Who was Pier Giorgio Frassati? 10 data on the saint

Pope Leo XIV announced Friday that The first canonizations of his pontificate They will be next September 7, counting among future saints the young Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Here we tell you 10 data that you might not know of the next Italian saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, which inspires young people around the world to renounce privileges to serve the poorest.

1. A Holy Saturday was born

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin (Italy) on April 6, 1901, a Holy Saturday. Son of Alfredo Frassati, founder of the newspaper La Stampa and Adelaide Ametis, a strong character artist. His father was agnostic, and his mother was a believer but severe. It grew in a tense and distant family environment.

2. An early and deep faith

Since childhood, Pier Giorgio was attracted to faith. He received education from the Jesuits, and began to approach the Eucharist daily. In this way, it developed a persevering and concrete spirituality, reflected in prayer, frequent confession and service to the poor. In his adolescence, he joined the conferences of San Vicente de Paul, with whom he toured the streets of Turin taking help to humble families.

3. He gave his money, his clothes and even the tram ticket

On many occasions, the young man arrived at his house late, dirty and without money, for having stopped to accompany a patient, buy medicines or donate his coat. In addition, he gave the money of the tram ticket, which forced him to walk long distances to get home.

4. A student with vocation

Studying, said Felsati, is a concrete way to build a more fair world. With that eagerness, it was formed in mechanical engineering with mines specialization, in order to share life with the most postponed workers in society. He died shortly before graduating.

5. He was a mountaineer, poet and excursions leader

The young Pier Giorgio loved the mountain. He climbed with a group of friends they called “the society of the dark types”, in exits that combined sport, contemplation and faith, and were for him of apostolate. When I was a summit, I used to exclaim: “Verse l’A high!” (“To the top!”), Phrase that accompanies his image today.

6. A Catholic committed to his time

The youth of the saint was crossed by the sequels of World War I. Within that framework, he actively participated in the Catholic Action, the Italian Catholic University Federation (FUCI) and the Popular Party. He manifested against fascism, defended social reforms, and was arrested in Rome for protecting the flag of his youth group from a royal guard attack.

7. Preferred the lay vocation

Although he thought of the priesthood, Pier Giorgio bowed to the lay vocation, to live his faith “from within the world”, between workers, students and marginalized. He entered the third Dominican order in 1922, adopting the name of Fray Girolamo. “I always carry my will in my pocket,” he said, pointing to his rosary.

8. A lover of art and culture

They loved art, opera, Dante, painting and theater. He organized exits with friends, visited museums, but he lived everything with a Christian depth that permeated the everyday.

9. The poorest gave him the last goodbye

He contracted polyomyelitis helping a patient, but he didn’t tell anyone not to worry his family, who was going through his grandmother’s serious disease. He died on July 4, 1925 at his 24 years. At their funeral, hundreds of poor – known for their own parents – filled the streets to fire him.

10. His holiness in secret hit the world

The life of hidden holiness of this young man who resigned from the privileges of his class to serve the poorest impacted the world. In 1990, he was beatified by John Paul II, who called him “the man of the eight bliss” and proposed it as a model for the youth of the 21st century.