Fr. Pio Mandato FMHJ is a Franciscan priest living as a missionary hermit in the Diocese of Scranton, PA under Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, D.D.. Fr. Pio was born in Italy. His parents came from Pietrelcina in Southern Italy, where Sainst (Padre)Pio, the famous stigmatist priest was from. They knew Padre Pio well. Fr. Pio received his first Holy Communion from Padre Pio before coming to the US to grow up in New Jersey. He entered the Capuchin Franciscans at age 17, where he received his Franciscan formation and later priestly formation. He was ordained in 1985 as a Capuchin and has been invoved in various apostolates throughout the years, from hospital chaplaincy to working with the homeless in NY and to giving retreats and doing healing masses. In 1998 he was accepted into the Diocese of Scranton and began living a life of prayer as a hermit in solitude and at times going forth to preach.