“To the heights” with Pier Giorgio Frassati

Maria Montemayor

Monday, July 28, 2025

“...true happiness, young people, does not consist in the pleasures of the world and in earthly things, but in peace of conscience which we can have only if we are pure in heart and in mind.” - Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

Between the ages of 17 and 25, many young people think about getting good grades, graduating, and getting a job. All of these are realistic and practical concerns one must face when finishing the student life and entering the workforce. I remember being concerned about essays, midterms, exams, and life after graduating from university.

Looking back, I appreciate that formative period in my life. I dedicated my time and energy to volunteering in my parish, on campus, and abroad in Peru and the Dominican Republic. I wish that I had appreciated it more back then as well, and understood that serving was good enough, that spiritual well-being and closeness to God are more rewarding than any earthly prize.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who will be canonized with Blessed Carlo Acutis on September 7, also dedicated his time to serving others when he was alive. From the age of 17 until his death at 24, Frassati lived a purposeful, Christ-oriented life of prayer, service, and adventure. He served the sick and those in the slums of Turin, giving food, money, and medicine to those in need. He attended school and every day would receive Communion and pray the Rosary, but in his spare time he would go skiing, snowboarding, hiking, horseback riding, and climbing mountains. During his climbs, he would pray and have faith discussions with his friends. Frassati had many friends; he was a jokester and a natural leader.

Frassati (fourth from right) on a ski trip with his friends.

It's really beautiful how a leisure activity or trip can be an opportunity for spiritual growth. I remember how during a snowboarding/ski trip with my friends, we went back to our lodgings for the evening and prayed the Rosary together. Also, a few years back, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I attended Mass with my parents in the morning, worked from the library during the day, and then went skiing with my brother on that crisp December night. It was my first time skiing again in 10 years (my last “ski” trip, I tried snowboarding), and it was very intimidating going down Grouse Mountain at night. But it was a refreshingly fun activity that capped off a special feast day.

Frassati's life is a reminder that a holy life isn't just solemn, pious, and self-sacrificing. It's also filled with joy as we seek God in all things: in serving the poor, in the simple recitation of the Rosary, in the adrenaline rush skiing down a slope, in the awe-inspiring views from the top of a cliff, in the freedom of riding on the back of a horse during a sunny day. Frassati invites us to go with him Verso L’Alto (“To the heights”) and see God in the beauty and splendor of nature, in the presence of our friends, and in humble service to our neighbours.

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!