St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) was born in Turin, Italy, to a wealthy and prominent Italian family on on April 6, 1901. He was a handsome, vibrant, joyful, courageous, devout Catholic and athletic youth with an adventurous spirit and a strong zest for life. He loved mountain climbing, the theater, opera, and literature. He also had a deep spiritual life and a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist and the Virgin Mary, even while his piety provoked criticism from his parents. He challenged his friends to a life of virtue, leading them in spiritual exercises such as daily Mass and the rosary. He joined the Saint Vincent de Paul Society in 1918 and became a Lay Dominican in 1922. He was also politically active in resisting fascism and communism; he took part in public demonstrations and joined religious-political organizations such as the Catholic Students Federation and Catholic Action. He also spent much time caring for the sick and poor to a heroic degree, yet his parents punished him when they caught him giving away his money and possessions. While ministering to the sick he contracted polio and died just six days later at the age of 24. His family, thinking he suffered from a mild sickness, did not realize the seriousness of his condition until it was too late. At his funeral his parents were shocked to find thousands of the city’s poor, whom their son had helped in some way, arrive to pay their respects. He died too soon at just 24 but has since become the model for lay people – and future popes! – all over the world. He’s a saint for the modern world, and especially for the young people of our time.
These are 12 amazing facts of his short but very intense life: 1. Despite being raised by agnostic parents, Pier Giorgio’s inclinations to help others manifested in his childhood. Once as a child, he answered the door to find a mother begging with her son who was shoeless. He took off his own shoes and gave them to the child; 2. At an early age, Pier Giorgio joined the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer, and obtained permission to receive daily Communion, which was rare at the time. 3. At the same time, Pier Giorgio was known among his friends as “Il Terrore” (“the Terror”) due to his fondness for practical jokes. 4. At 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to take care of the poor, the homeless, the sick and the demobilized servicemen returning from World War I. 5. In 1919, he joined the Catholic Student Foundation and the Popular Party, whose principles were based in the Social Doctrine of the Church. He strongly opposed the rise of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini and was jailed in Rome after joining the protest of the Catholic Workers’ Association. 6. Pier Giorgio would be notable for giving literally everything he had to the poor. He would even use his bus fare for charity and then run home to be on time for meals. 7. An avid and accomplished mountain-climber, he saw many parallels between Catholic life and his favorite pastime. He would regularly organize trips into the mountains with occasions for prayers and conversations about faith on the way up or down from the summit. 8. After what would become his final climb he wrote a simple note on a photograph: “Verso L’Alto” (“To the Heights”)–a phrase that has become a popular Catholic motto. 9. At 24, Pier Giorgio became very ill with polio. Some of his friends believed that he contracted the disease from the people in the slums of Turin. In his last days, he whispered the names of people who still needed assistance to his family and friends who gathered at his bedside. He died on July 4, 1925 (aged 24) at Turin, Kingdom of Italy. St. Pier Giorgio’s mortal remains were found incorrupt in 1981 and were transferred from the family tomb in the cemetery of Pollone to the Cathedral of Turin. 10. Frassati was declared “Beatified” on May 29, 1990 by Pope St. John Paul II, who called him a “Man of the Eight Beatitudes” and a “joyful apostle of Christ.” A year before, after visiting his tomb, Pope John Paul II revealed that he also had felt in his own youth “the beneficial influence of his example.” He left the world rather young,” he said, “but he made a mark upon our entire century.” 11. In her biography of her brother, Pier Giorgio’s sister, Luciana wrote that “he represented the finest in Christian youth: pure, happy, enthusiastic about everything that is good and beautiful.” 12. Pier Giorgio’s popularity is big among young people, especially in America. Many apostolates have been created with his name and he is currently regarded as the Catholic patron of Students (mainly because he wasn’t good at school), Young Catholics, Mountaineers, Youth groups, Catholic Action, Dominican tertiaries (he became one), and World Youth Day. According to the website dedicated to him by the USCCB, for years he has been “a significant global patron for youth and young adults – and has a special place in the hearts of young people across the United States as well. Pope St. John Paul II declared him a patron for World Youth Days and deemed him the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes” as he exemplified those blessings in his everyday life” at his beatification on May 20, 1990 at Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City. His feast day is July 4th.
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati ~ Pray for us🙏
The Canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis & Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/canonization-of-carlo-acutis-pier-giorgio-frassati/
SAINT PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/saint-pier-giorgio-frassati/
Daily Reflections with Philomena | https://dailyreflectionswithphilomena.com/