Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati

Pier Giorgio Frassati was an Italian Catholic social activist and philanthropist, born in Turin, Italy, in 1901. He was the son of Alfredo Frassati, an influential politician and public figure, and Adelaide Ametis. From childhood he was involved in charitable work, helping the poor and needy. As a university student he joined the Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences, where he devoted himself to finding work for the unemployed, helping arrange care for children, carrying parcels to the sick and the disabled, and restoring faith and hope to the despairing. To his friends he was known as a cheerful young man, full of ideas and of energy for playing pranks.

He was a man of prayer. He prayed constantly, at length, and everywhere. He loved night vigils before the Blessed Sacrament. He prayed the rosary every day. He prayed not only in church but also on the train and the streetcar: for someone who lived by prayer as he did, any convenient place was a good one. Reading Sacred Scripture was very important in his spiritual life; he never parted with his handwritten copy of Saint Paul’s Hymn to Love, and he loved the Psalms and the Sermon on the Mount. He often made closed retreats of several days at the Jesuit Fathers’ retreat house of Santa Croce near Turin.

Pier Giorgio was strong, healthy, and athletic. He was a superb swimmer, rode horseback, often took part in ski competitions, was an excellent driver, and simply adored cycling. He loved the mountains and spent a great deal of time hiking in them. He founded the tongue-in-cheek Society of Shady Characters, a cheerful group of young people who hiked in the mountains and learned there to live in community and to take responsibility for themselves.

Frassati died at only 24 of polio, which he contracted while serving the poor. The Catholic Church regards him as a model of mercy and humility in the service of others. His liturgical memorial is celebrated on July 4, and he is the patron of young people, students, mountaineers, and Catholic Action. On September 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV canonized him.