St. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Today’s feast day celebrates St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, an Italian saint who lived from 1901 to 1925. From a very young age, St. Pier Giorgio was deeply concerned for those who were poor. Once, as a child, he answered the door to find a woman begging, along with her son who was barefoot. St. Pier Girogio immediately took off his own shoes and gave them to the child.
Pier Giorgio first received Communion at 10 years old, and at age 12, he began the practice of daily Communion. He often spent time in Eucharistic Adoration, especially at night. At the age of 17, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to serving the sick and the needy, caring for orphans, and assisting the military personnel returning from World War I. He was also a member of an organization called Catholic Action and of the People’s Party, which promoted Catholic Social Teaching. At age 22, Frassati also became a member of the Dominican order and committed to following St. Dominic’s example. At the age of 24, St. Pier Giorgio died due to complications of polio.
St. Pier Giorgio was an avid mountain climber, and he is often remembered with the phrase “Verso l’alto” (“toward the top”). Pier Giorgio wrote these words on the back of a photo taken in 1925, during what turned out to be his last climb before his sudden death. “Verso l’alto” has become the motto of many people who have a devotion to St. Pier Giorgio, people who like him, seek to find their true purpose in complete commitment to God.
Prayer for your Table
Dear Lord,
Today, we remember St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Assist us, we pray, to follow you without hesitation, as he did,
even from a very young age.
Draw us to the Eucharist,
Where we find our strength.
Give us a heart for the poor
and help us to work in all ways for their good.
Make our lives reflections of Christ’s love,
in whose name we pray,
Amen.
Menu Suggestions
We know that St. Pier Giorgio ate and enjoyed pasta. He specifically mentioned tagliatelle in a letter, so if you can find that pasta shape, it would be especially appropriate!
