Padre Pio was born to a poor peasant family in the rural town of Pietrelcina, Italy. They had little money and his parents could not read or write. However, Pio’s parents had high hopes their son could one day follow his calling to be a priest.

As a young boy Pio had related to his parents a desire to become a religious and they asked a local Capuchin community of friars if they would accept him. At the time Pio only had about three years of public school education and the friars said he needed more in order to be admitted.