Book Review:

 

  The Soldier and the Saint, Memoirs of an American Soldier

The soldier is Private First Class Joseph W. Peluso from Western Pennsylvania. The core of this enjoyable book consists of Peluso’s own personal memoirs of his forty-five visits to Padre Pio, from October 1944 to July of 1945. It is also profusely illustrated with photos of many of the people he met at the time, including stills from movies he took. 

 

Joe passed on in 1996. This book was compiled from Joe’s notebooks by his son-in-law Thomas Konvolinka. You will meet here a different Padre Pio from the priest and man-of-God presented in his formal biographies. Instead this is a very informal close-up of an extremely affectionate, loving person, with a wonderful sense of humor. 

 

This is a fun read. Joe Peluso was so close to Padre Pio and to the Superior of the Friary, Padre Agostino, that he was allowed on some occasions to dine with the friars in their own refectory, sitting next to Padre Pio. “Padre Pio is served everything that the others are served, but he does not eat it because he eats very little. You could put all the food that he eats in one day in the cup of your hand. He eats no meat whatsoever, and eats fish only occasionally if it is fresh fish caught from Gulf of Manfredonia. […] Padre Pio sat there telling funny stories all during the meal, and the priests would have to hold their sides for fear that they would open over the laughter. Some even got up from the table in order to stop laughing and wipe the tears that were running down their cheeks.” 

 

The Friary was thirty-seven miles from his army camp, which was just south of the city of Foggia. When Joe could not arrange for a ride with his buddies, he would hitch-hike all the way up the mountain. During these journeys to the friary he was often given rides from colorful characters, such as a truckload of Gurkha soldiers, who were fighting alongside the British. You will meet Count John Telfener, Red Cross Director William Carrigan, Padre Pio’s father known as Nono, the Padre’s older brother Mike, and other family members. Not to be overlooked is Mary Pyle, the “Americana” who gave up her worldly life in the USA to live near the Padre. Her dining room hosted Peluso and his buddies quite a number of times. 

 

There were even a few miracles, such as the gift of tongues, and the aroma of sanctity. Although in most cases, the only word of Padre Pio’s Italian that Joe understood was “America.” He was there for Padre Pio’s fifty-eighth birthday party, for the Christmas eve Mass, and for the wedding of the saint’s niece Pia. 

 

After each visit he wrote an account of his experiences and the people he met. Here is a short excerpt from visit number thirty-eight. Joe is in the Friar’s refectory, sitting next to Padre Pio for dinner. “After finishing my dinner, dessert, and all of Padre Pio’s food and most of his wine, I was filled to the brim. However, he started to nibble on a little fruit and nuts in the little drawer under the table. He ate a few and gave me a handful to eat. I ate some and saved some for what I considered relics. Again, my glass was empty, and I had drunk all of my wine and almost all of his. He took his bottle and filled my glass down to the last drop of wine from his bottle. My glass was filled to the very top, not another drop could have fit in, and yet, it did not run over. After dinner we all sat around and everyone joined in the conversation. When it was time to leave, Padre Pio took me by the arm, and took me into the sacristy of the Church. We knelt and prayed together at the altar. After prayers, I went into the back room with the priests. All of them bid me goodbye, and then Padre Pio gave me a very fatherly and heavenly embrace, kissed my cheeks and we bid each other goodbye.”

 

Actually it was Joe Peluso who did the most to open the floodgates for the hundreds of troops who eventually come to San Giovanni Rotondo to receive the sacraments from Padre Pio. Peluso wanted to share his “discovery” of Padre Pio with the Allied soldiers stationed in southern Italy, and not just the Americans and Catholics. He asked Padre Pio if it was possible to change the 5 AM Mass to 9 AM, so that the troops could attend, and it was done. Peluso also desired to have an article appear in the “Stars and Stripes” armed forces newspaper about Padre Pio, and that also was done. 

 

In addition to the forty-five “memoirs” of his visits to the saint, the book also has a chapter on Padre Pio’s life and also on Mary Pyle, and closes with additional stories from Peluso’s note cards and his daughter, his return visit to Italy forty-three years later, and quotes from Padre Pio. 

 

This 140-page book is currently available directly from the author. For single copies, send check or money order for $17.45 (which includes $4.50 for S & H) to:

 

Thomas Konvolinka

6530 Leo’s Lane

Fennville, MI 49408

Please include your email address with your order in case of any questions.

For multiple copies or bookstore pricing, contact Tom at: konvolinka at gmail.com