Take the #Verso l’Alto pledge and follow Pier Giorgio

As Catholics worldwide prepare to celebrate the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati this September, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is inviting everyone “to the heights” – verso l’alto! – in a spiritual climb of their own.

The journey kicked off in mid-July with a 50-day #VersoAltoPledge challenge, but don’t worry if you’ve missed a few steps or are only just hearing about it now. It’s never too late to start climbing.

In fact, Frassati’s own journey is literally on the move: his incorrupt body has just been brought from his hometown of Turin to Rome for public veneration as the September 7 canonization draws near. What better time to lace up your boots (spiritually speaking) and join the trek?

The #VersoAltoPledge is simple and heartfelt: pick one aspect of Pier Giorgio Frassati’s vibrant faith life -- prayer, service, or advocacy -- and pledge to practice it in your daily life as we approach his canonization. By making a personal pledge on the Friends with Frassati website (set up by the Archdiocese of LA), you can even add your name to a special pledge book that will be presented to Frassati’s family during the canonization weekend.

Think of it as sending a friendly “I’m with you!” across time and space to the soon-to-be saint’s own relatives. The journey toward the summit of sanctity is open to all, and starting late is better than not starting at all -- especially when the view from the top (and the graces along the way) promise to be so rewarding.

To help you in your pledge, here's a little more about Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Born at the beginning of the 20th century, he was an ordinary young Italian with an extraordinary love for God and neighbor. By day, he was a university student – known for his friendly humor and even the occasional harmless prank (his college buddies nicknamed him “The Terror” for his practical jokes!).

But beyond his studies and social life, Frassati was deeply devoted to his faith. He attended Mass and received Holy Communion daily, prayed the Rosary fervently (sometimes kneeling so long he’d nod off in prayer), and had a great love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his late teens he joined the Dominican third order, taking the name “Girolamo” after his hero, the fiery preacher Savonarola, as shared on the Frassati website.

What really made Frassati stand out -- and a big reason he’s on the path to sainthood -- was how he put his faith into action. He spent countless hours serving the poor and sick of Turin, quietly slipping out to visit slums and hospitals. He gave away what little money he had to those in need (even using his bus fare for charity and then sprinting home so he wouldn’t be late for dinner!).

Many of these works of mercy were done in secret. In fact, his family only discovered the extent of his charity at his funeral, when crowds of the poor whom Pier Giorgio had helped showed up to pay their respects. This selfless young man had literally worn out his life for others -- eventually contracting polio from a sick person he tended and dying at just 24.

As you may be aware, Pope St. John Paul II fittingly nicknamed him “the Man of the Eight Beatitudes” at his beatification, recognizing how fully Pier Giorgio lived out Christ’s blessings of mercy, justice, and peace.

Aside from prayer and service, Frassati was also an outspoken advocate for justice. He lived in turbulent times (post-World War I Italy), and he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what was right. Pier Giorgio joined student activist groups to promote Catholic social teaching and the rights of the poor.

He even physically defended priests and the Eucharist from violent anti-religious demonstrators on at least one occasion, grabbing a fallen banner and fending off blows with a courage beyond his years

“Charity is not enough; we need social reform,” he liked to say -- meaning that loving service of individuals should go hand-in-hand with efforts to improve society. This balance of gentle charity and bold advocacy is part of what makes Frassati such an inspiring model for us today.

And most importantly, did we mention he had fun doing all this? Pier Giorgio was an avid mountain climber, skier, hiker -- any adventure that involved fresh air and friends. He famously scribbled the words “Verso l’alto!” (“to the heights!”) on the back of a photo from his last climb in 1925. That simple phrase, written just weeks before his death, has become a motto for his life and legacy -- symbolizing both his love of scaling literal peaks and his desire to reach the heights of holiness.

As shared by EWTN Vatican, he wrote to a friend stating:

For Frassati, the higher he climbed, the closer to God he felt -- both physically and spiritually.

So how can you climb with Frassati in your own daily lives? The Archdiocese’s challenge encourages everyone to focus on one of three pillars that defined Pier Giorgio’s faith journey. Here are some ideas to get started:

Strengthen your spiritual muscles. Like Frassati attending daily Mass and adoration, choose a prayer practice to deepen. Maybe attend an extra weekday Mass, pray the Rosary regularly, or set aside 10 minutes for Scripture each morning. Frassati taught that a life of service draws its strength from prayer -- he once said that as long as faith gave him strength, he would always be joyful. Climbing to the heights means anchoring yourself in prayer so that God can lead you upward.

Find a way to help someone in need each day, no matter how small. Frassati was known for his hands-on charity -- visiting the sick, carrying supplies to poor families, even giving the coat off his back to a homeless man. You can imitate his loving heart by simple acts: bring a meal or groceries to a struggling neighbor, volunteer at a soup kitchen or parish ministry, or even just perform random acts of kindness. As Pier Giorgio knew, we encounter Jesus in the poor and suffering. For him, the poor were “his masters” and he their humble servant. Our service can be the steady footwork that moves us upward on the path of holiness.

Speak up and stand up for what is right. Not all of us will find ourselves fending off persecutors with a banner pole as Frassati did in the 1920s! But we can all be a voice for the voiceless in our communities. Maybe that means advocating for the unborn, for immigrants and refugees, for the environment, or for those facing injustice or loneliness around us. It could be as simple as kindly correcting harmful gossip, defending someone who’s being mistreated, or engaging in civic action guided by Christian principles. Pier Giorgio lived his faith out loud – he was active in Catholic Action and never shy about defending truth and virtue. He reminds us that faith isn’t meant to be hidden under a basket. When we advocate for justice and truth, we help bring a bit of God’s kingdom down to earth – effectively pulling the summit a little closer for everyone.

Whichever of these three paths you focus on, make it concrete and keep at it daily. The idea isn’t to add more to your already busy life, but to infuse your everyday routine with purpose. Pray as you drive or walk to work. Turn a family meal into an opportunity for service by inviting someone who could use the company. Support a cause you care about with a small action each day. With each step, you’ll be moving “verso l’alto,” toward that higher goal.

One thing Pier Giorgio Frassati rarely did was climb alone – and neither should we. He had a knack for friendship and loved to bring others along on his adventures. He organized hiking and skiing trips with a close-knit group of pals (who jokingly called themselves the “Tipi Loschi” or “shady characters,” poking fun at their own lively antics).

During those mountain treks, Frassati would lead his friends in praying the Rosary or even attending Mass on a mountaintop. He understood that the journey to holiness is not a solo expedition, but a team effort. “Frassati took friends with him along his journey — let’s do the same!” as the Archdiocese challenge puts it.

So, invite a friend or two to join you in your #FriendsWithFrassati pledge. You could agree to pray for each other’s intentions, serve together on a project, or hold each other accountable in your personal goals. Share your experiences – maybe with a quick text check-in, or by posting on social media using the campaign’s hashtags (#ToTheHeights, #FriendsWithFrassati). By tagging a friend, you’re essentially saying, “Come on, let’s climb this hill together!” Having companions on the spiritual journey keeps us motivated, humble, and often adds some much-needed joy and laughter along the way. After all, even serious saints like Pier Giorgio loved a good joke and a group selfie (or the 1920s equivalent) at the summit!

Perhaps you’re only now hearing about this Frassati-inspired challenge and wondering if you’ve missed the boat (or the hike). Not at all! The beauty of the Christian life is that every day is a new invitation to begin again. The #VersoAltoPledge may have officially started on July 14, but consider today your Day One. Pier Giorgio’s motto “to the heights” wasn’t about a strict timeline or hitting certain checkpoints; it was about the direction of our hearts. No matter how far along (or far behind) you feel in your faith journey, you can always take the next step up.

Start small if you need to: say a short prayer right now, or do one kind thing for someone before the day ends. In the spiritual climb, what matters is perseverance and the desire to grow closer to God. Frassati himself had struggles and setbacks -- he wasn’t a straight-A student, he had to balance family expectations with his personal calling, and he experienced the same frustrations and fatigue we all do. But he kept his eyes on Christ and kept climbing.

In one of his letters, Pier Giorgio wrote, “I want to scale the mountain, not because it’s easy, but because my soul is hungry for something more.” That “something more” is what God calls each of us to. And whether you begin the climb on day 1 or day 49 of a 50-day challenge, the important thing is to begin.

Verso l’alto! To the heights you go -- one step at a time, together, hearts lifted, eyes on Christ. The mountain of holiness is calling, and it’s never too late to begin the ascent. So make that pledge and start walking upward today, hand in hand with your good friend Frassati, guiding you towards the heights and beyond.