The Initiative

The origins of LA CANZONE DI PADRE PIO date back to 1968, immediately after the passing of Padre Pio.

The composer, Maestro Rico Garofalo, a great musician from Foggia, was very close to Saint Pio.  Rico began visiting Saint Pio in 1960, and from the first meeting his faith was rejuvenated. Rico himself believed that many of his successes were supported by Saint Pio.

Following the death of Padre Pio, Maestro Garofalo, together with his friend and lyricist Gino Scauzillo, composed "La canzone di Padre Pio," which was recorded on LP a few weeks after the passing of Saint Pio, by the record company OPERVOKS, in the interpretation of Italian singer Luciano Rondinella. The latter was quite famous at the time, having made films, participated in the finals of Canzonissima, and having performed at the Sanremo festival.

That was the first signature song dedicated to Padre Pio, and although at the beginning it enjoyed much success in Italy and abroad, in the following years it fell into oblivion.  

In 2021, tenor Luciano Lamonarca, with origins from the Puglia region of Italy and established in America, also the founder and CEO of the Saint Pio Foundation, rediscovered the song by what it seemed pure chance, and informed the Garofalo family of his wish to restore prestige to the beautiful song.

The plan was to have a fresh recording of the same song, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of the musician Rico Garofalo, and to make the recording available free of charge to the public, so that those following and devoted to Saint Pio’s could listen to what it is, and should be defined, as the official hymn dedicated to San Pio.  Importantly, the same recording was chosen as the official track for the upcoming documentary "San Pio di Pietrelcina: man of hope and healing".  

In this official video, the artist wants to retrace, in a creative and refined way, the salient moments that led him and his wife to approach Saint Pio, underlining the Saint's intercession in the completion of their family.

It is a prayer dedicated to Saint Pio performed by tenor Lamonarca, but who sings in the voices of all faithful who place their hopes and sufferings, with trust, in the holy man Saint Pio.