Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
Feast day: July 4
Blessed Pier Giorgio is called “blessed” now, but Pope Leo XIV will name him a saint on Sept. 7 of this year, 2025.
Pier Giorgio was born in 1901 and died in 1925 — that’s 100 years ago!
Pier Giorgio’s mother was a painter, and his father was a journalist and politician. He had one younger sister.
He struggled in school and even had to repeat a grade after failing his exams one year.
Pier Giorgio loved to climb mountains and loved to go on hiking trips with his friends. He also liked to collect rocks on his hikes.
He loved to play jokes on his friends. Once, he gave a friend a box of candy, but when they reached for a piece, all of the candies were tied together!
He loved to serve the poor and went to Mass daily, starting at age 12. And he often went to nocturnal adoration — this is eucharistic adoration at night.
He loved Mary, Jesus’s mother, and often prayed the rosary before bed and with his friends. He carried a rosary with him wherever he went, and he wore a necklace with Mary on it.
He often spoke publicly against politics that were against Christian beliefs.
He went to college to study engineering but was two exams away from graduating when he died at age 24.
His family was surprised when hundreds of people came to his funeral — especially the poor that he had served.
To celebrate his feast day, go for a hike or do an act of service when no one is watching — like making your sibling’s bed or emptying the dishwasher!
