The Hope and Joy of Pier Giorgio Frassati

Presented by: DEACON JOHN

Pier Giorgio Frassati lived in the early part of the 20th century. He lived in Turin in Northern Italy. He was a man who had a strong prayer life. He was taught scripture verses by his mother. His faith developed and felt a personal relationship with God. Through this relationship he learned that God loved the little ones.
Pier Giorgio Frassati was one of the more joyful and attractive saints of modern time. He died in 1925 at the youthful age of 24. He was a handsome, athletic, talented Italian from an aristocratic family. He was struck down by the polio he had contracted from his work with the poor. He would carry food and necessities himself, making a detailed list of who they were and what they needed. Besides his charitable endeavours, Frassati’s talents were many, as he spread the faith by his sheer charisma and energy. He was an avid mountaineer and hiker, he scaled some of Italy’s grandest peaks. His motto was “verso l’alto” which means “always higher.”
As he grew older, Pier Giorgio became more aware of the poverty around him. Even though he came from a wealthy family, he felt close to those who struggled. He began giving his allowance to help the poor. He often visited sick and lonely people, offering them hope and friendship. His faith and kindness grew stronger as he reached adulthood. He developed a great love for the Eucharist. From the time he was 12 years old until his death at 24, he received communion everyday. At the age of 17, he joined the Society of St Vincent de Paul. He committed his life to serving the poor. He was also someone who took his catholic social teaching that he learned while growing up and put it into practice. He became a member of a group called “Catholic Action”. He is known as the “man of the beatitudes”.


Despite coming from a family of such prestige, Pier Giorgio spent most days in the slums of Turin, visiting the poor and serving the sick. His love for Christ burned within him and brushed off on everyone he came into contact with—from lepers and orphans to college friends and political diplomats. He shared his Faith with kindness and charity, and defended it passionately against the evils of Fascism, even coming to blows with Mussolini’s thugs on numerous occasions.
Pier Giorgio worked to promote fairness and dignity for workers, who often faced harsh conditions. He stood up for their rights while still treating everyone with kindness and respect.
Pier Giorgio touched the lives of thousands, yet his high-society parents remained unmoved by the life he led as they frowned upon his religious practices and charitable work.

Presented by: CAROLYN

He would attend concerts, get-togethers, rallies, but would only go to the new-fangled films if he was sure of their moral quality – he could not stomach impurity and vice. He sis not like the fascist-socialist regime of Benito Mussolini Although in love once, he thought his parents would not approve of the marriage, and relinquished his hopes, a sacrifice that cost him dearly, as he once confided to his sister. He radiated chastity, purity and simplicity. Love of the Outdoors He had a great love for the outdoors. He reminds us of how powerful it can be to disconnect from all the noise that surrounds us and find peace in nature, appreciating the incredible beauty God has created for us. . For Pier Giorgio, being in nature was like being in a church. He didn’t enjoy these adventures alone. Pier Giorgio loved sharing his outdoor activities with friends.
He was born into an affluent family. His father was an agnostic and his mother was an artist. His father ran a newspaper, “La Stampa”. His father wanted him to work in the newspaper but he chose to be an engineer. But he wasn’t absorbed in that culture. His life was marked by an extraordinary charity.

One time his father bought him first class train tickets for a trip he was going on. He turned around and traded in the first-class ticket for a third-class ticket. Then he would give the rest of the money to the poor. His father Alfredo had to continually buy his son new clothes. You see, Pier Giorgio would “lose them” to the poor. He was described as a fun-loving troublemaker but he also performed many acts of service and charity. He liked to play practical jokes. 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.
He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hiking, swimming, and mountain climbing. He cared for the environment. He loved the poor and the vulnerable. He was inspired particularly the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians. He kept it on a small piece of paper in his pocket. It read “If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
Love is patient, love is kind. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

His devotion to the faith, to the Holy Mass and Rosary, his love of Italy and all things Italian, of music and song and the outdoors, all of this attracted many to him Pier Giorgio has become not just a patron of youth, but a very icon of how one’s first formative years may be well spent.
The Eucharist was absolutely central to Pier Giorgio’s life. He received Christ with joy each morning in Holy Communion, and he carried Him forth to everyone he met throughout the rest of his day. Pier Giorgio knew that he could not rely on his own strength; rather, he sought to draw nearer to Jesus, that through relationship with Him and intimate communion, he might become a vessel for God in the world.

Presented by: DEACON JOHN

Pier was peaceful and resigned in his lingering torment from the polio, his once fit, strong body soon reduced to its skeletal frame. But the young man was ready. He said “Learn to be stronger in spirit than in your muscles. If you are, you will be real apostles of faith in God.
It is believed he contacted polio while helping the poor in his town. Huge crowds attended his funeral; the elite as well as workers and the homeless. It is said that this outpouring of love towards him even brought his father back to the church. We can see Pier Giorgio Frassati as our patron saint.
His parents expected a few dignitaries and family friends at his funeral; they were shocked to find the streets thronged with thousands of the people of Turin, the poor, the maimed, the abandoned, including all those he had helped secretly; truly, his name was proclaimed from the housetops! When Pier Giorgio’s body was exhumed in 1981, it was found to be incorrupt. It had not decayed at all.
After the miraculous cure of a boy named Dominic, Pier Giorgio was beatified on May 20th, 1990 by Pope John Paul II. We need more of his hope, his joy, and his true Catholic optimism, that however bad things seem, in the end, all manner of things shall be well. He had great love for the poor. Here is what he said to a group of students.


As we grow closer to the poor little by little we gain their confidence and can advise them in the most terrible moments of this earthly pilgrimage. We can give them the comforting words of faith and we often succeed, not by our own merit, in putting on the right path people who have strayed not out of malice. I think I can say that the Conference of St. Vincent with its visits to the poor serves to curb our passions, it gives us increasing incentives to get on the right road by which we are all trying to reach the great harbor. Seeing daily the faith with which families often bear the most atrocious sufferings, the constant sacrifices that they make and that they do all this for the love of God often makes us ask this question: I, who have had so many things from God, have always been so neglectful, so bad, while they, who have not been privileged like me, are infinitely better than me. Then we resolve in our conscience to follow the way of the Cross from then onward, the only way that leads us to Eternal Salvation.
On suffering he said :
You ask me whether I am in good spirits. How could I not be, so long as my trust in God gives me strength. We must always be cheerful. Sadness should be banished from all Christian souls. For suffering is a far different thing from sadness, which is the worst disease of all. It is almost always caused by lack of Faith. But the purpose for which we have been created shows us the path along which we should go, perhaps strewn with many thorns, but not a sad path. Even in the midst of intense suffering it is one of joy.

Presented by: CAROLYN

Pier Giorgio had a special awareness of God’s presence in creation. The mountains were the place where he could feel especially close to God, set apart from the distractions of everyday life and in awe of the beauty of nature.
Pier Giorgio’s devotion to God bore fruit not only in his friendships but also in his devotion to the poorest members of his community. He shared his joy with those most in need, never hesitating to sacrifice his own money or goods for the sake of others. He truly saw the presence of Christ in the poor,
Sainthood is given to a deceased person when 2 miracles are recognized that occurred due to the person’s intervention. Here is one of the two miracles. In September 2017, Father Juan Manuel Gutierrez, then a seminarian at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, suffered a torn Achilles tendon during a basketball game with fellow seminarians.
Despite initially treating the injury as a pulled muscle, an MRI confirmed the complete tear, leading doctors to recommend surgery.
Faced with the challenges of surgery and recovery, Gutierrez turned to prayer. Inspired to begin a novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, he sought spiritual assistance, asking for help rather than healing. As he prayed one evening in the seminary chapel, he felt an unusual warmth in his injured ankle, which he described as “gentle,”
In the days following, Gutierrez found himself walking without a brace. By the time he visited his orthopedic surgeon, the injury had inexplicably vanished. “You must have somebody up there looking after you,” the surgeon reportedly said, perplexed by his complete recovery.
The Vatican ultimately determined the healing was a miracle attributable to Frassati’s intercession. The Vatican formally recognized the miracle in November 2024. He will be named a saint at the Jubilee for youth in August 2025.
Father Gutierrez said Pier Giorgio was “Someone who takes ownership of our Catholic identity, someone who is involved in the lived experience of the faith, not only in the walls of your church, but even beyond that.”



Pope John Paul II said this about this young man.
“He was a modern youth,” the pope told a gathering of young people in 1983, “open to the problems of culture, sports, to social questions, to the true values of life, and at the same time a profoundly believing man, nourished by the Gospel message, deeply interested in serving his brothers and sisters, and consumed in an ardor of charity that drew him close to the poor and the sick. He lived the Gospel beatitudes.

Presented by: DEACON JOHN

Frassati was a man of hope. Blessed Frassati lived in 1901, during a chaotic period in Italian history, marked by social unrest and political upheaval. He witnessed the rise of the fascist movement in his country, World War I, and the open persecution of the Catholic Church. Now, here we live in a different country and time with other circumstances, but not much has changed in the general sense. Like Blessed Frassati, we live in a world of social unrest and political upheaval. It can be challenging to live one's faith or speak the truth as fewer and fewer people even believe in God and seem to thrive on creating division. Finding hope in a world like ours is a challenge. Let's look at how Frassati found hope in a tumultuous world.

Frassati did not think of hope as a passive emotion or wishful thinking. Instead, he considered it an active force that drove him to work tirelessly for the betterment of others. Rather than give in to despair, he decided he could do something about it, one little thing at a time. He joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society at a young age, dedicating himself to serving the poor and marginalized in Turin.

He frequently visited Turin's slums, bringing food, medicine, and financial assistance to those in need. He saw Christ in the faces of the poor and was a source of hope for them. He often sacrificed vacations at the Frassati summer home in Pollone (outside of Turin) because, as he said, “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?” This heart of service was not just about material aid; it was a testament to Pier Giorgio's hope in the transformative power of Christ's love by recognizing the dignity of every human being. When we spend too much time focusing on all the bad things happening in the world, it can become overwhelming, and we can feel helpless and hopeless. Blessed Frassati shows us that when we focus on the difference that we can make in our much smaller community by doing little things with Christian love, we bring hope to others and grow the hope within our own hearts.

Ultimately, the source of Blessed Frassati's hope was his rich spiritual life. His hope was nourished by his deep devotion to the Eucharist. He attended Mass daily and spent hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. This practice strengthened his hope in God's presence and love, even in the face of life's difficulties. Frassati's hope was also strengthened by his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He prayed the Rosary daily, and he often encouraged his friends to do the same. His devotion to Mary helped sustain his hope in God's promises and in the intercession of the saints.

This young saint exemplified the virtue of hope. How can you change the world around you for the better by doing good for the people nearest you? There are plenty of little ways you can give others a reason to hope in the good of humanity.

Presented by: CAROLYN

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati shows us how to live our faith in simple, real ways. He didn’t just talk about loving God and others—he acted on it. He went to Mass, prayed, and spent time with God, but he also served the poor and stood up for justice. His life reminds us that faith isn’t just for Sunday mornings. It is part of everything we do.



Pier Giorgio also shows us how to live with joy. He didn’t think faith meant giving up fun or happiness. He loved hiking, skiing, and spending time with friends. He found God in the beauty of creation and in the laughter of others. His life tells us that we can enjoy the good things in life while staying close to God.
Pier Giorgio’s life also reminds us that holiness is for everyone. He was not a priest or a monk. He was a regular young man who loved God and cared for others. His example encourages us to live with purpose, no matter where we are or what we do. Pier Giorgio joined Catholic groups like the St. Vincent de Paul Society, where he worked with others to help people in need. He also encouraged his friends to get involved. He believed that young people had the energy and strength to make a real difference in the world. He inspired others to live their faith in action.
Through prayer, the sacraments, and service, Pier Giorgio lived his faith every day. His life showed that loving God means loving others. He taught by example that Faith is not just about words but about what you do for those in need.

Presented by: DEACON JOHN

Pier Giorgio tells us that we must have a heart like Jesus. Let’s close listening to his words.
“Each of you knows that the foundation of our faith is charity. Without it, our religion would crumble. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire lives to the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to love the Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves… With charity, we sow the seeds of that true peace which only our faith in Jesus Christ can give us by making us all brothers and sisters. I know that this way is steep, and difficult, and strewn with thorns, while at first glance the other path seems easier, more pleasant, and more satisfying. But the fact is, if we could look into the hearts of those who follow the perverse paths of this world, we would see that they lack the serenity that comes to those who have faced a thousand difficulties and who have renounced material pleasure to follow God’s law.” – Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Pier Giorgio’s life is still meaningful today. He faced struggles, but he stayed close to God. He loved prayer and the sacraments, but he also loved fun and adventure. He shows young people that they don’t have to choose between their faith and enjoying life. They can do both. Pier Giorgio’s message is clear: love God, serve the poor, and enjoy life with friends and family.

For more on Pier Giorgio, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3JPTupuOOg