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Upcoming Canonization of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

As the 2025 Jubilee Year draws near, it appears that the Church is preparing to declare Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati a canonized Saint! On April 26, 2024, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, announced at Catholic Action’s national assembly in Sacrofano, Italy, that Bl. Frassati’s canonization is “on the horizon”.

As a Jubilee Year is a time of great mercy for the Church, it is fitting that a man whose life embodied the virtues of the beatitudes should be elevated to Sainthood.

On April 9, 1901, Pier Giorgio Michelangelo Frassati was born in Turin, Italy to an influential family. His father Alfredo was very involved in politics and owned a newspaper called “La Stampa” while his mother Adelaide was a painter.

Even though his parents were not religious, Pier Giorgio developed a rich spiritual life. He was particularly devoted to the Eucharist and Blessed Virgin Mary. He was enthusiastic in sharing his Catholic faith with those around him and was always encouraging others to grow in love for Jesus.

An avid lover of the outdoors, mountain-climbing was Pier Giorgio’s favorite pastime. He would bring his friends on organized trips to the mountains. While climbing, he would encourage them through prayer and discussions about the faith. He saw climbing a mountain as a metaphor for the spiritual life as we are continually striving to overcome the challenges of life to reach Heaven. A phrase commonly associated with him is “Vero L’Alto”, translated “to the heights”.

Another one of Pier Giorgio’s great loves was caring for the poor and sick of Turin. He did this humbly and quietly, without calling attention to his actions. Greatly inspired by St. Paul’s writings, he sought to do all things with love. Although he came from a wealthy family, he lived quite simply and gave to all who asked of him.

In addition to sharing his faith, Pier Giorgio was also a staunch opposer to Communist and Fascist ideologies which were prevalent in Italy at the time. He strongly supported Catholic social teaching and fought for religious liberty

In 1925, Pier Giorgio contracted polio. It is believed that he caught this illness from caring for the sick. As he lay dying, he wrote a note to his friend asking him to bring some medicine to a sick man. Even then, his focus was always on serving others, particularly the sick and suffering. Pier Giorgio Frassati died on July 4, 1925 at the young age of 24. At his funeral, thousands of people he had cared for flooded the streets to honor this man who had served them so selflessly.

Bl. Frassati’s body was found to be incorrupt when it was transferred to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in 1981. Pilgrims visiting Turin, Italy have the opportunity to pray before his tomb. This same Cathedral also houses the famous Shroud of Turin which is expected to be on public display sometime during the upcoming Jubilee Year.

As we anticipate the official declaration of Bl. Frassati’s canonization to Sainthood, 206 Tours will be sharing details as soon as they become available. Rome is expecting 35 Million People to visit during the Jubilee Year. If you are interested in coordinating a group to Italy for 2025, we suggest you contact 206 Tours to book soon as space is filling quickly: groups@206tours.com

View all Pilgrimages to the Canonization of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati: www.206tours.com/frassati