“verso l’alto”

The phrase “verso l’alto” means “to the heights”. It is a good reminder to aim for the top.

This is a unique photo of a young man who lived life to the full climbing one of many mountains.

This photo is a reflection of a life well lived and an example of charity, joy and faith. If you look at the image, you can see the face of this young man looking to the top.

This young man is seeking the Light and aiming for the top while persevering to ascend the steep terrain. Here is a saint for the young people who lived out his journey seeking the Light through faith, hope and charity.

St. John Paul II called him “the Man of the eight Beatitudes”.[1]

This is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.

The words “verso l’alto” were written at the back of the photo of Pier Giorgio Frassati after his last climb before he died.

The Man of the Beatitudes is a great achievement and grace to be called this title. It is a joy to know Frassati lived out the Beatitudes throughout his life.

Pier Giorgio Frassati, born into a prominent Italian family, was known for his athletic ability, joyful spirit, courage, deep faith in the Catholic church, and handsome appearance. Despite his early death at age 24, Frassati became an inspirational figure for lay Catholics, particularly young adults. His example has been recognized and praised by Popes, including St. John Paul II.[2]

What are the Beatitudes?

The Beatitudes offer a vision of the characteristics of Jesus Christ, providing a guide for those who seek to live according to His teachings within the Church. The lives of the Virgin Mary and numerous saints, including Pier Giorgio Frassati, exemplify the fulfillment of these blessings (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1717).

Where can you find the Beatitudes? They are found in Sacred Scripture, especially in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 verses 3-12. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount to his disciples starting with the Beatitudes:

• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

• Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

• Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

• Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.[3]

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains in paragraph 1717: “The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity…”. What a joy to discover Frassati being called the Man of the Beatitudes. All glory to God!

Leaving a Legacy of Charity

Pier Giorgio’s example of living out the Beatitudes is seen in his actions of caring for the poor and striving for virtue. His parents did not have a clue what he was doing while he was away. You can tell a great person at the end of their life, by seeing the amount of people who show up to their funeral. This young man had plenty of people attend his funeral. Pier Giorgio created an impact and a legacy for the church. Pier Giorgio is a role model for the youth and for the young adults. Pier Giorgio is definitely what Saint Irenaeus would say: "the glory of God is man fully alive".

How can we live out our faith like Pier Giorgio Frassati? He had great faith and was deeply devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Eucharist. These were “his two poles of his world of prayer”.[4]

By living out the Beatitudes, by doing the Works of Mercy. A pilgrim book from World Youth Day Krakow Poland, called “Jesus Trusts in you”[5], included a photo of Pier Giorgio Frassati next to the Works of Mercy section, showing him as a great witness to these works.

What are the Works of Mercy?

Mercy represents the highest expression of love and virtue. To reach Heaven, the most reliable path is to show mercy, just as our heavenly Father does.[6] The works of Mercy are acts of love in action, categorized by the Church into corporal and spiritual works.[7]

Corporal Works of Mercy:

1. To feed the hungry.

2. To give drink to the thirsty.

3. To clothe the naked.

4. To welcome the stranger.

5. To visit the sick.

6. To visit the imprisoned.

7. To bury the dead.

Spiritual Works of Mercy:

1. To counsel the doubtful.

2. To teach the ignorant.

3. To admonish sinners.

4. To comfort the sorrowful.

5. To forgive wrongs willingly.

6. To bear wrongs patiently.

7. To pray to God for the living and the dead.

Frassati lived out these works of mercy.

Discovering Frassati

Pier Giorgio Frassati has been part of my faith journey seeking the Light.

I would hear about Pier Giorgio Frassati a lot at World Youth Day in Sydney Australia (2008). World Youth Day is a gathering of young people from around the world who come to see the Pope and participate in the events of the World Youth Day week. At that time, my faith was at its early stages of learning about the church and saints. However, my interest in knowing Pier Giorgio was not the priority then.

Thanks be to God for His grace that I rediscovered this young saint from my sister Fatima who had a cut out article about Pier Giorgio from the Sisters of Life Magazine. It was pinned on her notice board at her house at the time in 2014. This gave me the opportunity to know more about him. When I read his biography for the first time, I was interested in learning more about this young man and the joy that came out of him, especially through his photos. What attracted me was his example of climbing mountains and doing outdoor events and at the same time living his faith.

Recently, I have taken interest in his example and I started looking into his content on a website from the United States who promotes him. It was beautiful to navigate the pages and to know that he has done a lot of great things for the church.

There are a lot of resources about this young man and one of the most dedicated sites about his cause is on the FrassatiUSA.org website. The website is beautifully designed with content about the Life, Death and Faith of Pier Giorgio Frassati. I ended up praying the Novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and started to sign up to their newsletter.

Canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati

Fast forward to today, the example of this young man has inspired my family and me to develop a private devotion to him. We struggled to find examples of hope among young people, and the lives of the saints, especially Pier Giorgio Frassati, have been a great source of inspiration.

I am currently preparing for a pilgrimage with a small group of young adults, led by two young priests in New Zealand. God willing, this pilgrimage will take place on July 13, 2025, and will last for 29 days.

We are preparing for the Franciscan Jubilee Pilgrimage along the Franciscan Way Camino and will attend the Jubilee Youth Week in Rome, Italy.

Initially, we planned to attend the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati on August 3, but it has been rescheduled to September 7, 2025, when he will be canonized alongside Carlo Acutis. Although it was difficult to hear this news, I am grateful for the opportunity to accept it, and God willing, I hope to attend the canonization.

The pilgrimage preparations have already begun in New Zealand, with meetings and training sessions for the pilgrims as we prepare spiritually and physically for this journey to growing deeper in our relationship with God and preparing for Rome (The eternal city).

Reflecting on my discovery of the Man of the Beatitudes, I am thankful for the chance to read "A Man of the Beatitudes," create a series of paintings inspired by the Beatitudes, and prepare for the Franciscan Way Camino.

This experience has been both a blessing and a miracle, and I cannot imagine myself undertaking this journey. It remains a prayerful endeavor, and I thank God for this opportunity.

Learning to be faithful

Please keep the pilgrims in your prayers as we prepare for this pilgrimage.

Overall, learning from this young man is helping me to understand that It is an ongoing journey and an ongoing conversion. It’s about being faithful just like the Blessed Virgin Mary who has been faithful to her Son even at the foot of the cross.

Here is the prayer below:

Heavenly Father, Give me the courage to strive for the highest goals, to flee every temptation to be mediocre. Enable me to aspire to greatness, as Pier Giorgio did, and to open my heart with joy to Your call to holiness. Free me from the fear of failure. I want to be, Lord, firmly and forever united to You. Grant me the graces I ask You through Pier Giorgio’s intercession, by the merits of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Going back to the photo of the saint, at the back of this image quotes Pier Giorgio: “The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ.”

Also, the prayer is so beautiful and enriching that I try to pray it everyday.

Make time to go out and live at least one of the works of mercy.

Verso l’alto

Aim to be a saint.

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[1] Frassati USA, The man of the eight beatitudes (n.d.), retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://frassatiusa.org/man-of-the-beatitudes.

[2] Frassati USA. (n.d.). Pier Giorgio Frassati. Retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://frassatiusa.org/

[3] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part three: Life in Christ; Section one: Man's vocation; Life in the Spirit; Chapter one: The dignity of the human person; Article 2: Our vocation to beatitude (n.d.), retrieved June 6, 2025, from https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P5I.HTM#$1YB.

[4] L. Frassati, A Man of the Beatitudes: Pier Giorgio Frassati (Novalis, Saint Paul University, 2000), 10.

[5] Wyd Krakow, Jesus trusts in you: An extraordinary book on divine mercy: Jezus ufa tobie. Inna książka o Bożym Miłosierdziu (Kraków: Archdiocese of Kraków & Wydawnictwo św. Stanisław BM, 2016).

[6] Alar, C. (2021). Understanding divine mercy. Marian Press, 5

[7] Ibid., 31

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