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Saint Padre Pio (of Pietrelcina) and Saint Michael the Archangel share a deep spiritual connection, which is centred on the Gargano region of Italy. This connection has several key aspects:
1. Geographical and spiritual proximity
Both of these important places of pilgrimage are situated in southern Italy (in the region of Apulia), relatively close to one another:
● Monte Sant’Angelo – the site of the famous cave sanctuary (Celesta Basilica), where, according to tradition, Saint Michael the Archangel appeared between the 5th and 17th centuries. It is the oldest sanctuary in the Western world dedicated to this archangel.
● San Giovanni Rotondo – the town where Padre Pio ministered and lived for many years, and where his tomb and modern shrine are also located.
2. Padre Pio’s advice to pilgrims
Padre Pio had great reverence for Saint Michael the Archangel and regarded him as a powerful protector in the fight against evil. When pilgrims and penitents came to him in San Giovanni Rotondo seeking spiritual help, healing or a resolution to difficult life situations, Padre Pio would often send them first to the nearby Mount Gargano, saying: ‘Before you come to see me in San Giovanni Rotondo, go first to Monte Sant’Angelo and there ask the Archangel Michael for help and protection.’ In this way, he wished to guide the pilgrims to first seek graces from the ‘heavenly warrior’ and purify their hearts.
3. Personal Devotion and Protection
Padre Pio himself visited the shrine at Monte Sant’Angelo (his most famous pilgrimage there took place in 1917) to pray in the holy cave there. He regarded Saint Michael as his comrade-in-arms in the constant spiritual battle against the devil, which he faced throughout his religious life (including physical attacks by evil spirits).
Today, this connection attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims a year, who, when visiting Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo, automatically combine their journey with a visit to the Cave of St Michael in Monte Sant’Angelo.
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FATHER PIO’S ADVICE TO HIS SPIRITUAL CHILDREN
Father Pio used to say to his spiritual children: ‘I give you my whole heart; all you need to do is persevere in prayer and in doing good!’ This is the advice he always repeated in his letters to his spiritual children; these are his golden rules:
1. Pray, hope and do not worry. This is his most famous saying. He used to say: ‘Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key that unlocks God’s heart.’ Today’s society does not pray, which is why it is falling apart. Not just a single prayer in haste, but every day.
2. Mass and the sacraments are everything. It would be easier for the world to exist without the sun than without Holy Mass. Frequent confession and Communion. When you fall into sin, he used to say: ‘Run straight to the confessional, where God is waiting for you with a father’s love, and then put a tombstone over it.’
3. How to behave in church: he dictated his seven rules to Father Alessandro and made him learn them by heart:
- Enter quietly and with reverence.
- Take the holy water slowly and make the sign of the cross thoroughly.
- Kneel and pay homage to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
- Attend Mass with sincere devotion; do not look at your watch.
- If you are praying together with others, speak the words clearly, with pauses, without rushing.
- When you leave, greet him, ask for forgiveness for your shortcomings, and do not leave without his blessing.
- Be modest in all things; modesty speaks volumes about the heart.
4. Temperance and self-control. Not so that you may punish yourself, but so that you may be free. He recommended:
- Moderation in food, in clothing, in consumption.
- Control your gaze and your conversations; no gossip.
- Control your instincts and offer your sufferings to God.
5. Speak to Jesus with your heart, not just with your lips. He said: You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but also with your heart. And as for reading the Bible, he said:
First lift your mind to God and say to him: ‘May you guide my mind and speak to my heart.’
6. The anchor of hope.

- Anyone who begins to love must be prepared to suffer.
- One must endure one’s own imperfections, not love them.
- May your soul never lack the anchor of hope amidst the waves.
- Anyone who does not move forward in their spiritual life is moving backwards. Like a boat that must keep rowing forwards.
7. Do not forget your guardian angel. He told everyone: ‘When you need me, send me your guardian angel.’ He taught them to send their guardian angel to him and to pray to him every day.
And what is the condition for you to truly be his spiritual son? He himself said: ‘Very well, I accept you, but do not let me be put to shame.’ This means: live out grace intensely, imitate the life of Christ, love the Church and the Pope, and love everyone with sincere love. If you wish to live this out today, do the following: offer today’s Holy Mass, the Rosary and a secret act of mercy for someone.
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Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina had an extraordinarily intimate, almost tangible relationship with angels – and especially with his guardian angel – which ranks among the most fascinating chapters of his mystical life. For him, the guardian angel was not merely a spiritual concept, but a real person with whom he communicated, whom he saw, and with whom he worked together on a daily basis.
Here are some specific experiences, testimonies and aspects of his relationship with his guardian angels:
1. A visible presence from childhood.
Padre Pio did not perceive his guardian angel merely within his soul; he often saw him with his own eyes. When he was still a child and a young man, he thought that everyone saw their angels just as he did. It was only later that he realised this was an exceptional gift. He described his guardian angel as a handsome young man who accompanied and protected him. In addition to his own angel, he also had an exceptionally close relationship with the guardian angels of the people who came to see him.
2. The guardian angel as an interpreter.
As Padre Pio lived in the monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo and heard the confessions of people from all over the world, he was often visited by foreigners who did not speak Italian.
Many witnesses later testified that penitents (humble sinners) would come to him in the confessional and were afraid that they would be unable to explain their sins to him due to the language barrier. Padre Pio, however, would reply to them in their own native language (for example, in English, German or French), even though he had never formally studied any foreign languages. When asked later how he managed this, he would say with a smile that his guardian angel acted as his interpreter and sent him the translation before the person had even had time to speak.
3. “Send me your guardian angel”.
One of the best-known pieces of practical advice that Padre Pio gave to his spiritual children and friends in need was this exhortation: “When you need something or find yourself in difficulty, send me your guardian angel.”
The way it worked was that if someone had a serious problem, an illness or a matter requiring attention, they would pray to their guardian angel and ask him to go to Padre Pio in San Giovanni Rotondo and deliver the message to him. There are numerous verified testimonies from people (including spiritual children such as Alessio
Parente) who sent their angel and later, when they met Padre Pio, he himself was the first to say to them: ‘You sent your angel to me a long time ago; why have you come so late?’ or gave a precise answer to the problem the person was experiencing hundreds of kilometres away from him.
4. Battles with demons and the help of angels.
Padre Pio’s life was marked not only by mystical graces, but also by exceptionally severe physical and spiritual attacks from evil spirits (demons).
During these brutal night-time attacks, in which evil spirits physically assaulted and beat him, his guardian angel (together with the Virgin Mary and Saint Michael the Archangel) would regularly come to his aid.  The angel protected him from total defeat and, once the attacks were over, would often comfort him, straighten his religious habit and encourage him to persevere.
5. Warning and protection from danger.
Padre Pio’s guardian angel also protected him from specific physical threats. He often warned him against people with dishonest intentions who were trying to deceive him, or against letters containing malicious or fraudulent accusations. Thanks to this constant heavenly guidance, he possessed a profound insight into spiritual matters and a compelling wisdom that even surprised the Church’s investigators.
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