You've probably seen pictures of this young Italian man with a radiant smile, but did you know he loved to climb mountains and secretly helped the poor? That's just the beginning of what might surprise you about this beloved modern saint (he will be canonized September 7!).
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was "a man of the Eight Beatitudes," as St. John Paul II said; he lived life to the fullest while dedicating himself to serving others. (You can read all about his life here.) So many of us are inspired by his joyful approach to faith, but how well do we actually know this charismatic 20th-century saint?
His feast day on July 4 is the perfect time to test our Pier Giorgio trivia.
You can find the answers at the bottom. When you're done, let us know your score!
Pier Giorgio Frassati Trivia
1What Italian phrase is famously associated with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati after he wrote it on a photo of himself climbing a mountain?
2Blessed Pier Giorgio is a patron saint of what three things?
3How old was he when he died?
4He was a lay member of what religious order and what social movement?
5Where was Pier Giorgio born and raised?
6What was his father's profession that made the family quite wealthy?
7Despite his family's wealth, Pier Giorgio often gave away his own belongings. What did he sometimes give away that left him walking home?
8What career did Pier Giorgio intend to pursue and was studying in school before he suddenly died?
9What disease ultimately caused his death in 1925?
10When Pier Giorgio died, something shocked his family at his funeral. What was it?
Answers
1. “Verso l'alto!” meaning “to the heights” or “toward the top.” The phrase has become a motto for many who admire Frassati, representing a striving for holiness and spiritual growth.
2. He is the patron saint of young adults, mountaineers, and World Youth Day.
3. He was only 24 years old when he died.
4. He was a Third Order Dominican (a lay member of the Dominican Order) and a member of Catholic Action, a movement of lay people which advocates for a Catholic approach to social issues.
5. He was born and raised in Turin, Italy.
6. His father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder and owner of the still-influential newspaper La Stampa.
7. He would give away his train fare money to the poor, forcing him to walk long distances home.
8. Pier Giorgio was pursuing a degree in mining engineering, so that he could “serve Christ better among the miners.” At that time, miners were among the poorest and subject to some of the worst working conditions. This attracted Pier Giorgio's missionary spirit.
9. He died of acute poliomyelitis (polio), likely contracted while caring for the sick poor.
10. His family had no idea of the extent of his hidden charitable work. So many people he had been secretly helping came to his funeral that his parents were shocked and amazed: “His funeral was a triumph with the sight of hundreds of his poor following the coffin.”
What's Your Score?
9-10 correct: Verso l'Alto Champion
7-8 correct: Mountain of Faith
5-6 correct: Young Adult Inspiration
Under 5: Pier Giorgio still wants to climb to the heights with you!
