"To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth, that is not living but existing" Feast Day: 4 July

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is much loved by the young people of the world for his dynamic personality and commitment to charity in love for Jesus. A layman who lived only to 24 years of age, his love for sports, friends and the poor make him an ideal model to propose to Australians. At the funeral after his early death hundreds of families emerged to testify to his personal commitment to them. His embrace of social justice as a university student makes him a hero to young pilgrims.

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on Holy Saturday: 6 April, 1901. He was known for his profound spiritual life from an early age, which manifested itself in many works of charity.

There are many anecdotes of the generosity that Pier Giorgio exhibited as a young boy and his deep understanding of the virtue of charity: from giving his shoes to a barefoot boy that came begging to their family home, to having to run home as he had donated his train fare to charity.

Pier Giorgio's works of charity only increased as he grew older and reached the end of his schooling. At the time of his graduation Pier's father gave him the option of having a new car or the equivalent amount in money. Pier chose the money. With these funds he obtained a room for an elderly woman evicted from her apartment, provided a bed for a consumptive invalid and supported three children of a sick and grieving widow. In 1918 at the age of 17, Pier joined the St Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to serving the sick and needy.

In addition to his studies and charity work, Pier was an extremely passionate social activist. In 1919, he joined the Catholic Student Federation and the Popular Party, a political organisation that promoted Catholic Church teachings. Pier gave his time to help establish a Catholic daily newspaper Momento that was based on the principles of Pope St. Leo XIII's encyclical on social and economic matters, Rerum Novarum.

His openness about his faith meant that he was deeply influential in the spiritual lives of his fellow students, encouraging many of them to make the annual university retreat given by Jesuits. In 1922 Pier joined the Dominican Third Order choosing the name Girolamo after his personal hero, the Dominican preacher and reformer of Florence's Renaissance.

In late June 1925 Pier Giorgio was afflicted by an acute attack of poliomyelitis, which doctors speculated he caught from the sick whom he tended. His illness was too advanced for treatment and Pier Giorgio died on 4 July, 1925 at the young age of 24.

The streets of the city were lined with thousands of mourners - most were the poor and needy whom he had served so unselfishly. It was these people who petitioned the Archbishop of Turin to begin the cause for canonisation. The process was opened in 1932 and he was beatified on 20 May 1990.

Blessed Pier Giorgio's dynamism and sense of adventure and fun attracted many people to him and to Jesus Christ, by Pier's faith. He showed that a life of charity in the service of justice can be lived in joy and peace. WYD08 pilgrims can pray to him for them to discover their vocation in Christ.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, witness to justice and charity - pray for us