pain of his stigmata, the occasional
gruffness, both in the confessional and outside, his gifts of healing, knowledge
and bi-location and, towards the end of his life how difficult it was at
times for Fr. Alessio to look after him. There are many photographs throughout
the book from all stages of Padre Pio’s and Father Alessio’s lives and,
for anyone interested in learning more about two remarkable and holy Capuchin
friars of our time, this book has to be required reading |
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You might like
to read on and look at Editor, Fr. Jack McArdle 's introduction to
the book by clicking left. |
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Published by Irish
Office for Padre Pio, 58 Dufferin Avenue, South Circular Road. Designed
and built by byrnemv@yahoo.com
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