# Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati: A Joyful Climb Toward Holiness

## Introduction
What does holiness look like in the life of an ordinary young person? For Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, it looked like laughter shared with friends, mountain hikes “to the heights,” a heart burning with love for the Eucharist, and tireless service to the poor.

Born into a wealthy family in Turin, Italy, in 1901, Pier Giorgio lived only 24 years. Yet in that short span he showed the world that holiness is not reserved for priests or religious—it is possible for students, athletes, and young people immersed in everyday life.

Canonized in 2025, Frassati is now a patron saint of youth and young adults. His story continues to inspire thousands around the world to live the Gospel with joy.

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## Early Life and Context
– **Born:** April 6, 1901, in Turin, Italy.
– **Family:** His father, Alfredo, was a prominent journalist and politician; his mother, Adelaide, a talented artist. The household was wealthy but not deeply religious.
– **Historical backdrop:** Italy was recovering from World War I, marked by political unrest, poverty, and the rise of fascism.

Amid this turbulence, Pier Giorgio grew up with a natural sensitivity toward the poor and a thirst for God.

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## Spiritual Journey
From a young age, Pier Giorgio sought to deepen his relationship with Christ:

– He began receiving **daily Communion** while still a student at the Jesuit-run Istituto Sociale—unusual for laypeople at the time.
– He spent long hours in **Eucharistic adoration**, often late into the night.
– He read **Sacred Scripture** regularly, inspired by passages like Matthew 25:40: *“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”*
– He joined Catholic groups such as the **Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul** and the **Apostleship of Prayer**, uniting devotion with action.

His motto was simple: **Prayer, Action, Sacrifice**.

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## Charity in Action
Pier Giorgio’s holiness shone most brightly in his charity:

– He gave away his pocket money to the poor and often returned home on foot after giving away his tram fare.
– He visited the sick in hospitals and the poor in Turin’s slums, bringing food, medicine, and encouragement.
– He once skipped a family vacation, saying: *“If everyone leaves Turin, who will care for the poor?”*

He embodied the Beatitudes, earning the title given by Pope John Paul II: **“Man of the Eight Beatitudes.”**

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## Student and Activist
Pier Giorgio studied **mining engineering** at the Polytechnic of Turin, explaining that he wanted to serve Christ by working alongside miners.

He also became politically active:
– Member of the **Italian Popular Party**, inspired by Catholic social teaching (*Rerum Novarum*).
– Spoke out against both communism and fascism, courageously defending Christian principles in public life.
– Arrested briefly in Rome (1921) while defending a Catholic youth banner during a demonstration.

For him, faith was not private—it was a call to transform society.

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## Joy, Friendship, and Mountains
Despite his seriousness about faith, Pier Giorgio was known for his contagious joy:
– Friends described him as “an explosion of life.”
– He founded a jokingly named group, the **Tipi Loschi** (“The Shady Characters”), with whom he prayed, studied, laughed, and climbed mountains.
– He loved art, opera, and especially mountain climbing. On his last ascent he scribbled the phrase that became his life motto: **“Verso l’Alto” (To the Heights).**

For Pier Giorgio, the mountain was both a place of adventure and a symbol of the soul’s ascent toward God.

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## Final Days and Death
In late June 1925, Pier Giorgio contracted **polio**, likely from visiting the sick.

Even on his deathbed he thought of others: unable to move, he scribbled instructions for a friend to deliver medicine to a poor man he was helping.

He died on **July 4, 1925**, at just 24 years old. At his funeral, thousands of Turin’s poor flooded the streets to honor the young man who had served them quietly and faithfully.

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## Beatification and Canonization
– **1981:** His body was found incorrupt, 56 years after burial.
– **1990:** Beatified by Pope John Paul II, who called him *“a man of the Beatitudes.”*
– **2024:** A second miracle was approved—the miraculous healing of a seminarian’s torn Achilles tendon in Los Angeles after invoking Pier Giorgio’s intercession.
– **2025:** Canonized in Rome during the Jubilee Year, alongside Blessed Carlo Acutis. Declared a patron saint of youth and young adults.

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## Lessons for Today
What can we learn from Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati?

– **Holiness is for everyone:** You don’t need to be a priest or nun to become a saint.
– **Put faith into action:** Service to the poor is the natural fruit of love for Christ.
– **Stay joyful:** Pier Giorgio shows that holiness and humor go hand in hand.
– **Seek “the heights”:** His motto *Verso l’Alto* challenges us to keep our eyes fixed on God’s call.

As Pope Francis wrote in *Christus Vivit*: *“Frassati was a young man filled with the joy that conquers life’s difficulties, giving himself completely to Christ.”*

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## Suggested Images

*Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati in the 1920s (Public Domain)*

*Verso l’Alto: Pier Giorgio leading friends up the mountain.*

*Thousands of Turin’s poor honored the young man who had served them.*

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## Conclusion
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati shows us that sanctity is not distant or impossible—it can be lived in the heart of the world.

He invites today’s Catholics, especially the young, to climb “to the heights” of holiness through prayer, joy, and service. His life is a reminder that to follow Christ is to live fully, generously, and with contagious joy.

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## References
1. [Vatican Biography of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati](https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_19900520_frassati_en.html)
2. [USCCB: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati](https://www.usccb.org/saints/blessed-pier-giorgio-frassati)
3. [Dominican Friars: Who Is Pier Giorgio Frassati?](https://frassatiusa.org/who-is-pier-giorgio-frassati)
4. [Catholic News Agency: Biography of Pier Giorgio Frassati](https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/blessed-pier-giorgio-frassati-508)
5. [Catholic University of America – Pier Giorgio Frassati Resource Page](https://faith.cua.edu/frassati)