Ss. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

by Fr. Don Kline, V.F.  |  09/07/2025  |  Letter from the Pastor

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church celebrates 2 important canonizations in the universal Church. On September 7th, Pope Leo XIV will canonize two Italians, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, who both died young … but not without making their marks in the church and throughout the world.

Soon-to-be-Saint Pier Giorgio Frassatti was born into a wealthy family in Turin, Italy. His parents, however, had a difficult marriage and were only culturally Catholic. He was known as a joyful, adventurous young man and is referred to as the “Man of the Beatitudes.” He loved taking trips to the mountains for hiking and mountain climbing. He was a gregarious and friendly young man who had a great attraction to the Holy Eucharist and helping the poor.

Pier Giorgio became a third-order Dominican and would make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament. Sometimes he would get his friends to come with him to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by betting them in a game of pool. If Pier Giorgio won, they would have to come with him to the Blessed Sacrament chapel. He rarely lost, as the angels guided his hands!

Pier Giorgio was a practical jokester and an accomplished athlete. Although he loved to ski and climb mountains, he chose to be a mining engineer, as the poor were there. His love for the poor was unmatched. He would make rounds to neighborhoods in Turin, visiting the sick and the needy, helping them in any way that he could. He eventually contracted polio from one of the sick people he visited and died on July 4th, 1925. Much to the surprise of his family, who did not know how extensively he visited the poor and sick, over 20,000 people lined the streets for his Funeral Mass and procession to is place of burial.

Soon-to-be-Saint Carlo Acutis was born in 1991. Even at a young age he had a great love and devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist. He was also quite talented with computers. He used his talent with computers to document all the Eucharistic miracles that have occurred throughout the 2,000-year history of the Church. In fact, the website is still maintained quite well and is available in multiple languages at this link: https://www.miracolieucaristici.org/en/Liste/list.html

Carlo was also known for his charity to others, his heroic virtue as a teenager, and his immense devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist. He would limit himself to one hour of video games a week, something quite heroic for a teenage boy! He often stated that, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” He would make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament, was a catechist for first communicants, and attended daily Mass when possible.

Both young Italians are great examples of charity toward God and neighbor, particularly for the young. They both had Eucharistic hearts who sought to spend themselves for love of Jesus because they saw Him in the poor and downcast. Let us ask them for special graces for the Church in the coming days, especially praying for the young on September 7th. May we have Eucharistic hearts like Pier Giorgio Frassatti and Carlo Acutis, hearts willing to spend themselves for love of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

God Bless,

Fr. Don Kline