The film, narrated by Tony Award-winning actor and director Joe Mantegna, who is also its executive producer, features the comments and testimonies of Golden Globe Award-winning actor Gary Sinise, Grammy Award-winning singer José Feliciano, actor and singer Robert Davi, journalist Andrea Tornielli, sculptor Timothy Schmalz, award-winning chef Chris Bianco, writer Renzo Allegri, and many others who either knew Padre Pio personally or came to know him through his story.

“I have known the Saint Pio Foundation since its inception, and I believe a documentary on the life of this giant of a man is long overdue. I am pleased that the foundation and EWTN are undertaking the telling of this true story of Saint Pio to the millions of followers and those curious to know more about him around the world. I am indeed honored to offer my support to be the narrator of this docudrama,” Mantegna said about the opportunity of being the narrator of the film.

Luciano Lamonarca, founder and CEO of Saint Pio Foundation, developed the idea of the docudrama. “The full process took almost one year. We were already set to celebrate our tenth anniversary by providing the letters of Saint Pio, the ten photographs of Saint Pio, and ‘The Song of Saint Pio,’ that I did not really envision adding an important media project like producing an international docudrama. But during the summer I had, like many, the opportunity to view the recent movie ‘Padre Pio,’ and I thought that there was a need to offer an authentic biographical documentary about the life of Saint Pio. I was furthermore delighted that when I shared my desire to produce this docudrama with EWTN, Director John Elson, he had the same vision. We have been working tirelessly since then, to be able to make this docudrama available on Saint Pio’s feast day.”

The film, which also includes original footage of the great saint, marks a series of international initiatives launched by the Saint Pio Foundation on its 10th anniversary.

“Many moments of footage include Saint Pio celebrating Masses, the inauguration of his most important work, the hospital ‘Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza,’ but mostly a joyful Saint Pio. Many still believe today that he was a very serious holy man and not the usual joking type. On the contrary, he was serious regarding anything related to confessions, the Mass, and Eucharistic adoration, but behind that, he was very joyful, and everyone enjoyed his company. There are also a few dramatizations of a few facts and episodes of the life of Saint Pio that perfectly emphasize and replicate the feelings of extreme pain Saint Pio endured,” Lamonarca stated.

The docudrama is available on the dedicated webpage of the Saint Pio Foundation as well as on the EWTN On Demand platform. “EWTN is in the process of releasing its world premiere on its TV channels starting in December 2024, and in conjunction, we are in discussion with many public broadcasting TV stations, both in the U.S. and in foreign countries, for its release outside the U.S. in other languages,” Lamonarca added.

This docudrama will continue to spread awareness and devotion to Saint Pio and his example of holiness.

“In Italy, almost every year there is a new book about Saint Pio, or new interviews and documentaries. They are excellent, and almost all of them speak about the life of Saint Pio under a point of view of being a friar, and a Saint. Our hope is that this docudrama will continue to spread awareness and devotion to Saint Pio and his example of holiness. We wish to ensure that those who know of Saint Pio might be reminded of who he really was, and that those who do not know him yet might learn about the inspiring life of this humble and holy man, and the impact that he had and continues to have on millions of people around the world, while he lived his humble life in the little monastery in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy,” Lamonarca concluded.

The Saint Pio Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization founded in 2014 that promotes devotion to Padre Pio.