They already wave the banners of the two young people who will be saints on the facade of the Basilica of San Pedro, attracting the looks of the faithful on pilgrimage to the holy door. This Sunday thousands of pilgrims will arrive at the Plaza del Vaticano from all over the world for the Mass of his canonization, chaired by Pope Leo XIV at 10:00 (Rome time).
To the right of the facade is the banner with the face of the first Millennial Holy, Carlo Acutis, computer student, with his unmistable red shirt and backpack on his back. On the left, that of the Catholic Action Partner Pier Giorgio Frassati, defined by John Paul II as the “Holy of the eight bliss” in a black and white photo taken by her sister Luciana.
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In preparation of the Canonization of Frassati, the Catholic Action organized a press conference on Thursday to present the figure of this young mountain lover.
“There is an extraordinary news in the beauty of Turin’s boy, which, we can say, lived a holy life in all aspects,” said the president of the association, Giuseppe Notarstefano, when he opened the meeting.
“The young Italian has shown that you can take care of friends, practice sports and have fun, but at the same time deepen the prayer and devote himself to the poorest, doing it discreetly, with ecclesial dedication,” he added.
Notarstefano also highlighted Frassati’s social commitment: “Pier Giorgio, who lived his 24 years between the Holy Year of 1900 (he was born in 1901) and that of 1925, when he died, he was also a real passionate about political issues, with a great feeling of social justice that strengthened his antifascism”.
And he added: Frassati, great defender of Catholic Action, “entered in depth in his life as a Christian, knowing that from there each other part of existence is encouraged, from the social commitment to the profession, through relations and this is for us the meaning of the ‘religious choice’.”
Thus, he said that the Church, with its canonization, “tells us that this is the holiness that the world needs today.”
For his part, Bishop Claudio Giuliodori, a general ecclesiastical assistant of the Catholic Action, described Frassati as “a prophet” because “he knew how to read in depth the story, becoming a current icon for all time and especially for our days.”
Giuliodori also recalled his fight against fascism and his participation in various ecclesial and student associations, such as the San Vicente de Paúl and FUCI society, in addition to its political activity in the Italian Popular Party.
Precursor of youth prominence in the Church
“Young people remain fascinated by Pier Giorgio, for their spirituality and social commitment,” the bishop added.
As a concrete sign of the Fromssati Charitable Commitment, Catholic Action has delivered Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Pope’s alms, 500 personal hygiene packages for men and women in a situation of vulnerability.
The postulator Silvia Correale recalled the miracle that allowed the canonization, related to the healing of a Mexican seminarian in the United States:
“The young man suffered the breakage of a tendon and could not walk. Without the possibility of operating, he prayed every day to Pier Giorgio until, suddenly, he felt heat in the leg and recovered mobility. It was a miracle thanks to Pier Giorgio.” That young man is now Fr. Juan Manuel Gutiérrez, priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (United States) and will be present in the canonization.
Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicas supplies for the causes of the saints, stressed the humanity of the young Blessed, stressing that Frassati “did not have an easy life.”
“He is not an ancient saint, perfect in everything, but a saint who is a man. I define him as an ‘mountaineer of the spirit’. Pope Francis had a particular enthusiasm for him, he even entrusted me that his father, before emigrating to Argentina, prayed in his grave,” he said.
The canonization of Blessed Piergio Frassati, young Turin model of faith, social commitment and passion for the mountain, will be accompanied by a series of initiatives promoted by the Italian Catholic Action (AC).
The culminating moment will be on Sunday, September 7 in the Plaza de San Pedro, where the participation of some 20,000 members of the Catholic Action in the Canonization Mass is expected.
The eve of the canonization will be marked by the public congress “within life, within history. The holiness of Pier Giorgio Frassati”, which will take place on Saturday, September 6 at 5:00 p.m. in the Aula Magna of the Lumsa University.
At 20:30 of the same day, there will be a prayer vigil in the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista Dei Fiorentini.
The Frassati Reliquary that will accompany the canonization
During the presentation, the reliquary that will accompany the canonization was also announced: a chest that contains a fragment of the clothing used by Frassati, adorned with symbols of his spirituality and passion for the mountain.
It includes a rosary that evokes the road to Christ Eucharist, an image of the Virgen de Octopa, eight stones of Lapislázuli in memory of the bliss, and an alabaster base with incrustations of flowers of the snows (Edelweiss).
The work has been carried out by Sr. Maria Agar Loche, a religious of the disciples of the Divine Master.
Veronica Giacometti
Born in 1988, graduated in letters and media communication and specialized in information, edition and journalism at the University of Rome III, has published a book with the Tau publishing house called “even the potatoes communicate.” He conducted practices in Radio Vaticana and passionate about social networks and cyberculture. Originally from Trevere, it is an active volunteer in the parish of San Francisco in Ripa.