Last Sunday, Sept. 7, Pope Leo canonized two new Saints of the Church: St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis! What is interesting about these Saints, is that they did not live hundreds of years ago, but both lived within the last century. Neither of them were monks or priests or martyrs. Both were young laymen of the church, who died of sickness at a young age. But in their short lives were shining examples of the faith.
Pier Giorgio Frassati lived in Italy from 1901-1925. He was an avid athlete and mountaineer. He loved climbing mountains, and was known for the phrase “Verso l’alto” which means, “To the heights!” But he used this phrase to mean more than just mountain climbing, but to speak of the adventure of our spiritual journey towards God! Let us go, “to the heights!” And hid deep Catholic faith inspired him at a young age to care for the poor. He was involved in various charitable organizations, and would visit various poor and homebound people regularly, delivering them various goods, groceries, and medicines they needed. At his high school graduation, his father offered to either gift him a car or money. Pier Giorgio asked for the money instead of the car, so he could use it to help the poor. He went on to college to study mining engineering, so that he could “serve Christ better among the miners.” In his life of service and the poor, he said that, “charity alone is not enough, we need social reform.” He participated in different events that protested the fascism, and actively worked to spread the teaching of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, as taught in Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum. He died of sickness at the age of 25, and his family was shocked to see thousands of people line up for his funeral. No one had any idea how many people, especially of the poor, sick, and homebound, that this ambitious young man had been actively caring for, loving, and serving, even between his studies and social activism. Many spoke of his virtues, and Pope John Paul II called him, “A man of the eight beatitudes,” as he exemplified these in his life!
Carlo Acutis who was also canonized last Sunday, I will speak more about in next week’s bulletin column!
Peace,
-Fr. Kevin
