Francesco Forgione, OFM Cap., better known as Padre Pio and also Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Italian: Pio da Pietrelcina; 25 May 1887 – 23 September 1968), was an Italian Franciscan Capuchin friar, priest, stigmatist, and mystic. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Padre Pio became famous for exhibiting stigmata for most of his life, thereby generating much interest and controversy. He was both beatified in 1999 and canonized in 2002 by Pope John Paul II. The Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina is located in San Giovanni Rotondo, Province of Foggia, Italy. Undeniably the most famous of the miracles associated with Padre Pio was his stigmata; he bore the wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side. With the possible exception of St. Paul (see Gal. 6:17), he was the first priest in history to bear the stigmata.