Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: An Ordinary Christian by Maria Di Lorenzo

by Maria Amata Di Lorenzo

Athletic, handsome, and always good for a laugh, Pier Giorgio Frassati was the charismatic leader of a band of rowdy friends. He smoked, pulled pranks, relished extreme sports, fiercely debated politics into the night... and secretly gave away his wealth to help the a mother unexpectedly widowed, a homeless invalid, a boy without warm clothes... and plunged eagerly into intense experiences of Eucharistic prayer. An inspiring biography that captures Frassati's spirit, Blessed Pier Giorgio An Ordinary Christian explores the adventuresome personality and forthright love of a man who succeeded in wresting holiness from everyday life.

Genres: Catholic, Biography, Christianity, Religion

Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

È autrice di numerosi libri - romanzi, raccolte di poesie e saggi letterari e spirituali - tradotti in diverse lingue (inglese, francese, portoghese, spagnolo, polacco, turco, ceco, sloveno).
Il suo blog ti aspetta su: www.mariaamata.it

Reviews

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have head the name Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati many times, but until recently never really looked into his life. It is a name I came across in courses in school in passing. Or seen author authors and bloggers mention briefly. But after reading this book I know that I will be spending some more time looking at this man’s incredible life. For Pier Giorgio did more living and more serving in his 24 years of life than many of us who have much longer time on earth. He was born in April of 1901 and he died in 1925 on July 25th.

This book is very well written and also well translated. For sometimes when you read something in translation it feels like a bit is lost or that something is a little off. That is not the case with this volume. To be honest this book was so good that even while I was reading it I was looking up both the author and translator to see what other works that had available.

What an incredible story this is, it is about a Man with a heart for God, a man with a heart for service. And man who strove to be his best and bring out the best in others. Pier Giorgio lived a life of dedicated service, thorough his works of social action, his charity, his personal prayer and communal prayer life. He was involved with many activities including the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic youth groups and catholic student groups. He was a Third Order Dominican. And he was involved with and helped establish a Catholic Newspaper called Momento.

This book does an amazing job of chronicling the life of this incredible young man. It follows his journey of faith. And also his physical travels back and forth to Germany a few times. It highlights the insight he had into the need for social justice, and his though was on the cutting edge of that theology.

But most of all this is a book about example. The example of speaking out when we see a wrong. An example of serving when and where we can. The example of making sacrifices and living completely for Jesus Christ. And above all doing so with faithful submission to the Church authority. But it is also an example of staying healthy in body, spirit and mind. For Blessed Pier Giorgio He loved being in the outdoors and climbing mountains.

I was amazing in reading this book about how much Frassati accomplished in his lifetime, and because of this story I am inspired to increase my efforts. This is an incredible read about man who loved God and served others, it serves as an example for us today. Very well written and translated and I highly recommend this book!

Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2017 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Jane Lebak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really hate giving this book only three stars because the *subject,* Pier Giorgio Frassati, sounds like an amazing guy. The author is at pains to tell you he was full of life and love and charity, and I believe he actually was. But this biography is lackluster. It doesn't convey the man's vibrancy, and you end the book without really knowing Pier Giorgio any better than you did by reading the back cover.

While most biographies will be filled with anecdotes and incidents from the subject's life, this biography is more like a list of places he lived and institutions he joined. The fun stories that would bring another biography to life are just flat-out missing. eg, we hear often about Pier Giorgio's friends, but we never learn a single thing about them. The author talks about the "shady character society" and that Pier Giorgio held the office of chief practical joker in the society, and yet not one single practical joke is related to us.

Over and over it's the same way: we're told he helped the poor, but other than a couple of anecdotes, nothing. We're told he loved sports. Which ones? Um… He was a mountaineer -- great, but we don't have tales about anything specific that happened on any of these mountains, only generalities such as "some nights they would huddle together afterward in a freezing cabin, but he would kneel and say the rosary on the icy floor." (paraphrased.)

So if you want to feel as if you have your finger on the pulse of who this amazing man was, find another biography. Read about him, by all means, but not this book.

[Christian Engler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati's life-though brief-was truely a model example of the heroic, an unyielding quest to fully and earnestly live out the Gospel. At times, it's an indefinable journey that is filled to the brim with unimaginable heartbreaks and delights of unprecedented scope, a trek that is sometimes lived out both publicly and privately. In the case of Pier Giorgio Frassati-in his cultured and affluent upbringing-he was the private Catholic Robin Hood, living a life divided of what his family and the moneyed society he was born into expeced of him versus what his heart yearned to bring to fruition: helping the less fortunate and living out his vocation of faith with zeal, simplicity and adventure. He could have lived a cushioned life as a freewheeling member of the intellectual Italian aristocracy, his agnostic father, Alfredo, being the founder of the noted newspaper, La Stampa, as well as being a politician and diplomat, while his mother, Adelaide, was a sculptress of acknowledged repute. Yet, there was an aspect of heavyheartedness and mistrust regarding the life he was born into, often shunning society balls and all the baggage associated with it. He did not yearn to be an executive paper pusher within La Stampa, as his father had set up for him. Rather, he wanted to be a mining engineer in order to work with the poor and needy miners, to cater to their spiritual and economic needs--foregoing even the priesthood, becasue he believed he could give more and better as a member of the laity, offer more hands-on, practical service where he saw fit, which was almost everywhere. Sadly, the unmistakable vocation to the religious life was never fostered nor promoted by his parents, as noted on page 30: "Once, when a nun asked Adelaide what she thought of the idea of Pier Giorgio becoming a priest, she answered abruptly, 'I would rather he graduate from the university and die.'" As that was so, Pier Giorgio, thrust himself behind Catholic Action, adhering strictly to their motto of action, prayer and sacrifice. He also became a political Catholic neophyte, getting into brawls to protect the faith, while denouncing Mussolini's facism. All the while, he would make private visits to the poor, trudging with an abundance of care packages into the most dilapidated and disease infested areas conceivable, only to rise very early in the morning for devotions, to pray with Mary for guidance and sing the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary or do the rosary, which was the "testament in my pocket."--page 53. Tersely yet eloquently written, An Ordinary Christian is a beautifully crafted biography of a most remarkable, humorous and winsome young man, a keen mountaineer who made his Catholic faith his priority; his compassion, openness, feisty doggedness, enthusiasm, grinding patience and loving acceptance of God's will for him, definitely makes him a Catholic Blessed and hopefully a soon-to-be Catholic Saint that all humainity-young and old-can look up to, a man who scaled beyond the mountain crests up to the heavenly realm.

[Bonnie]

So far...

This book is a wonderful portrayal of Blessed Pier Giorgio. Gives a glimpse of how he was such an ordinary person in the world's eyes, yet he had a deep love of God for his fellow man, especially the poor.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing was a bit dry, but I'm still very interested in reading and learning more about Pier Giorgio Frassati.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not at all for lack of content that I’ve given four stars, but because the organization of the book was choppy and lacked narrative - something certainly not necessary, but in this case would have worked far better.

There are wonderful quotes pulled from Frassati and those who knew him, and I was left wanting more anecdotes and details of his life. This is a great introduction to Bl Pier Giorgio, leaving me wanting to read much more.

I strongly admire the collaboration between Catholic intellectuals and workers Frassati sought.

Since I have become disenchanted from the modern world of academia, one quote from Fr. Martino Stanislao Gillet about Frassati especially stuck with me; he says that Frassati wasn’t an intellectual dedicating his life to his own philosophy, but “a man of action, determined to dedicate his philosophy to serving life”

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about this soon to be saint. One of the stories that stuck with me was that he would tie a rope to his hand and have the Gardener pool on the rope to wake him up for mass so he wouldn't disturb any of his household. He was able to live the faith to a heroic degree much without his family even being aware. He had a strong devotion to his family and friends and the poor that he kept close in his heart. He lived a life for Christ and was passionate to see to it that everyone knew Jesus.

[Margo Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

As an account of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati’s spiritual life, this book was just ok. The author took pains to organize key aspects of his life into relevant chapters, but I found the result confusing. Additionally, I found it a bit preachy—proclaiming Frassati’s qualities rather than illuminating them through his words and actions. That said, the book is worth struggling through to learn about an incredible everyday saint who lived his life with the joy of the gospels as his center. Wow.

[Amanda Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing saint. Learned a lot about him in the book. Not a fan of it's format. Very date heavy, nothing really flowed. Lacking in narrative.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una vida ejemplar... muy agradable de leer

[Swan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first came across Bl. Pier Giorgio listening to an audio on Formed titled, "Blessed Pier Giorgio Man of the Beatitudes" told by Fr. Tim Deeter. I was so awed by what I heard, that I definitely had to read about Pier Giorgio.

I happened to come across this book while at a catholic bookstore at my church...it's a thin book/light read and you'll finish it in no time.
Some of the stuff that was covered I had heard previously on the audio, but there was a variation in both accounts.
I can't say enough of how Bl. Pier Giorgio has made an impression on me; he's definitely someone (as after all the other Saints) to aspire to be. He had the virtue of perfect charity and true devotion and no doubt humility. He had a strong personality and much conviction during a difficult period of time in Italy (Fascism/Mussolini). He came from a wealthy family and was given enough of the grace of abandonment that having any attachment to worldly things was not an issue (you're given an account in the book of the birthday gift he was given).
He may be "Blessed" now, but no doubt a Saint in my mind.

Although he lived such a short life (24 years old) this book is far from being a "detailed" account of his life as a whole. The book is dry and doesn't have a lively style in sharing with the readers of this selfless individual. It hits just the spot to satisfy a little curiosity you may have of Bl. Pier Giorgio and get a picture of his life and personality, but it doesn't by all means touch enough of him.
I would pass it if you want something more; however, if you just want the "gist" of him, this would be enough.

[Laura Breunig]

I really enjoyed learning more about this amazing and holy man!