Pier Giorgio Frassati | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Confessor | |
| Born | (1901-04-06)6 April 1901 Turin,Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 4 July 1925(1925-07-04) (aged 24) Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
| Cause of death | Polio |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 20 May 1990,Saint Peter's Square,Vatican City byPope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 7 September 2025,Saint Peter's Square,Vatican City byPope Leo XIV |
| Majorshrine | Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist,Turin,Italy |
| Feast | 4 July |
| Patronage |
|
Pier Giorgio FrassatiTOP (6 April 1901 – 4 July 1925) was an ItalianCatholic activist and a member of theThird Order of Saint Dominic.[2] He was dedicated tosocial justice issues and joined several charitable organizations, includingCatholic Action and theSociety of Saint Vincent de Paul,[3] to better aid the poor and less fortunate living in his hometown ofTurin.[4][5]
Frassati's cause for canonization opened in 1932 after the Turin poor made several pleas for such a cause to open.Pope Pius XII suspended the cause in 1941 due to a range of allegations later proven to be false, which allowed for the cause to resume.[citation needed]Pope John Paul II beatified Frassati in May 1990 and dubbed him the "Man of the Eight Beatitudes".[2] On 7 September 2025, Frassati was canonized along withCarlo Acutis byPope Leo XIV.[6][7]
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born on 6 April 1901 –Holy Saturday – toAlfredo Frassati (28 September 1868 – 21 May 1961; anagnostic who owned the liberal newspaperLa Stampa) andAdélaïde Ametis (17 February 1877 – 18 June 1949), who was a painter.[8] His only sibling – a sister – wasLuciana Frassati Gawronska (18 August 1902 – 7 October 2007).[2] His father was active in national politics and served in the Italian Senate. He later was appointed as Italian ambassador to Germany. His parents had married on 5 September 1898. His artist mother had works exhibited at an event inVenice that sawKing Victor Emmanuel III purchase some of her works. His paternal grandparents were Pietro Frassati and Giuseppina Coda Canati.[5]
Frassati's inclinations to help others manifested in his childhood. There was one occasion as a child when he answered the door to find a mother begging with her son who was shoeless. His response was to take off his shoes and give them to the child.[8] In 1909 his father refused to help a man who came to their door because he was drunk. The sobbing Frassati told his mother of this and she instructed him to find the man and bring him to the home for something to eat.[9] His first confession was heard at the church of Corpus Christi on 20 June 1910, and he received hisFirst Communion on 19 June 1911; he received hisConfirmation in his parish church on 10 June 1915.[2][5]
Frassati was an average student in school, though he was known among his peers for his intelligence and his devotion. He failed his exams in 1913 and so was sent for private studies at a school run by theJesuits.[citation needed]
Frassati was dedicated to works of social action that would unite people together in fellowship as a means of combating inequalities. He was an opponent offascism[2] and did not support the regime ofBenito Mussolini. He was once arrested in Rome while protesting alongside the 1921 Young Catholic Workers Congress.[10] He was involved with student groups as well as theApostleship of Prayer andCatholic Action (joined in 1919) to which he dedicated himself.[4]
Frassati also became a professed member of theThird Order of Saint Dominic on 28 May 1922 to imitate the example ofDominic of Osma, assuming the religious name of "Girolamo" in honour ofGirolamo Savonarola. He often said: "Charity is not enough; we need social reform".[4] He helped establish a newspaper entitledMomento whose principles were based onPope Leo XIII'sRerum novarum. He joined aSaint Vincent de Paul conference in 1918 and spent much of his time helping the poor and less fortunate. In 1918 he began his studies in engineering so he could become a mining engineer. He wanted to do this in order "to serve Christ better among the miners".[8] Upon his graduation, his father offered him either a car or a sizable fund. He chose the latter so he could give it to the poor rather than using it for himself. He also provided a bed for atuberculosis sufferer on one occasion as well as supporting the three children of an ill widow and finding a place for an evicted woman. During the course of his studies, he found himself attracted to a girl due to her candor and goodness, which impressed him. He never dated her since he was apprehensive of whether or not his parents would approve of her. This prompted him to renounce undertaking a relationship, as he confided to his sister.[9]
Frassati was an avidmountaineer and athlete who could swim well. He was a member of theClub Alpino Italiano and climbed mountains such as theGrand Tournalin andMonte Viso.[5]
On 30 June 1925, while boating with two friends on thePo River, Frassati began to complain of sharp pains in his back muscles. On July 1, he returned home with a severe headache and a fever. That same day, his maternal grandmother died. Because of his sincere humility, he deflected attention from himself, preferring that his family mourn for his grandmother. On 2 July, a doctor was summoned and asked the prone Frassati to get up from lying down. Frassati replied: "I can't!"[9] Soon he was diagnosed withpoliomyelitis, which exacerbated his fatigue. Frassati asked for amorphine shot so he could sleep more easily; however, the doctor and his mother believed the shot to be imprudent, and Frassati relented.[citation needed]
As Frassati's condition worsened, and it became apparent that he would soon die, he gave his final instructions to his sister.[8] His condition declined by 3:00 am on 4 July, and a priest was summoned to give him theLast Rites. He was near death at 4:00 pm, with his mother holding him in her arms. His final words were: "May I breathe forth my soul in peace with you".[citation needed]
Frassati died at 7:00 pm on 4 July 1925 due to polio.[9]
His parents had expected their circle of elite and political figures to attend the funeral, as well as many of his friends. Yet all were surprised to find the streets lined with thousands of mourners as thecortege passed. He was revered among the many people he had helped. He was buried in the Frassati plot at the Pollone Cemetery.
His remains were later transferred toTurin Cathedral in 1981. Upon later inspection, they were found to beincorrupt.[8][5]
The poor of Turin began to petition theArchbishop of Turin to open proceedings for the cause for Frassati'scanonization. The cause commenced on 2 July 1932 for a thorough examination of Frassati's life in an informative process that later concluded on 23 October 1935 after collecting a range of documentation and witness testimonies (CardinalMaurilio Fossati oversaw this process in his role as archbishop). Frassati's writings were also collected for examination to ensure no doctrinal breaches were present since that would impede the cause to a significant degree; theologians cleared them on 21 December 1938.[11]
In 1941Pope Pius XII suspended the cause upon the airing of allegations questioning Frassati's morals and claiming that Frassati went to the mountains in mixed and questionable company. His sister—sometime after this—went to Rome to discuss this with Vatican officials to rehabilitate her brother's good name rather than to resume the cause. The allegations were proven false and Vatican officials declared that the cause would resume.[5] The formal introduction of the cause came underPope Paul VI on 12 June 1978 and Frassati was titled aServant of God. An apostolic process followed, concluding in 1981. TheCongregation for the Causes of Saints issued a decree of validation on 12 June 1987 for the previous processes and received thePositio dossier from the postulation later in 1987. Theologians approved its contents on 14 July 1987 as did the members of the Roman Congregation for the Causes of the Saints on 28 September 1987. Frassati was proclaimedvenerable on 23 October 1987 afterPope John Paul II authorized a decree confirming that Frassati had lived a model Christian life ofheroic virtue.[citation needed]
A single miracle - often a healing that medicine and science cannot explain - was needed for his beatification. The miracle investigated was the cure in late 1933 of Domenico Sellan (1893 - c. 1968) who suffered from grave tuberculosis. A priest visited him on 28 December 1933 to bring him a relic and a picture of Frassati for his intercession. Sellan was healed of the disease and lived for over three more decades in perfect health.[5] The closure of the miracle's investigation allowed for the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to validate the process in a 20 February 1989 decree before the approval of medical experts on 26 April 1989. Theologians also confirmed the healing was a miracle on 30 June 1989 as did the Congregation on 3 October 1989. Pope John Paul II granted final approval to the miracle on 21 December 1989. John Paul IIbeatified Frassati inSaint Peter's Square on 20 May 1990.[12]
Frassati is the eponym and patron of the Frassati Catholic Academy inWauconda which is a middle school founded in theArchdiocese of Chicago in 2010[13] and also theFrassati Catholic High School which opened in August 2013 inHouston. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Catholic School was opened as part of theToronto Catholic District School Board on 3 September 2013 in theScarborough area ofToronto inCanada.[14]
Pier Giorgio Frassati is the patron ofBishop McGuinness High School inOklahoma, and the school awards the "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Award" to its students who have performed a high level of service to others.[15]
Frassati Australia - based inBrisbane - venerates Pier Giorgio Frassati as their patron and as a role model for adolescent men. Frassati Australia engages them in the Catholic faith and encourages them to encounter Christ through living an authentic Catholic life in brotherhood and throughcharitable outreach. At the present time, there are at least three Frassati Houses in Brisbane and around twelve men in these houses.[16]
Christendom College inFront Royal, Virginia, a Roman Catholic liberal arts college, has hosted the Frassati Invitational rugby tournament annually, since 2016.[17]
On 22 March 2019,Auburn University's Catholic Ministry dedicated Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Chapel in Auburn, Alabama with Archbishop Rodi of Mobile, The chapel allows for Auburn's college students the ability to pray there 24 hours a day and hosts Thursday evening mass there during the school year. The chapel also holds a relic of Blessed Frassati.[18]
On 10 December 2021, thePontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas inManila,Philippines inaugurated theSaint Pier Giorgio Frassati Building which now houses the senior high school program of the university.[19]
In 1989 John Paul II visited his tomb and paid honor to him calling him the "Man of the Eight Beatitudes".Pope Benedict XVI called upon adolescents in 2010 to follow the example of Frassati to "... discover that it is worth committing oneself to God ... to respond to His call in the fundamental decisions" throughout one's life.[9]
Pope Francis venerated Frassati's remains in November 2015 while visiting Turin.[20]
Frassati's remains have been moved from their resting place in Turin twice forWorld Youth Day, toSydneyin 2008 and toKrakówin 2016.[citation needed]
On 27 April 2024, CardinalMarcello Semeraro, prefect of theDicastery for the Causes of Saints, announced during the 18th National Assembly of Italian Catholic Action that the canonization of Frassati had been cleared. His canonization date was slated for sometime in 2025, a jubilee year.[6] On 20 November 2024, it was announced that Frassati would be canonized during theJubilee of Youth between 28 July to 3 August, with the canonization ceremonies set to occur on Sunday, 3 August.[7] Instead, the canonization ceremony took place on 7 September 2025 underPope Leo XIV, who canonized him along withCarlo Acutis.[21]
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