St. Padre Pio Pocket Rosary Chaplet

- Catholic One-Decade Prayer Beads, San Damiano Cross -

This pocket rosary chaplet is dedicated to St. Padre Pio, the patron of stress relief, winter blues, adolescents, and civil defense volunteers. He was a Franciscan most of his life, from the age of 15, and was known for his experience of the stigmata. This one-decade chaplet was designed with dark rosewood beads, a nicely detailed base-metal holy medal (made in Italy), black onyx rounds, and a lovely Crucifix of San Damiano (made in Italy).
 

The chaplet also includes:
• TierraCast rhodium plated bead caps
• Sterling silver rondelle spacers
• Sterling silver heavy-duty crimps
• Large sterling silver crimp cover
• TierraCast silver plated oval jump rings
• Sterling silver wire guards
• High-quality 49-strand beading wire

All of the above were made in the USA except the sterling rondelle spacers, which were made in Italy. The length of the pocket rosary is approximately 10.75 inches, including the medal (1 inch) and crucifix (1.5 inches). The bracelet also comes with a complimentary holy card, which is shown in one of my shop photos on Etsy. I purchased that, the holy medal, and the San Damiano crucifix at the National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette in Massachusetts. The shrine is a beautiful place of peace and contemplation.

The pocket rosary's earthy wooden beads remind us of St. Pio's life as a Franciscan priest. They deepen the meaning of this devotional aid, which I designed with care, thought, and best wishes. It comes ready for gifting.

A BRIEF WORD ABOUT ST. PADRE PIO
One of the most popular saints in the world today, Padre Pio lived most of his 81 years in the 20th century; thus, like St Theresa of Calcutta, he was a person who saw the advance of the modern world. He became a Franciscan friar when only 15, and several years later was ordained as priest. His experience of the stigmata, which was widely witnessed, is one outstanding mark of this saint. His formal saint's name is St. Pio of Pietrelcina, and he is patron of civil defense volunteers, adolescents, stress relief, and winter blues.

ABOUT THE CRUCIFIX OF SAN DAMIANO
The design of this crucifix is based on the rood cross at the church of San Damiano near Assisi, Italy. It was in prayer before the San Damiano cross that St. Francis was instructed by Jesus to rebuild the church, which had been abandoned and allowed to deteriorate. St. Francis felt both a physical and an emotional transformation from this spiritual experience, and as a renewed man, did as Jesus commanded. The rebuilding of San Damiano became the physical counterpart of the self's interior reconstruction, the Franciscan vocation to discover one's genuine self in Christ. Compassion, mercy, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and the recognition of the worth and dignity of all people are the key elements of this personal reflection of Christ. The cross of San Damiano reminds us of these spiritual qualities and the importance of striving to imitate Jesus as we rebuild our interior lives and help rebuild the greater community, or house, of God. It is a spiritual challenge for all.

This style of crucifix is classed as an icon cross because along with Jesus it portrays various saints and figures of the crucifixion scene. The Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Saint John, and the Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his son flank the torso of Jesus. Above the crucified figure, the risen Christ is depicted leaving his tomb and ascending to heaven. More figures are depicted in the original cross in San Damiano.

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