Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: 1901-1925
By Sister Irene Hartman, OP
Young and old will find in the life of Pier Giorgio a vibrant young outdoorsman who had a deep love of Christ, an intense desire to serve the needy, and a wish to imbue others with Christian ideals. This is remarkable because Pier Giorgio was born of an agnostic father. His birthplace was Turin, Italy; the date April 6, 1901.
The family was well-to-do, but the two children were not given much spending money. What little Pier Giorgio had, he gave to the poor, even using his train fare to and from school to help the needy. When he rode the train, he was accustomed to ride third class, simply because as he said, "There was no 4th class."
As a child there came to the door of their home, a poor mother with a child in tow. She came begging for help. When Pier Giorgio noticed that the lad had no shoes, he gave away his own shoes. At graduation, given the choice by his father of money or a car, he chose the money and gave it to the poor. He obtained a room for a poor woman evicted from her tenement, provided a bed for a consumptive invalid, and supported three children of a sick and grieving widow. In a small ledger he kept detailed accounts of his transactions, and while he lay on his death bed, he gave instructions to his sister, asking her to see to the needs of families who depended on his charity.
With a temperature of 12 degrees below zero, he gave his overcoat to a poor old man who was shivering in the cold. His father scolded him. Pier Giorgio replied, "But you see papa, it was cold." Charity was not enough, according to Pier Giorgio; he worked for social reform especially through the publication of a daily newspaper based on the principles of Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on social and economic matters, Rerum Novarum.
Pier Giorgio loved art and music, and excelled in outdoor sports, especially mountain climbing with his friends whom he playfully called, "The Sinister Ones." On these trips into the mountains, the friends shared religious inspiration and how God was working in their lives. The group was in admiration of the gorgeous scenery, and it led them to deep prayer and gratitude for the wonders of God. Love for Jesus motivated the group who often attended and served Masses.
Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament was a high priority for Pier Giorgio, and he often spent nights in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He loved the rosary and often prayed it three times a day, especially after he became a Dominican tertiary ... a lay person who tries to live the Dominican charism. (This is a way of life comparable to the Dominican Associates of Great Bend).
Pier Giorgio participated in Church-organized demonstrations against Fascism, even though it meant he would receive brutal treatment from the police. One night a group of fascists broke into the family home to attack him and his father, but Pier Giorgio beat them off single-handedly. In late June, 1925, he was afflicted by an acute attack of Poliomyelitis which doctors speculated he caught from the poor and sick whom he had tended. He neglected his own health because at that time his grandmother was dying. Pier Giorgio died July 4, 1925, at the age of 24. At his funeral the poor came out in great numbers, and were surprised to learn that their friend came from a family of high standing. It was his poor who petitioned the Archbishop of Turin to begin the process of canonization. He was beatified on May 20, 1990. His feast day is July 4.