A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati

by Luciana Frassati

Book Overview

A beguiling and moving biography of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a handsome, athletic and fun-loving young man from a rich, aristocratic Italian family in the 1920's who was recently beatified by Pope John Paul II. Pier Giorgio turned from a life of privilege to one devoted to working with the poor, and was a courageous witness of Christian faith and charity to many others.

Discouraged by his affluent parents from his religious involvement and deep spiritual...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0898708613
• ISBN13: 9780898708615
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Length: 170 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

We Can All Become Saints During These Modern Days!

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was definitely a Heaven sent young man who showed us how to live a holy life. He was an ordinary boy, who lived an ordinary life. A great example for teen boys (even though girls can learn from him too). I LOVE the pictures of him & his family throughout the pages! You will NOT be disappointed if you bought this book. Great gift for Confirmation, birthdays, etc. As he once said, "Verso l'alto!"

A Beautiful Saint

I loved reading about this man's life and his passion and holiness. It's so refreshing to see so much youth in this man. I gave it only four stars because I guess I was hoping for something more in depth, but I guess that would have to be an autobiography.

The story of a shining example for our times

This book was written by Pier Giorgio's sister and illustrates beautifully this life which though ordinary in many ways, was really truly extraordinary. She shares accounts of their growing up together, and the many activities and acts of charity in which her brother was engaged. Pope John Paul II in one of his speeches, which are included in the appendix, points out how Pier Giorgio is a saint for our times. His life was touched by suffering, family troubles, and many other things which we struggle with today. Pier Giorgio is a great example for us of the love we should have for Christ and how that should affect the love we share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

An exceptional and intimate memoir of the Man of the Beatitudes.

Every now and then there is an exceptional and unique soul, a Gospel artist whose sancity officially gets acknowledged by the Church because of his or her intimate and intense love for the Holy Trinity and our Blessed Mother, and one soul in particular is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young lay Catholic man who took to heart the message of picking up the cross and following Jesus Christ. Pier Giorgio was born into a life that had all the trappings that could make one's head spin and outsiders green with envy: a moneyed and priviledged background combined with athletic prowess, good looks and popularity. These are the ingredients that a majority of guys strive for, and why not, for in their own right, they are all good things. However, they become bad when they are not shelved in their proper places of priority in the short life that we have. All through his life, Pier Giorgio's parents tried to cram an unhealthy life philosophy into their son's head, that his various religious involvements were a waste of time and that he was with people who tried to indoctrinate and mold him into a larger religious collective whereby he was not the fully independent man that they thought he should be. But independence has different interpretations for different people, and his family could not see nor comprehend that. Or maybe they did; they saw it as scary and unsettling, and it was understandable. Yet, there was also a kind of awe that they had for their son, because Pier's love for the Gospel emanated forth so palpably that there was almost an aura that sprang forward and cut through the numerous criticisms and cruel remarks that he received, and there were many. To be a co-carrier of the cross is quite unpleasant, not fun or pleasurable at all. And by all rights, it should be that way. But fortunately, Grace through the Holy Eucharist is the sustenance that helps to combat and deal with the daily toils and ills of life, and Jesus Christ in the Eucharist was Pier Giorgio's religious and emotional muscle; he suffered in quite privacy, especially in respects to Laura Hidalgo, a young woman whom he developed a private love for. But atop that, he could not follow through with his own will of being a missionary for miners, as his father had him already pre-situated as a paper pusher for La Stamper, the liberal newspaper that he founded. Pier Giorgio humbly submitted to almost all that befell him. The memoir written by his sister Luciana is quite different from the other book-An Ordinary Christian-on Pier Giorgio, as it is written in chapters that offers fragments of memories of who Pier Giorgio was and what he wanted to be and how he viewed things. Yet, it is a lot more penetrating in respects to insight, all the more so because the jottings and remembrances come from a direct family member who bore witness to the Beatitudes actually being lived out. And it makes the Gospel message truly come to life for all of us laity and non-Catholics. As we are all childre

Great inspiration for college students!

I don't remember the first time I heard of Bl. Pier Giorgio. I saw the book at the Novalis booth at 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto and I am glad I bought and am reading the book. His life is a reminder that holiness is for everyone, even for young people and (college) students -- like me! Thank you Bl. Pier Giorgio for following God's will like you did!

A good book about a great man

Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) may not have seemed like your typical saint. He smoked cigars, liked hanging out with friends, loved the outdoors--especially mountain climbing, he came from a wealthy family, and engaged in political activism. In other words, he was not unlike many university students today.What made him different? He totally gave himself to Christ. Before he went climbing or skiing, he would go to Mass. Even though he could afford to ride trains first class, he rode third class in order to give the difference to the poor. Although he was an average student, he studied hard to become an engineer so that he would work with and witness to the working class miners. He actively opposed fascism because of its anti-Christian prejudice.There is so much more to this amazing young man who died at 24 and the best person from whom to hear about it is his sister Luciana. In this book, translated from Italian, Luciana tells her brother's story-- of how he struggled against the world, his own weaknesses, and even the worldly expectations of his parents in order to follow Christ as best he could.While the translation could have been better, it's not bad enough to disrupt comprehension. And since it's the only biography of the man in print in English, it's well worth reading it. Trust me, you will not regret getting to know Pier Giorgio.