Feast of San Piergiorgio Frassati

San Piergiorgio Frassati, ora pro nobis

July 4 is the feast of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a Dominican tertiary whose brief life of holiness continues to inspire Catholics around the world. Born on April 6, 1901, into a wealthy and influential family in Turin, Pier Giorgio studied mechanical engineering with a specialization in mining. Yet he was far more interested in serving the poor—especially miners and laborers—than in pursuing academic success, much to his father's frustration.

A man of deep prayer and active charity, Pier Giorgio devoted himself to numerous Catholic organizations, including the Conferenza di San Vincenzo and l’Azione Cattolica. As a professed member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, he took the religious name Girolamo in honor of Girolamo Savonarola. In 1924, together with a circle of close friends, he founded the society known as Tipi Loschi (“Shady Characters”), a group dedicated to mountaineering, spiritual growth, friendship, and service to those in need.

Pier Giorgio died unexpectedly on July 4, 1925, after contracting poliomyelitis, at just twenty-four years of age. Thousands of mourners—many of them poor, sick, and otherwise unknown to his family—attended his funeral. The remarkable turnout revealed the extent of his hidden works of mercy. Deeply moved by the testimony of those whose lives his son had touched, his grieving father came to recognize who Pier Giorgio truly was and returned to the practice of the faith.

Long venerated as a model of youthful sanctity, Pier Giorgio was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1990 and is scheduled to be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025, together with Carlo Acutis. His canonization is a powerful reminder that holiness is attainable in every age and state of life.

In celebration of his feast, we are sharing a prayer to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati written by Cardinal Giovanni Saldarini, Archbishop Emeritus of Turin. The photograph of the relic made from wood taken from Saint Pier Giorgio’s coffin comes courtesy of Father Eugene Carrella and is part of his remarkable collection of religious artifacts.

Evviva San Pier Giorgio Frassati!

Prayer to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati

O Father, you gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in the service of the poor and the sick; through his intercession, may we, too, walk the path of the Beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.