CHAPTER X: THE PATH

TO LIFE
Amistoso, Catacutan, Galvan, Mendoza
2Psy4

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Pier Giorgio was preparing for the Holy

Year by reading St. Augustine,
Papinis Testimonianze, and St.
Thomas Aquinas.

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He was excited to finish his studies and

fulfill his dream.
But his father, Alfredo wanted him to be the
administrative director of La Stampa.
Alfredo Frassati considered Pier Giorgios
dream as youthful nonsense but still
cannot bring himself to deliver the news to
his own son.
He asked Guiseppe Cassone to deliver the
news instead.

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Pier Giorgio watched

his dream
disappearing just
when he was so close
to achieving it.
Pier Giorgio: Will this
please my father?
Cassone: Yes
Pier Giorgio: Tell him
I accept.

Reminiscent of Jesus in
the Agony in the Garden
of Gethsemane

YET NOT MY
WILL, BUT
YOURS BE DONE.

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With these words, Pier Giorgio

surrendered to his fathers wishes and
resigned himself to the situation at great
personal sacrifice.

This was another example of Pier

Giorgios ability to surrender what was
dear for him for the good of others

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Pier Giorgio watched the annual

procession of Madonna of Consolata and
the remains of Blessed Joseph Cafasso.
When the urn of Blessed Joseph Cafasso
passed in front of him, Pier Giorgio was
on his knees praying so intensely
that he seemed to forget everything
else around him.

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His father, Alfredo, announced his

desire to be divorce from Adelaide,
Pier Giorgios mother.
After a few days, Luciana (his sister)
came back to Turin and was surprised to
find Pier Giorgio changed.
He looked so much thinner and he
seemed to swim in his clothes. His
face looked strained, as if some
painful secret was consuming him.

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Despite seeing this tremendous change in Pier

Giorgio, Luciana attributed this mental and
physical exhaustion to his being in the midst
of an intense period of final exams.

At the university, Pier Giorgio was anxious to

finish, but often felt lost. His degree and courses
helped him to find something to focus on.
Despite his hopes to finally finish his degree, Pier
Giorgio was painfully aware that what awaited him
was not his own dream, but his fathers
wishes.

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A week or two after, Pier Giorgio

mentioned that he was feeling sick: he
had a migraine headache and no
appetite.
The next morning, he found it hard to
move, but still got up to study.
He still couldnt focus so he went for a
walk and conversed with two of his
friends: Franz Massetti and Ernesto
Atzori

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To Franz Massetti, he shared his

admiration for St. Catherine of Siena

To Ernesto Atzori who noticed that Pier

Giorgio was in pain, he said:

How fortunate St. Catherine wasto have

seen Jesus in this life! I envy her.

If God calls me, I will gladly obey.

After this, he agreed to go sail with his

friends, but felt too tired and exhausted.

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At the same time, Pier Giorgios

grandmother was very ill, and diagnosed
with rheumatic fever.

His family was focused on his

grandmother, that even when they
noticed Pier Giorgios illness, they
assumed it was just a flu, and considered
him as an added inconvenience.

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During his grandmothers death, Pier

Giorgio was nearly incapable of
moving but no one seemed to notice
this.

With tremendous effort, Pier Giorgio got

up to see his grandmother, knelt
beside her bed and prayed the
Rosary.

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The night before his grandmothers funeral, it

was obvious that Pier Giorgio would not be
able to attend.
Despite his apparent illness, Adelaide
scolded him:

You seem to be doing this on purpose, Pier

Giorgio; you are never there when you are
needed!

Adelaide herself wasnt able to attend the

funeral due to her emotional state. She was
left in the house with Pier Giorgio.

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When Pier Giorgios condition visibly worsened, Adelaide

called the family doctor Luciano Alvazzi.

Alvazzis diagnosis was poliomyelitis an acute

infectious disease that affects the CNS, especially the
spinal cord, leading to rapidly progressive paralysis
and death.

They assumed that Pier Giorgio may have contracted the

virus in the home of one of the poor individuals he visited
everyday.

Since there is no true giving without sacrifice, Pier

Giorgio was dying of his own good will.

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They consulted other doctors and sought

remedies, but the only serum that could
have save him was in Paris.
A family friend agreed to fly to Paris for it
but certain circumstances prevented him.
(violent thunderstorm)
Pier Giorgio was not afraid to die. He knew
death is a very simple path between
life and Life, which must in any case
never frighten us.

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His reflection about death, two years prior to

his illness (shared with Antonio Villani):

I reflected on the fact that a few years form now I too will
be in that state; I will also wake up to compassion mixed
with a sense of horrorin any case, this great mystery of
deathwill dissolve my body and in no time will it turn to
dust. But beyond the physical body is the soul to which
we must dedicate all our efforts, so that we stand before
the Supreme Judge without blame, or at least little
blame; this way after a few years in purgatory, we will
reach eternal peace. But how can we prepare for this
great step, and when will it come? Since one never
knows when death will come to take us away, it is wise
to prepare ourselves each day as if it were our last.
Therefore, from now on I am going to try to do a little
something each day to prepare myself for death, so that

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His health continued to deteriorate, and

the family called a priest.
They placed two silver candleholders on
each side of Raphaelss Madonna della
Seggiola a gift to the Cesare Balbo
Club from Pope Benedict XV, which Pier
Giorgio won in a lottery 3 years prior.
Pier Giorgio confessed and received Holy
Communion.

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Priest: Giorgio, what if your grandmother

calls you to join her in heaven?
Pier Giorgio: I would be happy. (he said
this without hesitation)
Pier Giorgio: But what about father and
mother?
Priest: You will never abandon themyou
will always be with them in spirit. You will
give them your faith and your forebearance,
and you will all continue to be one family.

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Cardinal Giuseppe Gamba wanted to rush to

Giorgios bedside, but the Frassatis refused
to allow anyone to disturb Pier Giorgio.
Pier Giorgios final thoughts were for his
poor

He asked Luciana for a box of medicines, an

insurance policy, and a paper. He was supposed to
visit Converso and Sappa, but cannot do it
anymore.

Pier Giorgio was dying, and yet he still

found the strength to put others first.

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Pier Giorgio could not rest because he find

it increasingly difficult to breathe.
He asked Sister Michelina, who kept
watch at his bedside, to help him make
the sign of the cross.
At four in the morning, he spoke his last
words:

Will you forgive me, Lord? Oh Lord,

please forgive me!

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Sacrament of the Sick Father Formica

At 10:00 am, Pier Giorgio emerged from
sleep and tenderly looked at Luciana.
The polio serum arrived, but it was too late.
AT 7:00 PM OF SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1925,
PIER GIORGIO FRASSATI LEFT HIS
FRAGILE PHYSICAL BODY TO BE
CLOTHED IN LIGHT.

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Lucianas Reflection on those final moments:

Stunned by the enormity of what was happening,

I wandered through the house, unable to restA
life of barely 24 years, marked by such noble and
secret works, and summarized by the silent
agony of those six days, this young life was
disappearing before our very eyes. The large
clock rang 7:00. Mother held Pier Giorgios head
in her hands, while someone uttered a prayer. As
I knelt by his bedside, with his hand and hi rosary
in mine, I felt one last squeeze, a final good-bye.
He was gone.

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Pier Giorgio died silently, without

disturbance, with a mysterious smile on
his lips.
On his bedside: Office of the Blessed Virgin
Mary and The Life of St. Catherine of Siena
Pier Giorgio once said: The day of my
death will be the best day of my life.
Born and died on a Saturday a day
traditionally for Mama Mary

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He was laid out in his room in a

pinstriped suit, with a crucifix and a relic
of Blessed Joseph Cafasso on his chest.
Clementina Luotto:

Now who will give us this purifying joy?

Who will renew not only for us but also in
us the miracle of joyful holiness as carefree
and fresh and revivifying as the water of an
Alpine spring?

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Funeral La Crocetta

Inside: prominent figures in finance, politics, and

journalism
Outside: ordinary people workers from the industrial
district, unemployed, homeless from attics,
basements, under the bridge, park benches

Only then did the Frassatis begin to truly

realize who Pier Giorgio really was, the son
they had never understood, the strange boy they
often described as good-for-nothing
Struck with grief and remorse, the family
realized they had been living with a saint .

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The funeral was a celebration of Pier Giorgios

life.

Luciana: Walking behind the casket, I could not

despair. I felt As if I were walking on air, taking
part in a great triumph.

Filippo Turati:

[The things he did] are so new and extraordinary that it fills

with reverent wonder even those who do not share his faith
Pier Giorgio as a model who has something to teach us all.

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Jn 12:24 : Very truly I tell you, unless a

kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies,it
remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it
produces many seeds.
As proof of this, Alfredo and Adelaide
resolved to make their marriage work.
Alfredo Frassati (about Pier Giorgio):

I saw my affection in his love for the poor, and it

seemed to me that that little bit of good there is
in me was multiplied by the millions in Pier
Giorgio

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Alberto Falchetti a portrait

that captured the beauty
and spirit of Pier Giorgio:

The portrait is in numerous

youth offices of Catholic
Action all over Italy.

A number of young people

come to know and are
inspired by Pier Giorgio
Frassati through this portrait.

The Path To Life