Pier Giorgio Frassati
Encyclopedia
Blessed
Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D., (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) was an Italian
Catholic
activist, who was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He has been beatified
by the Roman Catholic Church.
He was born in Martin
into a Ethon's family, which owned a newspaper called La Stampa
. Though an average student, Frassati was known among his peers for his devotion and piety.
He 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 Third Order
Dominican
. 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.
Despite his family's privileged status, Frassati's father was frugal and never gave his children too much spending money. Frassati, however, gave much of his money to people he saw as more "needy" than he was, often giving his train-fare to the poor and walking back home or riding in third class. He would also literally give the poor the clothes off his back, returning home without the sweater or jacket he had been wearing when he left.
Despite the many organizations to which Frassati belonged, he was not a passive "joiner"; records show that he was active and involved in each, fulfilling all the duties of membership. He was strongly anti-fascist and did nothing to hide his political views.
Participating in a Church-organized demonstration in Rome, he withstood police violence and rallied the other young people by grabbing the banner which the police had knocked out of someone else's hands. He held it even higher while using the pole to ward off their blows. When the demonstrators were arrested by the police, he refused special treatment that he might have received because of his father's political position, preferring to stay with his friends. One night a group of fascists broke into his family's home to attack him and his father, but Frassati beat them off single-handedly chasing them down the street.
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. Poor people from the city petitioned the Archbishop of Turin to begin the cause for canonization. The process was opened in 1932 and he was beatified on 20 May 1990. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's feast day is 4 July.
Frassati was called Man of the Eight Beatitudes
by Pope John Paul II
, who beatified him on 20 May 1990.
Frassati is the Patron Saint of Bishop McGuinness High School
in Oklahoma, where Frassati's family blessed the school in his spirit.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Pier Giorgio Frassati, T.O.S.D., (6 April 1901 - 4 July 1925) was an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
activist, who was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic. He has been beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by the Roman Catholic Church.
He was born in Martin
Martin
Martin may refer to:-In Europe:Croatia* Martin, Croatia, a village in SlavoniaSlovakia*Martin, SlovakiaSpain*Martín, a tributary of the Ebro river*Martín del Río, a town in Aragón, SpainSwitzerland*Martin , a town in Val Poschiavo...
into a Ethon's family, which owned a newspaper called La Stampa
La Stampa
La Stampa is one of the best-known, most influential and most widely sold Italian daily newspapers. Published in Turin, it is distributed in Italy and other European nations. The current owner is the Fiat Group.-History:...
. Though an average student, Frassati was known among his peers for his devotion and piety.
He was dedicated to works of social action, charity, prayer and community. He was involved with Catholic youth and student groups, the Apostleship of Prayer
Apostleship of Prayer
The Apostleship of Prayer is a group of Catholic adherents who, through the Daily Offering, unite themselves with the Eucharistic Sacrifice in which the work of our redemption is continuously accomplished. By this vital bond with Christ, they cooperate in the salvation of the world itself...
, Catholic Action
Catholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
, and was a Third Order
Third order
The term Third Order designates persons who live according to the Third Rule of a Roman Catholic religious order, an Anglican religious order, or a Lutheran religious order. Their members, known as Tertiaries, are generally lay members of religious orders, i.e...
Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
. 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
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
encyclical: Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum
Rerum Novarum is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891. It was an open letter, passed to all Catholic bishops, that addressed the condition of the working classes. The encyclical is entitled: “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labour”...
. He joined the St Vincent de Paul Society in 1918 and spent much of his time helping the poor.
Despite his family's privileged status, Frassati's father was frugal and never gave his children too much spending money. Frassati, however, gave much of his money to people he saw as more "needy" than he was, often giving his train-fare to the poor and walking back home or riding in third class. He would also literally give the poor the clothes off his back, returning home without the sweater or jacket he had been wearing when he left.
Despite the many organizations to which Frassati belonged, he was not a passive "joiner"; records show that he was active and involved in each, fulfilling all the duties of membership. He was strongly anti-fascist and did nothing to hide his political views.
Participating in a Church-organized demonstration in Rome, he withstood police violence and rallied the other young people by grabbing the banner which the police had knocked out of someone else's hands. He held it even higher while using the pole to ward off their blows. When the demonstrators were arrested by the police, he refused special treatment that he might have received because of his father's political position, preferring to stay with his friends. One night a group of fascists broke into his family's home to attack him and his father, but Frassati beat them off single-handedly chasing them down the street.
Frassati died in 1925 of poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. 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. Poor people from the city petitioned the Archbishop of Turin to begin the cause for canonization. The process was opened in 1932 and he was beatified on 20 May 1990. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's feast day is 4 July.
Frassati was called Man of the Eight Beatitudes
Beatitudes
In Christianity, the Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus that appear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful....
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, who beatified him on 20 May 1990.
Frassati is the Patron Saint of Bishop McGuinness High School
Bishop McGuinness High School (Oklahoma)
Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School is a college-preparatory secondary school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It has an enrollment of 720 students in grades 9 through 12, is co-educational, and serves as part of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in the Roman Catholic Church.-History:The...
in Oklahoma, where Frassati's family blessed the school in his spirit.
See also
- Bartolome Blanco MarquezBartolome Blanco MarquezBlessed Bartolomé Blanco Márquez Bartolomé Blanco Márquez was born in Pozoblanco, Córdoba Province, Spain in 1914. He was arrested as a Catholic leader—he was the secretary of Catholic Action and a delegate to the Catholic Syndicates—on Aug. 18, 1936. He was executed on Oct...
- Alberto MarvelliAlberto MarvelliAlberto Marvelli was an Italian member of the Catholic Action.Born at Ferrara, he was given a Christian formation by his mother, who kept their home open to the poor...
- Ivan MerzIvan MerzBlessed Ivan Merz was a Bosnian-Croatian lay academic, beatified by Pope John Paul II on a visit at Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 23, 2003...
- Chiara BadanoChiara BadanoChiara Badano, called Chiara “Luce” , was an Italian teenager who has been declared "Blessed" within the Catholic Church. She belonged to the Focolare Movement and died prematurely at eighteen after succumbing to osteosarcoma, an aggressive and painful form of bone cancer...
- Luciana Frassati GawronskaLuciana Frassati GawronskaLuciana Frassati Gawronska was an Italian writer and author. Gawronska was a prominent anti-Nazi and anti-Fascist activist in both Poland and Italy and was considered a champion of Roman Catholic causes.-Early life:...
, Pier Giorgio's sister
External links
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
- Pope John Paul II - Homily From the Beatification Mass of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati - 20 May 1990
- Frassati Canada
- Blessedpier.org
- piergiorgiofrassati.org
- Pier Giorgio Frassati's official website
- Associazione Pier Giorgio Frassati, Rome
- http://famvin.org/wiki/Pier_Giorgio_Frassati