- 12 September, 2025
September 12, 2025:
The Catholic Church witnessed a historic moment on 7 September 2025 as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was officially canonised in St. Peter’s Square, alongside Blessed Carlo Acutis. The event marked the recognition of a young man whose life continues to inspire believers, agnostics, athletes, mystics and even Popes, nearly a century after his death.
Pier Giorgio Frassati, born on 6 April 1901 in Turin, lived only 24 years before dying of acute poliomyelitis on 4 July 1925. Despite his brief life, he left an enduring legacy of perseverance, faith and service. A devoted student of Engineering, he balanced academic pursuits with his commitment to values and virtues. He co-founded the youth group Tipi Loschi (Mischievous Friends), formed a lasting friendship with Laura Hidalgo, and courageously opposed Mussolini’s Fascism through the Partito Popolare Italiano (Italian People’s Party).
His body, exhumed in 1981, was found incorrupt and now rests in Turin Cathedral, near the Altar of the Shroud of Turin.
Though he came from an affluent family, Pier Giorgio chose a life of sacrifice and responsibility. His father, Alfredo Frassati, owned the Italian newspaper La Stampa and served as a Senator and Italian Ambassador to Germany, while his mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter. Yet Pier Giorgio used his gifts of talent, time and treasure for God, the Church and society.
From his youth, he immersed himself in Catholic organisations. He joined the Apostolate of Prayer and the Company of the Blessed Sacrament in 1914, later the Marian Sodality, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the Royal Polytechnic of Turin to study Mining Engineering. He became active in the Federation of Italian Catholic University Students, the University Nocturnal Adoration Group and the Italian People’s Party.
Pier Giorgio’s influence extended internationally when he represented Pax Romana in Berlin and worked during the National Youth Gathering in Rome in 1921. He joined the Legion of Mary, the Dominican Third Order (taking the name ‘Girolamo’), and actively served his parish. Though deeply in love with Laura Hidalgo, he renounced marriage to dedicate himself fully to his mission. Through The Mischievous Friends’ Society, he encouraged youth to engage in prayer, mountaineering and joyful fellowship. His last climb took place on 7 June 1925, shortly before his death.
The Church began the canonisation process in 1932. Pope John Paul II declared him ‘Blessed’ on 20 May 1990 after visiting his tomb in 1989. His incorrupt body remains a sign of his sanctity. With his canonisation now complete, the Vatican has formally declared him a Saint of the Church.
Letters and testimonies highlight the essence of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati’s spirituality:
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati now stands as a canonised model of modern youth, a beacon of integrity, faith and service for generations to come.
By Fr. Joel D'cunha
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