Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)

Blessed Pier Giorgio is one of the most inspiring young saints of the 20th century . . .

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Feast Day: July 4
Beatified: May 20, 1990

Pier Giorgio Frassati’s life in Turin, Italy, was a balance of opposites, which drew people to the supernatural. He was wealthy, but lived in poverty. Handsome and strong, he devoted himself to the weak and malformed. He was gregarious, yet a lover of solitude. Frassati was a practical joker and the life of every party. But at prayer he was solemn and quiet. And when Frassati was leaving Church after adoration, he would turn and wave farewell to Jesus in the tabernacle.

As a teenager, Frassati gave the poor whatever he had — his money, his shoes, his overcoat. “Jesus comes to me every morning in Holy Communion,” he said. “I repay Him in my very small way by visiting the poor.” At the same time he organized student parties, games and fundraisers to finance ski trips to the Alps. Frassati was passionate about mountain climbing!

Once after visiting a badly disfigured leper, he explained to a friend the rationale for his selfless ministry: “How rich we are to be in good health. The deformation of that young man will disappear in a few years when he enters Paradise. But we have the duty to put our health at the service of those who don’t have it. To act otherwise would be to betray the gift of God.”

Frassati was famous in Turin, but his family regarded him as a problem. His father, Alfredo Frassati, editor of the daily La Stampa, seems to have resented his largesse. And his mother was inconvenienced by his frequent lateness to meals. Only after his death did they come to appreciate their son. A virulent form of poliomyelitis attacked the 24-year-old in 1925, and he died within a week. He is the patron of youth and World Youth Day.

This column is written for Legatus Magazine by Bert Ghezzi. He writes and speaks frequently about saints. Ghezzi’s books include “Voices of the Saints,” “Mystics and Miracles,” and “Saints at Heart.” Online: bertghezzi.com