The Cool Guy Saint: Pier Giorgio Frassati

He climbed, laughed, and served with joy. Pier Giorgio Frassati lived faith as a cool guy who turned ordinary days into love for God and others.

Carlo Acutis is called the cool techie saint. Pier Giorgio Frassati is the cool guy saint. Carlo’s story went viral, but Pier’s life is just as alive—a spark of youth that still speaks today.

The Mountaineer

Born in 1901 in Turin, Italy, Pier loved the outdoors. He hiked, skied, and climbed mountains. In old photos, he smiles with ropes on his shoulder. His motto was “Verso l’alto”—toward the heights. For him, every climb was more than sport. It was a way to rise closer to God.

The Barkada (a group of friends)

Pier had a barkada they called the “Tipi Loschi”—the Shady Ones. It was their crew, full of laughter and shared adventures. Pier gave the group its fire: leading them not only to joy, but also to faith and service.

Joyful and Approachable

People remembered him as cheerful and warm, never stiff or distant. He showed that following Christ can be done with joy, with a smile, with an open heart. Holiness didn’t mean being boring—it meant being alive.

Humble in Service

Though born to a wealthy family, Pier chose the simple road. He rode trams, walked long streets, and gave away his allowance to buy food and medicine for the poor. When he died of polio in 1925 at age 24, thousands of the poor came to his funeral. Only then did his family see how far his hidden love had reached.

Pier was not a priest. He lived as a layman, an engineering student, a mountaineer, a friend. His sainthood was built not on titles, but on the way he lived his days—full of faith, joy, and love.

Carlo built websites and wore sneakers. Pier climbed mountains and lifted the poor. Two different paths, one same fire.

On September 7, 2025, they were canonized together by Pope Leo XIV.

𝚃𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎 • 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗆.𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗂𝖼.𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗀

Saints • Darem Placer

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Peacemakers are true children of God. By living His Word as it is, we spread peace everywhere.

Being Instruments of Peace

Let us try to put into practice the words of Jesus, exactly as they are, without minimizing them or changing them to suit our comfort level. Only in this way will we too come to understand and appreciate the divine beauty and truth of the Word. (…) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt 5:9) Let us bring peace everywhere.

Chiara Lubich
Word of Life • November 1991

𝚃𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎 • 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝖾𝗆.𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗂𝖼.𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗀