Early Life
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born on April 6, 1901, in Turin, Italy, into a prominent and affluent family. His father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder and editor of the Italian newspaper La Stampa and later served as an Italian ambassador to Germany. Despite his family’s status and his father’s secular leanings, Pier Giorgio exhibited an early and profound piety.
From childhood, he showed a great love for the poor and an intense spiritual life. He had a special devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Holy Rosary, which he prayed daily. Though surrounded by the temptations and comforts of high society, he chose the path of humility, discipline, and Christian charity.
Education and Lay Apostolate
Pier Giorgio pursued studies in mining engineering at the Royal Polytechnic of Turin, intending to work directly with laborers and improve their working conditions from within. This was no mere romantic idea; it was grounded in the Catholic Social Teaching of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum and animated by Pier Giorgio’s own deep sense of justice and compassion.
He joined several Catholic organizations, including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, through which he dedicated himself to serving the poor, sick, and marginalized. Known for walking the streets of Turin barefoot in winter to deliver food, medicine, and comfort to the destitute, he lived out the Beatitudes with heroic zeal.
His spirituality was deeply traditional: he attended daily Mass (often early in the morning before university), engaged in Eucharistic adoration, and had a profound Marian devotion. He also joined the Dominican Third Order, taking the name Girolamo after the austere reformer Saint Jerome.
A Life on the Heights—Literally and Spiritually
Pier Giorgio was an avid mountaineer and found in the grandeur of nature a reflection of God’s glory. He often led friends on hiking excursions in the Alps, where he combined physical vigor with spiritual depth. His famous motto was:
“Verso l’alto!” (“To the heights!”)
This phrase, often interpreted as a reference both to his mountaineering and to the call to holiness, came to symbolize his life.
Death and Legacy
In June 1925, Pier Giorgio contracted polio, likely from his frequent contact with the sick. He died within a week, on July 4, 1925, at the young age of 24. His family was stunned when, at his funeral, thousands of the poor he had served appeared in mourning, filling the streets of Turin. His hidden life of charity was suddenly revealed.
Pier Giorgio’s life bore witness to the power of sanctity among the laity, especially youth. Pope Pius XII called him a “man of the eight Beatitudes.” He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on May 20, 1990, who called him:
“A modern man with a deep spiritual life and apostolic fervor. He shows that holiness is possible in every age.”
Devotional Cult and Veneration
Blessed Pier Giorgio’s relics were transferred to the Cathedral of Turin, and his cultus continues to grow, especially among youth and lay Catholics seeking holiness in secular life. His cause for canonization remains open.
He is honored as a patron of:
- Young people
- Mountaineers
- Lay apostolates
- Catholic Action
- World Youth Day pilgrims
His life is a profound example of lay sanctity lived according to traditional Catholic principles: devotion to the sacraments, a strong Marian and Eucharistic life, care for the poor, and fidelity to the Church in word and action.
Selected Quotes from Blessed Pier Giorgio
“Charity is not enough; we need social reform. But this reform should be Christian, for only then will it be true reform.”
“To live without a faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living, but merely existing.”
“Jesus visits me every morning in Holy Communion. I repay Him in the very small way I can by visiting His poor.”