Pier Giorgio Frassati
| Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D. | |
|---|---|
Frassati in his father's office – c. 1920
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| Layman | |
| Born |
6 April 1901 Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 4 July 1925 (aged 24) Turin, Kingdom of Italy |
| Venerated in |
Roman Catholic Church (Dominican Order) |
| Beatified | 20 May 1990, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 4 July |
| Patronage |
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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D. (April 6, 1901 – July 4, 1925), was an Italian Catholic social activist and member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He has been beatified by the Roman Catholic Church.
Frassati was born in Turin into a prominent family, which owned the noted liberal newspaper La Stampa, which was founded by his agnostic father. His father was also active in national politics. He served in the Italian Senate and was later Italy's ambassador to Germany.
Though an average student, Frassati was known among his peers for his intelligence and especially for his devotion and piety.
Frassati was dedicated to works of social action, charity, prayer and community. He was involved with Catholic youth and student groups, the Apostleship of Prayer, Catholic Action, and was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He would often say, "Charity is not enough; we need social reform." He helped establish a newspaper entitled Momento, whose principles were based on Pope Leo XIII's encyclical, Rerum novarum. He joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1918 and spent much of his time helping the poor.
Frassati died in 1925 of poliomyelitis. His family expected Turin's elite and political figures to come to offer their condolences and attend the funeral; they naturally expected to find many of his friends there as well. They were surprised, however, to find the streets of the city lined with thousands of mourners as the cortege passed by, out of the reverence felt for him among the many people he had directly helped during his brief life. He was buried in the family crypt in the Pollone Cemetery of the city.
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