Coffee & Saints

Born: April 6, 1901, Turin, Italy
Died: July 4, 1925, Turin, Italy

What I appreciate about St. Pier Giorgio Frassati:
He was a laid-back, cool dude living in the twentieth-century! He had a great sense of humor and could talk to just about anyone. I appreciate how he was so humble, to the point that his own family had no idea how incredible he was until after his death, because he did not boast!

Coffee Order:
This is so exciting because I know that he would order a black coffee with cream and butter!

To be sitting here right now and writing this blog post feels like a dream come true. Not only am I able to write about a really cool guy who I am a huge fan of; I get to do so only days after his canonization! The past few days for me have been overwhelming as I celebrated this man’s life and legacy as he joins the ranks of the Church Triumphant.

When I first learned about Pier Giorgio Frassati, it was when I as a missionary in my early twenties. One of my teammates talked about him with us, she was a huge fan too! She told our group how he was so normal (yes, that is the word that she kept using). As she spoke about him, I felt a tug on my heart, a yearning to want to know him. While it took me years to finally study his life and really dive into his story, he is definitely one of the Saints that I will forever keep close to my heart.

For my coffee outing with Saint Pier Giorgio, I have the unique gift of knowing something that he would order! That feels both bizarre and cool to me. Usually, I have to think of something up all on my own; however, this Saint is from the twentieth century and we have his own recorded words saying what coffee he enjoyed. During a trip to Germany, Pier Giorgio wrote to his mother and said that he enjoyed a specific style of java: coffee with milk and butter. Unique, right? As a fan of flavored creamer, I do not know that I would enjoy this combination; however, I do think he would encourage me to try it! Maybe even dare me, since I know from my research that he had a great sense of humor and loved to joke around. And me being competitive and not wanting to back down from a dare such as this, I would proudly try it!

So, what type of coffee shop do I picture Frassati taking me to? First and foremost, I think he would immediately ask me if I wanted to sit outside. He was a guy who loved the outdoors and I think he probably preferred a coffee shop with outdoor seating where he could people watch and take in the atmosphere around him. Once we have taken our seats, I can see him leaning back, the vibe of a laid-back guy who is up to talk about pretty much anything.

Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in 1901 in Turin, Italy to Alfredo and Adelaide Ametis. His mother was a painter and his father founded and directed the newspaper “La Stampa”. His father was also involved in Italian politics, holding positions as an Italian Senator and Ambassador to Germany. There was no shortage of wealth in their family, meaning that Pier Giorgio had a nice upbringing.

At a young age, Piero Giorgio fell in love with the Eucharist. He was so devoted to Jesus’ True Presence, that he asked for and obtained permission to receive daily – this was uncommon at the time. He was an eager follower of Christ and was never afraid to proclaim that he was a Christian to friends and those he met. While still young, he encountered the woman who would become his greatest desire: the Virgin Mary. As I picture myself sitting with him outside of a cute little café, I want to ask him about how he became devoted to the Eucharist so young. As a former youth minister, I have seen my fair share of teenagers come through the Church and very few, sadly, have any sort of real understanding of what the Eucharist even is. Therefore, I wish that I could ask him what it was that sparked this deep love for him.

When he was seventeen, Piero Giorgio became part of 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 those returning from World War I. He had a heart for service, and he was dedicated to his missionary call. Not only was he working hard to physically help people, he also was a political activist – taking after his father – and he joined the People’s Party where he helped to promote Catholic Social Teaching. He was a very charismatic guy, so I am sure he did not struggle to begin conversations with people.

Every day, his father would give Pier Giorgio money to use the bus to get to and from school. Frassati would pocket the money, bid farewell to his parents, and then head out. As he walked down the street, he would place the money for his bus fare into the hands of the poor, choosing instead to walk where he needed to go. At the end of the day, he would have to run home to ensure that he made it in time for dinner.

In what little free time he did have, he spent it serving the poor and suffering, calling them his “masters” and wanting to only be their servant. He considered this to be the greatest privilege of his life. So how was he able to give so much to everyone physically, mentally, and emotionally? He was fed by the Eucharist, accepting daily communion, and he would frequent evening adoration. Not only that, he was a fan of saint Catherine of Siena’s writings and used her pieces of work to meditate. A Saint who loved the Saints, my kind of guy!

His work kept increasing and in 1921 he helped to organize a big event: Pax Roma – this event focused on unifying Catholic students! So not only was he passionate about the poor and the sick, but he also sought to help find peace in our world and bring Catholic’s together. He really was a well-rounded guy. He also was very good looking, and lots of females took notice. However; Frassati never felt called to romantic relationships and instead lived a celibate life. He was friends with women, one of whom was very interested in him and was known to struggle with her infatuation for our Saint, but he assured her that he needed to only be her friend – never once leading her on. A real man!

One of the things that Frassati is most known for is his love for rock climbing. There are many pictures of our Saint for today posed on mountains or his infamous rock-climbing photo with the motto: “Verso l’alto” – this phrase is used by many who are fans of his.

Not only was he an active man who loved exercise and the great outdoors; he enjoyed art and music too. I know for me; this makes him sound like a dreamboat. My very feminine heart over here is thinking “man, he would have made a great husband!” but, the Lord had other plans for him, and he followed God instead of earthly desires. As we sit and drink coffee together, I wish that I could ask him about that part of his life. He was very popular, with women yes, but also with people of all ages thanks to his charisma and confidence. And yet, he never used it for personal gain. Instead, he focused solely on caring for people, working hard, and evangelizing. He was a natural at talking about God in any setting, making people feel comfortable and welcome. He did not preach at people; he had honest conversations and spoke with them.

Now, to be fair, there were occasions when he got a justified temper with people who were disrespecting the Catholic faith. Pier Giorgio was not afraid to stand up to people like this, and on occasion he would get into fights. One story that I love about him is from when he was participating in a Church-organized demonstration in Rome. The royal guards grabbed the group’s banner and threw it to the ground. Frassati picked it up and held it even higher, even using the pole to fend of the guards blows towards him. If that does not say “badass” then I don’t know what does!

This young man believed whole heartedly in the faith and trusted that Jesus wanted to use him to change the world. He never backed down from the good fight, he poured his heart and soul into caring for the poor, and he spent a lot of time bringing medicine to the sick. Pier Giorgio Frassati contracted polio in 1925 from the people who he was caring for. He neglected his own health to put these other people first as he knew that was what Jesus would have done. Even while sick and in bed, dying, he wrote a message to his friend to take medicine to a man who was ill that he had been caring for. He never stopped, never gave up, and continued to love even in his own suffering.

Here is where the story gets even cooler as we reflect on Pier Giorgio’s life. His parents, heartbroken from the death of their twenty-four year old son do what all of those in mourning do: hold a funeral. The two of them invite family and friends to come and celebrate the life of their beloved boy. On the day of the funeral, the streets of Italy outside of the church are filled, and I mean FILLED, with people. Imagine their confusion when they realize that all of these people are here to mourn their son’s life. They literally had no idea why so many people were there! He never told them what he was doing, not because he did not love them or because he was hiding it; it was because in a great act of humility he was doing the Lord’s work and did not feel called to boast about it! In fact, many of the people who came to celebrate his life were equally shocked to find out that he was the son of the influential Frassati family! He never spoke to them about his wealth and power, he only spoke to them as God’s children – people of dignity and worth. What a testament to the deep love of God!

So this is why we call him a “normal” Saint. Not because he did not do great things, he certainly did! But because he lived a rather normal life. He did not perform miracles, he did not live in a monastery, he did not even become a religious. He was a normal guy who enjoyed hiking, beer, art, and music. But he also changed the world by his devotion to those he encountered, never once excluding anyone.

The very last photo taken of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati was taken on his final climb. He gave the photo to his friend with the phrase “Verso l’alto” written on it. In Italian, Verso l’alto translates “To the heights”. The imagery that he was using on this photo was that the top of the mountain is like the Eucharist – the Source and Summit of our faith. He spent his life climbing mountains, saying that the closer you are to the mountain top the closer you are to heaven. In his works through his life, he spent years climbing towards heaven, and now that he is officially Saint Pier Girogio Frassati we can say with great pride and awe that he has in fact, reached the heights.

Prayer:
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, you saw the diginity in every person you encountered, going so far as to care for the sick on the streets whom you did not even know personally. You show the young that age has nothing to do with how deep our faith can be, and your work with Pax Roma encourages Catholic students from all over the world to unify to create peace. Your canonization was a huge milestone for someone who lived simply for the Lord and did not seek any sort of recognition. With pride in our voices, we welcome you to the community of canonized Saints and may we all live out your motto: “Verso l’alto” as we all strive to reach the heights with you! Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!

I hope you enjoyed learning about this Saint! The artwork above was created using AI and my own imagination (with help from my wonderful husband Joe!) – this is how I picture what it would be like to sit with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati in a coffeeshop today. I would love for you to share your own thoughts in the comments below!

Cheers! ☕
Maggie