Pier Giorgio Frassati

Blessed

Pier Giorgio Frassati

TOSD
Layman
Born(1901-04-06)6 April 1901
Turin, Kingdom of Italy
Died4 July 1925(1925-07-04) (aged 24)
Turin, Kingdom of Italy
Venerated inCatholic Church
Beatified20 May 1990, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Major shrineCathedral of Saint John the Baptist, Turin, Italy
Feast4 July
Patronage
Frassati in his father's office – c. 1920.

Pier Giorgio Frassati (6 April 1901 – 4 July 1925) was an Italian Catholic activist and a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic.[2] He was dedicated to Catholic social justice issues and joined several charitable organizations, including Catholic Action and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul,[3] to better aid the poor and less fortunate living in his hometown of Turin; he put his own pious beliefs into practice to cater to their needs and was best known for his devotion and amiable character.[4][5]

Frassati was an avid mountaineer who often climbed with his friends; he was an able swimmer and athlete best known for engaging in such social activities with a range of like-minded friends.[6] His charitable outreach towards others knew no bounds for he identified with and aided the poor and ill from his childhood. His social status granted him greater freedom in aiding others who needed it most.[7]

His 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. Pope John Paul II beatified Frassati in May 1990 and dubbed him the "Man of the Eight Beatitudes".[2] He is set to be canonized 3 August 2025.[8]

  1. ^ "Pier Giorgio Frassati, non-clerical layman". Vatican Insider. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati". Saints SQPN. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Brief Biography of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati". frassatiusa.org. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  4. ^ Luciana Frassati (2000). A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati. Ignatius Press. ISBN 978-0-89870-861-5.
  5. ^ "A Saint on Skis". Frassati USA. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Spiritual Newsletter". Abbey of Saint-Joseph de Clairval. 15 January 1998. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Pier Giorgio Frassati – Vincentian Encyclopedia". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  8. ^ Palmucci, Agnese (2024-04-27). "Frassati sarà fatto santo nell'anno del Giubileo". Azione Cattolica Italiana (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-04-27.