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September 2, 2020Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
I just got back from four days hiking with my sister in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. It was beautiful weather the entire trip and I got to try hammock camping for the first time. After getting six blisters, however, I’ve finally accepted the fact that I need different hiking boots. (They have caused me blisters for years, but each trip I’ve thought “This time will be different.”)
As usual when hiking in the mountains, I took a photo in imitation of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Since I think he is particularly relevant for our times, I’d like to share a bit about him.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was an Italian layman who lived from 1901 to 1925. He was a devout Catholic, a social activist, and an avid mountaineer. Though his family was upper-middle class, he devoted himself to service of the poor. He loved spending time with friends and had a great sense of humor. For example, he affectionately call his group of friends the “Tipi Loschi,” which can be translated, “The Shady Characters.” When he was twenty-four, he caught polio, likely from the poor he tended to, and died. While his parents only expected the socially and politically elite figures in their own circle to attend his funeral, they were surprised when thousands of poor people, unknown to them, lined the streets to pay their respects for Pier Giorgio.
One thing that struck me while learning about Pier Giorgio is just how involved he was in groups and societies. For example, he didn’t just serve the poor alone, he did it as a part of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He didn’t learn to mountain climb alone, he climbed with the Italian Alpine Club. He didn’t just live his life of prayer alone, he became a third order member of the Dominicans. He was also a part of the Apostleship of Prayer, Catholic Action, and the Sodality of our Lady.
While we certainly continue to have societies and groups today, it seems to me like this willingness to join together in fellowship for a common cause is something that has largely been lost. Perhaps this is something we can learn from Pier Giorgio because we can do so much more working together than trying to work alone.
Like Pier Giorgio, let’s try to think about ways that we can live and serve the gospel together.
-Fr. Sandquist