happy Birthday Fr. Pio Jackson

Fr. Pio Jackson formerly known as Michael Jackson has a birthday on the 17th of April and his story is an interesting one.  First he is my Brother in Law as he is Candie's brother.  His Brith name was Michael Jackson and he kept that name until he joined the priesthood. Candi and Mike went to Catholic school all the way until high school in Milwaukee. At High School Candi opted to go to a public school. She was a few years ahead of Mike so when his time came he opted to stay in Catholic School and stayed with the Church until he was ordained a Priest with the order of the Franciscans who have taken a vow of poverty. Once ordained in the Catholic Church you have to choose a new first name, and he chose Pio after one of the a second century Saint who was the first Pope Pius. He was educated in Europe and spend a lot of time in Rome and he also worked for a while with St. Theresa. In his early days in Chicago he knew the current Pope Leo who grew up in Chicago. Now he runs the Ritiro Franciscan Retreat Center in Dittmer,  MO.  Happy Birthday Fr. Pio Jackson.