Saint Padre Pio is one of my favorite saints! He had such a beautiful combination of no-nonsense honesty and tender kindness, all rooted in his deep love for God. He is known for bearing the stigmata (the wounds of Christ) and for accounts of extraordinary gifts, including reading souls in Confession and bilocation. What inspires me most is how he helped others grow closer to Jesus! I have a kid-friendly story about his life to share with your family, along with some simple, meaningful ways to celebrate this amazing saint’s feast day together.
Since Padre Pio is an Italian saint, why not celebrate his feast day with a delicious Italian family dinner? I love engaging all the senses to bring our Catholic faith to life! This year, I’m keeping it simple with spaghetti and meatballs, a fresh salad, and yummy, crusty bread along with bubbly grape juice since I love Italians love wine. I’ll set the table with my red-and-white checkered tablecloth (like the ones in old fashion Italian restaurants) for a little extra fun. It’s amazing how something as simple as a tablecloth can make an everyday meal feel like a special celebration!
Other fun Italian dinner ideas could be Spaghetti and meatballs, Make-your-own pizzas, Lasagna, Baked ziti or Chicken Parmesan.
For a few extra touches, place a picture of Saint Padre Pio in the center of your table, add a basket of warm bread, and light some candles to make dinner feel special. Don’t forget a little Italian music in the background! I wear a dress that I feel like they would have wear back in the days! And my white apron(mainly to keep my dress clean but I feel like it fit the dinner theme too) These simple details can turn a family meal into a joyful feast day celebration.
While the kids enjoy dinner, my husband or I will read them the story of Saint Padre Pio and ask the questions at the bottom of the page. I love how sharing stories and talking about them together helps the saints come to life for our children and inspires them to grow closer to Jesus!
Of course there has to be an italian dessert for the family which will be a Gelato. Some other ideas would be cannoli, Affogato-inspired ice cream, Panna cotta, Italian butter cookies or Lemon ricotta cake.
After all the dinner fun, we’ll gather for the heart of our celebration—prayer! I’ll place a picture of Saint Padre Pio on our home altar, and we’ll pray the Rosary together, or just a decade if that works best for our family that evening. Padre Pio had such a deep love for the Rosary and the Holy Mass, so attending Mass as a family would also be a beautiful way to celebrate his feast day!
