“Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear” – Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Aug. 23 was one of those perfect mornings – cool and sunny, evoking absolute serenity as young adults gathered for the Frassati Summer Event at Berks Leisure Area in Wyomissing. The familiar sounds of nature filled the air, as Father Van-Vien (JV) Nguyen, Assistant Pastor of St. Catharine of Siena, Reading, set up for 9 a.m. Mass.
After Mass, participants were able to spend time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, go on a hike, participate in service, listen to reflections, and enjoy lunch together.
On Sunday, Sept. 7, Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati was canonized a saint. The Commission of Young Adults were compelled to get to know their Heavenly brother before this momentous occasion. And what better way than engaging in two of his most favorite things: time in the outdoors and helping the less fortunate.
“Verso L’Alto” (to the heights), the words that have been immortalized as Bless Pier’s rallying cry, are the words he penned before his death, reminding us that we must ascend closer to Christ; we must go to the heights of holiness, and that the Catholic life is one of adventure with Jesus. Thus, the Aug. 23 event laid down the gauntlet – it is time for us to go to the heights.
The day was spearheaded by Susan Cook, 27-year-old parishioner of Sacred Heart, Palmerton.
“There was a lot of laughter and genuine natural connections made, and I think hosting this event outdoors and getting active – not only physically, but in our prayer lives – will help us reach higher to Heaven,” said Cook, excited to continue planning events in honor of Saint Frassati.
The day overflowed with the joy and earnest devotion to follow Christ that Saint Frassati embodied; attendees left renewed in Faith and inspired to be the saints Christ calls them to be.
Elizabeth Ulicny of Macungie said she hopes to emulate “The boldness of his charity.”
Merrick Elaisance of St. Catharine of Siena Parish, Reading, noted that Saint Frassati’s “aspiration to always go to the heights in every way, both spiritually and physically” is an attribute he hopes to augment in his own life.
“This event was truly enlightening,” said Corey Tokash of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Parish.
The love and joy of Saint Frassati is absolutely contagious. It is no wonder that St. Pope John Paul II called him a “man of the Eight Beatitudes.” He knew the beauty of love and let interior joy of a life lived for Christ radiate through him.
As John Pellosie, another Commission member, shared in his reflection, “Frassati is both relatable and strange.” Relatable in his love for life, spending time with his friends, but strange in the best way – “standing out because of his immense devotion to his faith and the way that it motivated all of his actions.”
As Saint Frassati reminds us, “Modern society is drowning in the sorrows of human passions, and it is distancing itself from every ideal of love and peace. Catholics, you must bring the breath of goodness that can only spring from faith in Christ.”
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us!
Article by Ann Burns. Photos by Norm Steinruck.
