Giorgio Frassati

Also know as the Man of the Eight Beattitudes, Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901. He was born to a wealthy and politically active family. His mother was the painter Adelaide Ametis. His father was an agnostic, and was also the founder of the liberal newspaper called La Stampa. His father was also Italy's ambassador to Germany and served a term as a senator.

Although Frassati was born into a wealthy family, his father did not waste his money on frivolous things. He was quite a frugal man, spending only on what was needed and not much on what was wanted. Frassati's father gave him very little spending money, and what was given to him, Frassati usually used for the people in need, or donated it to Catholic foundations.

Giorgio Frassati belonged to many organizations. One of which was called the Dominican Third Order. He joined this order in 1922, and chose the name Girolamo. This name was chosen after his hero, Girolamo, the Dominican preacher and reformer of Florence's Renaissance time frame. Pier Giorgio was active in all the organizations in which he joined such as, St. Vincent de Paul Society, and the Catholic Student Federation and the Popular Party.

Pier Giorgio felt very strongly about his religion, and had a powerful connection with God. He felt a desire to be near the Blessed Sacrament. He also loved to pray the rosary, and he prayed it three times a day after becoming a Dominican tertiary. Pier was a very active and athletic man and he did pretty much every sport that could pass the imagination. One of his favorites was skiing. He loved skiing so much and he loved his religion so much, that he attended Mass before he departed into the mountains and when he returned, he paid a visit to the Blessed Sacrament.

In late June 1925, Pier Giorgio was diagnosed with a severe case of poliomyelitis. The doctors who were trying to help him figured out that the reason