Fr. Pio, 32, is the eldest of five children. He was born in Norwalk, California. When he was 10, his parents moved to León, Guanajuato, México, where they still reside along with three of his brothers.

He received the sacrament of confirmation in Tijuana, and his first communion in the parish of the Holy Spirit, San Diego, California.

He studied from first through 4th grade in Norwalk, California. When he moved to León, he had to repeat 4th grade because he had not yet learned Spanish.

He studied high school at the University of el Bajío (UBAC). There, he was the president of the student council and auxiliary member of the social services department.

“Through the activities of this department,” Fr. Pio said, “God started to enkindle in my soul an ardent desire to work for others. The close presence of the Brothers of La Salle helped me immensely in my vocational discernment.”

Just when he was about to enter medical school in León, being already registered, he decided to enter the novitiate of the Legion of Christ.

“Since my last year of high school, I had been on a path that would lead me to do God’s will and allow me to say ‘yes’ to his call,” Fr. Pio said. “Of course, this wasn’t easy, since I was a young person who thought he had other plans for the future.”

Fr. Pio studied philosophy and theology at the Atheneum Regina Apostolorum in Rome. He dedicated almost five years to the spiritual formation of young men in high school in San Luis Potosí, Mérida, and México City. He also started some centers for the spiritual formation of children and adolescents in the south of Italy.

He is currently the spiritual director for young men in the island of Sicily, and vicar of St Fernando Rey Parish in the island of Ustica.

His parents are Pio Centeno Reynoso, a merchant, and Antonia Márquez de Centeno. They live in Lomas del Sol, Mexico.