The Pilgrimage Posts: Fun in Florence

Someday I will have to be sure and thank Pier Giorgio for choosing to admire holy men and women who happen to be from such great Italian cities! His interest in Girolamo Savonarola would take us to beautiful Florence for what would be a rather fun part of our journey.

On the way, we encountered a major hailstorm with spectacular lightning. The driving conditions were so bad that a car had gone off the road and traffic was backed up quite a bit. But one of our daily gifts on this trip was how the weather would be perfect by the time we arrived at our destination. Florence was no different. We reached our hotel in the early evening and a group of us headed out for a walk along the river to the famous Ponte Vecchio. It was a such a full and somewhat surreal day – starting out in Rome, spending the bulk of it in Siena, and ending the night with pizza in Florence.

We were off to an early start the next morning with our Florentine guide Cristina. The church of San Marco was closed for restorations (a common situation when traveling in Italy) but the museum/convent next door was open. This was really our main destination in Florence. Not only is it the home to the many great works of art done by Fra Angelico, but upstairs you can visit 44 cells of the Dominican community from the days of Savonarola. He was the head of the community and was quite a controversial figure at the time. We were able to see the cells he occupied, his mortification belt, his cape, his preaching standard, his rosary, a piece of the wood from where he was burned and so on. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Savonarola and did a wonderful job discussing the controversy, the role he played in Florence politics and the effect of his execution. After getting to know Savonarola a little better firsthand, it is all the more fascinating to think about Pier Giorgio having such a devotion to this somewhat radical friar that he even took his name upon becoming a lay Dominican.

Our tour of Florence took us also to the main cathedral in Florence (the basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore), the Gates of Paradise and the Piazza della Signoria where Savonarola was executed. We celebrated Mass in the Franciscan basilica of Santa Croce – the location of the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo and a beautiful sarcophagus dedicated to one of Pier Giorgio’s favorite Italian poets Dante Alghieri. We prayed day four of our group novena outside of Santa Croce and then had time to explore a little more of Florence without our guide. Some went to see the original statue of David by Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Some took time to shop. I tagged along with the youngest member of our group to climb to the top of the Duomo cupola and enjoy a spectactular view of Florence.

Pier Giorgio made his presence known that evening when we regrouped for dinner at a place not far from our hotel. At the end of our meal, the server brought us a complimentary bottle of limoncello – my favorite Italian drink after cappuccino! In true Tipi Loschi fashion, we each took a photo wearing a paper hat made from our placemats. It was a good round of spontaneous silliness and fun that Pier Giorgio would have approved of. One of the attractive qualities of Pier Giorgio’s spirituality is that he could appreciate the art of Michelangelo, the poetry of Dante, the charism of a fiery Renaissance preacher such as Savonarola, and the joy of friendship. We managed to do the same in our visit to Florence. Off to Bologna tomorrow. Verso l’alto!

The Pilgrimage Posts: Saint Catherine's Siena

Rome is a spectacular city and it is always hard for me to leave there. I think Pier Giorgio must have liked Rome, too. He once had a friend from Vienna named Maria Fischer who visited the piazza of St. Peter’s but did not like it. He teased her about this and never let her forget it!

The day we left Rome was Monday, June 29^th, the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. These great saints, in addition to being important to Pier Giorgio, are also the patron saints of the city of Rome. In honor of their feast day, nearly everything in Rome is closed on June 29^th. However, it was also the day for the new cardinals to receive the pallium from the Holy Father, so there was a lot of religious activity. The pope gave a special Angelus address that day.

In the morning, we had another short visit from Wanda Gawronska who surprised us by showing up at our hotel during breakfast. Our driver for the rest of our journey met us with our bus. His name was Rosario. It was comforting to have a busdriver whose name means rosary! We headed off to Siena – home of St. Catherine.

It was fitting that we would begin our journey to Pier Giorgio’s home in northern Italy on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. During the last week of his life, it was this same day that he began his journey to his eternal homeland and began showing the early signs of the polio that would ravage his strong body. According to his sister’s beautiful book, My Brother Pier Giorgio: His Last Days, he was still in good spirits on that day and joked with the family maid to bring him two cigars: “One for St. Peter and one for St. Paul; it’s a double feast today!”

We arrived in Siena a little behind schedule but were still able to say Mass in the chapel in the basilica of San Domenico. This chapel is a special place because it is located directly behind the head of St. Catherine. I know it is hard to believe that there was a time when it seemed appropriate to separate the relics of saints but, nonetheless, it is a part of our church history. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the body of St. Catherine is in Rome at the basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Her incorrupt head, however, is on display in Siena at the church of San Domenico. The sacristan who helped us prepare for Mass in the chapel there explained that three separate keys are required to open up the reliquary and remove her head.

(As an aside, bathrooms in Italy are always an adventure and Siena was no exception. We had to pay 50 centesimi to use the “WC.” You enter the ladies room through a turnstile after depositing your coin!)

After Mass, we went to visit the home of St. Catherine and were able to see the place where she slept, the family’s former kitchen and other places of interest. We were also able to visit the chapel where the Crucifix is the very one that St. Catherine was praying in front of when she first received the stigmata. This did not take place in Siena but the Crucifix is there now.

Siena is a lovely town to visit. We came here because of Pier Giorgio’s great devotion to St. Catherine. He was reading her book, The Dialogues, during the last week of his life and found great consolation in it. In fact, on June 30^th, 1925, four days before his death, he visited a friend and read a page from St. Catherine’s account of a meeting she had with Christ. Pier Giorgio exclaimed how fortunate St. Catherine was to see Jesus while she was alive and said that he envied her. As it turned out, it wouldn’t be very long after making that comment that he would be seeing Jesus.

An unexpected bonus for our trip to Siena was that we happened to arrive just days before the running of the famous horserace – “Il Palio.” In Siena, each person is born into one of 17 regions and has a lifetime affiliation with that region. Flags from each region fly all over the town and depict the mascot for the region. Near St. Catherine’s home, the banners of her region, Oca, proudly bear the symbol of a goose. Prior to the Palio, each region’s horse is brought into church to be blessed. As our luck would have it, when we came out of the gift shop next to St. Catherine’s house, a large crowd was in the courtyard. They were wearing the bandana of the Oca clan. The horse they would enter in the race was being led in a circle and cheered for. How fun to see St. Catherine’s team horse!

One of the most famous piazzas in all of Italy is located in Siena – the Piazza del Campo. Among other things, it is noted for its unique shape. On the day we spent in Sienna, the Piazza was prepared for the horse race and the atmosphere was extra festive. We had a nice Italian lunch while watching more of the preparations being made. It was strange to be walking on top of horseprints in the Piazza!

The only time we had a bit of bad weather was toward the end of our visit in Siena. It started to rain as we were walking back toward the church of San Domenico. Several of us were caught under the eaves of a building and had to make a dash through the rain to get back to the bus. It was fun getting slightly soaked in Siena! Pier Giorgio would have loved it! We left after a great day and headed to Florence where we would continue our wonderful journey in Pier Giorgio’s footsteps. Until tomorrow…Verso l’alto!

The Pilgrimage Posts: Rome Sweet Rome

Anyone who has ever visited Rome knows that it is impossible to see the sights in just two days – especially when one of the days is the major jetlag day! But I am proud to say that the brave band of pilgrims on the first ever FrassatiUSA Pilgrimage made the most of every minute! I have tried to include as many links as possible so that you can take a virtual trip with us.

Our journey in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio began appropriately at the basilica dedicated to his favorite saint – St. Paul. We arrived at St. Paul Outside the Walls on June 27th – just before the closing of the Jubilee Year in honor of the birth of St. Paul. Before getting off the bus, we began our group novena in honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio to seek his intercession and protection for our trip. Inside the basilica, we had our first Mass together as a group in the chapel of St. Lawrence. The basilica was already being prepared for a special visit by Pope Benedict and so we were unable to get near the area of the most recent excavation of the tomb of St. Paul. However, we were able to visit the chapel of the Crucifix. The crucifix is considered miraculous because St. Bridget reported that the face of Christ turned and spoke to her while she was praying at the feet of this Crucifix in 1370. (One of our pilgrims was named Bridget and she shares a birth date with Pier Giorgio, so it was extra meaningful to visit that chapel.)

(A little interesting aside about St. Bridget: When the miraculous Crucifix spoke to her, she was given words of encouragement about founding a religious community. Later, she would found the Order of the Holy Saviour – known as the Brigittines. One community of Brigittine monks is located in Oregon and recently elected a new prior, the Reverend Brother Bernard Ner Suguitan, O.Ss.S. He will be installed on July 23rd, the feast of St. Bridget. He is a native of the Philippines and a big fan of Pier Giorgio! Before entering religious life, he founded the Friends of Frassati Philippines.)

But back to Rome… after visiting St. Paul’s, we took a quick trip through Rome to our hotel near the Vatican, settled in and then met for lunch. The rest of the day was a marathon walk to many of the famous places in Rome that would not be a part of our guided tour but are often considered “must sees” when you visit. These included one of my favorite churches in Rome – the Holy Spirit Church along Borgo Santo Spirito. (By the way, the priest/postulator in charge of Pier Giorgio’s canonization cause resides across the street from this church.) The Holy Spirit Church is dedicated to the Divine Mercy and is maintained by nuns from the order of St. Faustina. We entered just as the daily recitation of the chaplet and rosary was coming to an end.

From there, we headed to Santa Lucia in Gonfalone and the Chiesa Nuova. Unfortunately, we timed it just wrong and both were closed. We spent a little bit of time at the Piazza Navona and made it to the Pantheon just minutes before it was closing. In Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, we were able to pray at the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. (St. Catherine and one of our pilgrims -- Debbie -- share a birth date.) Most of her body is contained in a stone sarcophagus near the altar. We would not see the rest of her until reaching Siena. The tomb of Blessed Fra Angelico (with whom, by the way, I share a birth date) is also in this basilica. We would be able to admire his works later in Florence.

Despite the heat and fatigue, we walked on and reached the jam-packed Trevi Fountain and then the Spanish steps. Trivia: the first McDonald’s in Italy is located on the street just to the right of the bottom of the Spanish steps. Thankfully, we were able to use the bathrooms there! Our streak of hitting places that were closed continued when we finally made it to the Casa del Rosario – a place I recommend for souvenir shopping. Saturday is the only day it closes super early. Make a note of it! It is right across from Santa Maria Maggiore. By this point, everyone was ready to call it a day. We were not far from Rome’s major train/bus station Termini, so we took advantage of the public transportation and headed back to our hotel.

Rome is overwhelming. There are so many breathtaking sights and beautiful churches. There is also the historical aspect represented by ancient Rome. This would be the focus for our second and last day there on Sunday, July 28th. We started the day with Mass in St. Peter’s at the Clementine Chapel. It was a privilege to have Mass in this place because it is the closest location to the remains of St. Peter (who, of course, is one of Pier Giorgio’s namesakes.) We also were able to visit the tomb of the great Pope John Paul II while we were down in the grotto area.

Our guide for the day met us after Mass and we set off for the Basilica of St. John Lateran with a quick stop afterward at the church of the Holy Stairs . We enjoyed the cool of the catacombs of Domitilla and then returned to the Piazza of St. Peter’s to see our friend Pope Benedict recite the Sunday Angelus. He was glad to see us, wished us a pleasant stay in Rome and a Blessed Sunday!

After lunch on the Borgo Pio, we headed off to Santa Maria Maggiore to complete our visits to the four major basilicas. Finally, our guide brought us to the Flavian Amphitheatre, a.k.a.The Coliseum and we spent a good bit of time inside contemplating the complexity and greatness of ancient Rome. Well, okay, I guess we were mainly taking pictures and video -- but trust me, no matter what you do in there, you cannot help contemplating the complexity and greatness of ancient Rome!

With only one evening left in Rome, we were not about to call it quits. We had dinner scheduled that evening at a great little pizza place in Trastevere. Our special guest was Wanda Gawronska – a niece of Blessed Pier Giorgio. On the way there, we stopped in at the basilica of St. Cecilia. Time was on our side and, thanks to a wedding there, we were able to get inside and admire the beautiful (and one of my all-time favorites!) sculpture of St. Cecilia. We were just enough ahead of schedule to have time to visit yet another spectacular basilica– Santa Maria in Trastevere. This is the seat of the Community of Sant' Egidio. Every night, they have beautiful vesper services. On Sunday evenings, they celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. (I happen to be an eastern rite Byzantine Catholic, so this is always a special experience for me.) Just as we walked inside the basilica, the procession with the gospel book and the incense passed right by us to the sound of the beautiful chanting.

At the pizzeria, we found an air-conditioned room and were joined shortly afterward by Wanda. After dinner, she generously invited us to her home for ice cream and a brief visit on her terrace. What more can I say? The sky was awesome; the view was spectacular; we were having gelati in Rome at the home of a relative of Pier Giorgio. To make it even more special, we prayed day two of our group novena together up there on the terrace. All good things must come to an end and so we made our way back to the hotel via the tram and a city bus. While heading for the bus, we got an up-close look at the giant cats of Rome that live in the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. Creeeeeeepy!

I think we can all agree that we made the most of our time in Rome. It was a wonderful mix of fun, fellowship, faith, food and Frassati. I feel tired and excited just writing about it! The days to follow would be just as full and even more meaningful. Verso l'alto!

Almost Heaven

It has been almost two weeks now since I have returned to the U.S. after spending some incredibly blessed time on the FrassatiUSA pilgrimage. And still it is difficult to capture that experience in words. The only two that seem adequate for now are the title for this post.

Having never led a pilgrimage group before, I really did not know what to expect from the experience. We were strangers coming from different places: Texas, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Tennessee, Kentucky, Canada, Philadelphia and New Jersey. We met for the first time in Rome's Fiumicino airport. The only thing we had in common was that Pier Giorgio had somehow called us to make this journey together. And what a journey! Every single day there was a sign that seemed to say Pier Giorgio was with us. He prepared wonderful surprises all along the way and I never ceased being amazed at God's goodness.

When I finally made it back to Nashville, after some long airport delays, I found myself physically and mentally exhausted and spiritually full. It has taken awhile to balance out a bit and begin to process the graces from the pilgrimage. I hope to share some of those with you in the coming days and hope you will check back for future posts and pictures. Verso l'alto!

Celebrating Pier Giorgio's Feast Day in Pollone!

It is 5 a.m. here at the Frassati family villa in Pollone on the fourth of July. Our group of pilgrims will be waking up soon and we will start the day with an early morning Mass before heading up to Oropa. There, we will climb to the top of Mount Mucrone and celebrate in true Pier Giorgio style his fourth of July feast day!

We have had an amazing journey and have felt his presence with us the entire way. So many wonderful experiences! We have put the miles on our bus and our legs. On Sunday, we were in Rome; on Monday, we were in Siena; on Tuesday, we were in Florence; on Wednesday, we were in Bologna; on Thursday, we were in Torino; on Friday, we were in Pollone. Today, we are off to Oropa! Seven towns in seven days!

We have celebrated Mass at St. Paul Outside the Wall's, St. Peter's Basilica, San Domenico in Siena, Santa Croce in Florence, San Domenico in Bologna, at the tomb of Pier Giorgio in Turin, and in Pier Giorgio's bedroom in Pollone. We have had some wonderful guided tours and some delicious Italian food. We have gotten to know each other through our travels and our prayer. Each day, we have prayed the novena to Pier Giorgio in a special place as well.

Upon our arrival in Pollone yesterday, we were shown an article in a local Italian paper talking about our trip. The article also mentions the arrival of a group of young French people who will be here this evening for the special Mass in Pier Giorgio's parish church. How exciting to be at this international celebration of Pier Giorgio's feast day!

With no rain in the morning forecast, we should be able to climb Mount Mucrone today and cap off a stupendous journey in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio. All along the way, I have been carrying your prayers with me. God-willing, today I will be able to take them literally to the top!

Blessed Pier Giorgio...pray for us! Happy Feast Day!

Howdy Pilgrims!

The Americans have landed in Rome and the first ever FrassatiUSA Pilgrimage in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio is underway! We began with a private Mass in the chapel of San Lorenzo at the beautiful Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The Pope will be there tomorrow evening for special vespers to close the jubilee year of St. Paul.

A bunch of us went on a major walking tour this afternoon hitting spots like the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the Pantheon, etc. We also wandered into the first McDonald's in all of Italy. Tomorrow will we say hello to the Pope and all of ancient Rome and then have pizza with Pier Giorgio's niece Wanda Gawonska.

Praying for your intentions as we began the novena today together. Hope you will join us in spirit. Vers l'alto!

Pier Giorgio on EWTN and more

A great opportunity to learn more about Pier Giorgio is coming next week on EWTN. The mini-series "Sanctity Within Reach: Pier Giorgio Frassati" will air on three consecutive days: Thursday, July 2nd, Friday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 4th at 6 o'clock p.m. EST. Wanda Gawronska, a niece of Pier Giorgio, is the featured guest and provides firsthand information about her uncle. This is a wonderful prelude to Pier Giorgio's feast day which takes place on the Fourth of July. Spread the word and tune in!

Last night in Rome, Wanda and I had a nice time speaking to a small group of seminarians from the U.S. and Canada. Afterward, we attended vespers with them. It is always special to hear men's voices lifted up in prayer and song.

Tomorrow morning, the group of pilgrims will arrive in Rome and we will begin our trek through northern Italy in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio. A little rain may welcome them but a rainy day in Rome is better than a sunny day nearly any place else!

On a totally unrelated note, two entertainment icons passed away in the U.S. recently. Both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson achieved enormous celebrity status in their own way. Their early deaths are sad on many levels. Reading about them here in Italy, a beautiful reflection of Pier Giorgio comes to mind. In one of his letters that I have read over and over and over, he wrote the following about death when he was just 22 years old:

"I have sometimes been ambitious. And for what? Just for death, this great mystery, the only just one which spares no one, which will dissolve this body of mine and in a short time will turn it into dust. But beyond the material body there is the soul to which we must dedicate all our energy, so that it can present itself before the Supreme Tribunal without fault or at least with little faults, so that after having served some years in purgatory it will be able to go up to Eternal peace. But how does one prepare oneself for the great Transition and when? Since one does not know when Death will come to take him away, it is very prudent to prepare oneself every day as if one is going to die that same day; and so from now on I will try to make every day a little preparation for death, so that I shouldn’t find myself unprepared at the point of death and have to regret the beautiful years of youth, wasted from the spiritual side."

Pier Giorgio challenges us to live and not just exist. Read John 10:10 today and strive for life in abundance. Verso l'alto!

"To the Bottom"

Since my arrival in Pollone, the days have been very full and quite memorable leaving me very little time to post updates. I will try to catch up a bit with this one.

On Sunday morning, we left in a caravan from the Frassati home to head to Val d’Aosta – an area of Italy along the Swiss and French borders. My priest friend from Nashville arrived in a terrible rainstorm the night before from Rome but was treated to wonderful weather for his first excursion to northern Italy. The group included two nieces and one nephew of Pier Giorgio, a great-nephew and his wife, a great-niece, a group of third order Dominicans from Slovakia, a couple of women from Poland, Father Baker and myself. The scenery became more and more breathtaking the closer we got to Val d’Aosta. Rushing waterfalls, beautiful snow-capped mountains, fresh air. Once we all parked, some of us set off on foot to take the shorter hike to the point up in the mountains where Mass would be offered at 11 a.m. What a hike! Major quadricep burn! Good thing I was only doing the short hike!

The Mass was simply stupendous (a word Pier Giorgio often used!) Two bishops and at least four or five other priests concelebrated at an altar set up in a little clearing. There were hundreds of people there, a few in mountain costume. I wish I had time to post pictures but those will have to come later. One of the high points of the Mass for me was listening to the “Gloria” being sung from atop a mountain, so close to heaven! The bishop who gave the homily spoke a lot about Pier Giorgio. It was so great to listen to them talking about his example for each of us on our path to holiness.

The reason for this event was to inaugurate a brand new “Sentiero Frassati” – a mountain trail named for Pier Giorgio. It is the 15th one in Italy. At a certain moment in the Mass, representatives from all 15 regions that have such trails poured water from their region into a common bowl. The water would later be used to bless the start of this trail. Two more trails will be inaugurated soon and so water from those regions also was included. Immediately after Mass, the clergy headed just a bit higher up into the mountain for the unveiling of the plaque dedicating the trail. It was all very exciting. Afterward, we headed back down to the nearest town to a huge tent where a terrific Italian feast had been prepared -- local meats and cheeses and the northern specialty, polenta concia. Wine, of course, wonderful people and conversation. We had a terrific time from start to finish.

Afterward, Father Baker, Wanda and I headed for Turin to visit all of the main Pier Giorgio places. We spent the rest of the afternoon going from his tomb to the church where he professed his third order vows to the house where he died, etc. We got back to Pollone exhausted but exhilarated!

The next morning, I took Father Baker for a walk around Pollone to all of the local Pier Giorgio places. Then, we drove to the Sanctuary of Oropa to pray near Pier Giorgio’s beloved Madonna of Oropa. It was another beautiful day at the base of the mountains. In the evening, Father Baker said Mass in English at the altar next to the bed where Pier Giorgio died. It was very special to have that opportunity, as you can imagine, surrounded by so many relatives of Pier Giorgio in the house where he once lived!

Tomorrow, I will head down to Rome and make final preparations for the group of pilgrims coming from the U.S. and Canada to travel with me in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio from Rome all the way back here to Pollone. I am very excited about their arrival!

A final note for my friends who know how much I love cappuccino in Italy -- I am savoring every drop of it. “To the top” is our motto on our path to holiness following Pier Giorgio’s example; but, when drinking cappuccino in Italy, my motto is definitely “to the bottom!”

Passing Time in Pollone

My first day back in Pollone brought a flood of memories and emotions, as well as some new experiences. Driving up Via Pier Giorgio Frassati and arriving at the front gates of the villa just seems to trigger a sense of pure joy. It is hard to explain but my soul feels so much at home here and perfectly at peace.

This visit is a little bittersweet because it is my first time back here since attending the funeral of Pier Giorgio’s sister Luciana. Her spirit really filled this house during all of my previous visits. I loved hearing her voice as she came down the main staircase and sitting beside her outside on the veranda. A few days before her death, I prayed the “Our Father” with her in her room. I sorely miss her presence here. But time marches on and there is a new generation of Frassatis visiting here -- the newest great-grandchildren of Luciana – 10-month-old twin boys.

Another presence in the house, of course, is the spirit of Pier Giorgio. When I am here, I feel like he is walking with me always in a very real way. I never take for granted that this is where he spent so much time. I love to pray in his rooms but I also enjoy just walking around inside and outside knowing that everywhere I go he has been. The flower gardens are magnificent this time of year. He would write about them occasionally in his letters. The view of the mountains from his bedroom window is spectacular. No wonder he struggled so much to focus on his studies here while the mountains were beckoning.

Pollone is a very small place; I guess we would call it a village. It takes no time at all to walk to the parish church or down to the cemetery. The church bells mark the time throughout the day. It makes me think even more about heaven and what it must be like. This is surely a bit of bad theology but I hope purgatory is like being in Pollone and looking up at the mountains. That is, you feel so close to heaven that you can almost taste it but, at the same time, you ache to be on the higher ground. You know there is a greater joy beyond your reach and are unable to cross the void. I know there are more terrifying descriptions of purgatory by the saints but I hope it will be like this. One day, I will find out.

Yesterday afternoon, I also had the great pleasure of attending Mass in Oropa at the church Pier Giorgio loved so much and often left early in the morning to visit. There, I was able to pray at the feet of his beloved Brown Madonna. Afterward, I attended a special event commemorating the inauguration of a new trail named for Pier Giorgio. The dedication of the trail will take place tomorrow in Val d’Aosta and is one of the reasons I have come this week to Pollone. It was inspiring to listen to others speak about Pier Giorgio with such love and passion.

Tonight, we are expecting a very special guest here at the villa – Fr. John Sims Baker. Fr. Baker is the priest who first introduced me to Pier Giorgio in 1995 not long after I arrived in Nashville to attend law school at Vanderbilt. The expression that God writes straight with crooked lines could not be truer when it comes to Fr. Baker, me and Pier Giorgio. Over the years, we have both become more active in promoting the spirituality of Pier Giorgio. Ironically, Fr. Baker is now the university chaplain at Vanderbilt and has named the Catholic community there the “Community of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.” He serves on the board of FrassatiUSA and is our spiritual adviser. When Wanda Gawronska came to Nashville earlier this month, Fr. Baker was away in Rome. A party to welcome her was at his residence, the Frassati House, while he was in the city where she lives! Just recently, they were able to meet in Rome and Wanda invited him to come to Pollone when I am here. He arrives tonight and our Pier Giorgio journey that began in 1995 will have come full circle. What a blessing! Tomorrow, we will all go together to Val d’Aosta for the dedication of the new Sentiero Frassati. I am excited to have the opportunity to show Fr. Baker around Pollone, Oropa and Torino. The ways of God are so mysterious and so good.

Well, some of the gentle rain common in this region is now falling here and it is a very restful day – allowing me the time and energy for such a long blog entry. Off to church soon where I will continue to pray for all of your intentions. Verso l’alto!

On the Road Again

Time again for another Italian adventure. Tomorrow, I leave for Pollone -- my first trip back to the Frassati home since the funeral of Pier Giorgio's sister Luciana in October 2007. So much has happened since then. Pier Giorgio's body has traveled to Sydney, Australia, for World Youth Day. His niece Wanda Gawronska traveled to Canada and to the U.S. for special television appearances. Wanda and I recorded a three-part mini-series for EWTN that is tentatively scheduled to air on July 2, 3, and 4. The first ever FrassatiUSA pilgrimage in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio will take place June 27th to July 5th. And the book of Pier Giorgio's letters will be published for the first time ever in English later this month! It is amazing to look back on all that has happened since FrassatiUSA began just three years ago and wonder what the future will hold. At the same time, this is a critical financial moment for the organization. Like so many other charitable organizations, the funding has been hard to come by during these stressful economic times. If you are able to make a donation, there couldn't be a better time than now.

Every time I head to Italy, I take all of your intentions with me. It's a great privilege and blessing to pray at the foot of Pier Giorgio's bed, near his tomb in Turin, in Oropa at his favorite shrine, and so on. This trip will be extra special because I will be at the family home on Pier Giorgio's feast day -- July 4th. That day, our pilgrimage group plans to climb to the top of Mount Mucrone where Pier Giorgio often prayed. We will literally be going verso l'alto! I hope you will join us in spirit and pray the novena to Pier Giorgio on the days leading up to his feast day. All of the prayers are on the website.

I will do my best to write a little from the other side of the ocean. Blessed Pier Giorgio...pray for us!

More Favors Received

These are recently received reports of favors granted -- both small and large. Of course, no favor is ever really small for the one who receives it!

"I borrowed a relic from Italy of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and I have brought the relic to General Hospital in Toronto, CANADA. Emily, a 20 year old, has had a double lung transplant, her second. Doctors are saying that it is Miraculous . Her recovery at this time is MIRACULOUS. The entire hospital is talking about her surgery. Her surgery has been the most difficult in the entire year. Some doctor's believed she would die. I am returning and praying for a speedy recovery. I will invoke Blessed Pier Giorgio. God bless, Josie "


"Hi, I would like to share a favor received from Pier Giorgio, it was very important to me. After failing my driving test many times, 6 to be exact (in two years), I prayed the Prayer for Courage to Pier Giorgio and to the Holy Spirit. Every time I went to the driving test the panic and fear invaded me, I failed since the start every time. I have hyperhydrosis, and every time my hands just stared to sweat without any control. I was very frustrated. I heard about Pier Giorgio on EWTN one morning, and I looked on the Internet about him and found the Prayer for Courage. I went to the test today with my mother-in-law--she prayed for me too, and I passed. My hands didn't sweat a drop, and I felt security, self-control and an unbelievable peace during the test. I know this is only a little favor, but for me it means a lot. As a way to thank Pier Giorgio and the Holy Spirit, I wanted to share it with you. I'm very, very, very grateful."


"BIG OR SMALL! I COMPLETED MY NOVENA TO 'BLESSED PIER GIORGIO' ASKING FOR HIS HELP.........ALONG WITH 'ST. JOSEPH........!' IN SELLING MY HOUSE! THE NOVENA ENDED ON MAY 17,2009 A SUNDAY WHEN THERE WAS AN 'OPEN HOUSE FOR MY place.' BY THE END OF THAT WEEK I HAD A SOLID OFFER AND NOW JUNE 4 ,2009 I AM IN 'CONTRACT TO SELL!' DENNIS DE MARCO"

My blogging has come to a near screeching halt but not for lack of things to write about. On the contrary, so many amazing and wonderful things have been happening and I have just not had the time to put them into words.

The past week and a half was an absolute blessing with Pier Giorgio's niece, Wanda Gawronska, coming to the U.S. for a special visit. We enjoyed so many special moments together, including visits to the Dominican Motherhouse in Nashville, a meeting with Mother Angelica's Poor Clares in Hanceville, Alabama, and dinner with the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word in Birmingham.

On the night of our appearance on "EWTN Live," we were so happy to meet some of you who came from many places to be in the audience: Jerry from Toledo, Ohio, who recently started a Frassati Society that focuses on Eucharistic Adoration; Tiffiny and Bonnie from the New York Frassati Fellowship who were on fire for Pier Giorgio; Carlos, George and Arlene who came all the way from California; a foursome from Mobile, Alabama, whose names I can't remember at this second (sorry!); John from Boston, and so many others. It was such a joy to talk to everyone and see how Pier Giorgio is working all around the country. After the show, there were so many calls and emails from people who were introduced to Pier Giorgio for the very first time...from Alaska to Dubai!

On a personal level, a special gift for me throughout Wanda's visit was being able to pray the novena to Pier Giorgio together and to introduce her to many of my friends. I am so grateful that she made the trip and I am certain it will bear much spiritual fruit in the U.S. Verso l'alto!

Pier Giorgio featured on EWTN Live

Be sure to tune in to "EWTN Live" on Wednesday, June 3rd! Pier Giorgio's niece, Wanda Gawronska, will be interviewed by Fr. Mitch Pacwa. Wanda has been in the U.S. since Wednesday, May 27th, and has been sharing about Pier Giorgio to various groups in Nashville, Hanceville, and Birmingham. She will return to Rome on Friday but not before telling Pier Giorgio's story to EWTN viewers around the world! Click here to watch the live show with video streaming.

Nineteen Years Ago...

It was May 20, 1990, that Pope John Paul II beatified Pier Giorgio Frassati. If you haven't read it recently, this would be a good day to reflect on the homily from that special day. Click here.

And thanks to Kristen for sharing how Pier Giorgio has been working in her life:

"Hi! I have received some great favors through the intercession of Pier Giorgio! I first found out about Pier Giorgio while on a vocation retreat with the Sisters of Mary in Ann Arbor. I have prayed his Litany and some of the other prayers on this site almost every night for over three months, asking for God's will for my life. My own specific desire was to find a job in the greater Seattle area, so that I could be near family and friends, as well as near a specific, very special Dominican parish where there are many amazing opportunities to serve God's people. But ending up where God wanted me was the paramount request of my prayers. After months of job hunting, I accepted an offer last week for an excellent job there. I was hoping for any job in this tough job market, and I was blessed with a lucrative medical sales job. A wonderful place to live fell into my lap the same day as well! I am delighted that not only will I be able to serve God, but I can use my earnings to help others in this tough economy. Hands down, the most important blessings I gained from my prayers were a tremendous increase in faith, inner peace, and great trust in the Lord. There is absolutely nothing that can trump that! Thank you God, and thank you Pier Giorgio! In Christ's Love, Kristen"

More Favors Great and Small from Blessed Pier Giorgio

While we continue to pray for that great canonization miracle for Pier Giorgio, other favors continue to be reported. Here are two wonderful testimonies recently received (coincidentally from two 21-year-old friends of Pier Giorgio):

Jennifer Shepard (Brandon, FL) writes:
Pier Giorgio Frassati is not only one of my best friends, but I consider him to be a great brother to me in spirit. I am a mediocre student, especially in math. I recently read that Blessed Pier Giorgio did not do too well in grammar school, but he persevered. Well, the new semester in college was starting up soon and I knew a friend to go to when I am having a struggle. This was my third time taking college algebra. I am terrible in math. My first semester taking it I withdrew from the class. I wanted to wait until the fall until it got "easier" Fall of 2008 I took the class and I failed. I tried all I could. It was no use, I thought I was never going to pass the class. Then, something inside of me was determined. I am not a quitter, but I felt as if this class was of no use and I was going to move on. Around this time Blessed Pier Giorgio got a hold of me and it got me interested in his life. A couple weeks has passed. Bl. Pier Giorgio inspired me to persevere with my math class and I did not give up, but I began with a smile on my face. That morning, before the first day of class started, at my house, I asked for Bl. Pier Giorgio's intercession that I may do well in my math class and that I may never give up, that I always keep trying. After I asked him to pray for me I found an inner peace in my soul. I knew I had a great friend at my side. I went to class full of energy (my class was at 8:00 a.m. twice a week.) Every class period I could feel his presence with me. I knew he was right next to me, helping me. I asked questions, got A's on all my homework, I have got passing grades on all my exams. The first two times, I never had a B on an exam. I have done well in all of my exams so far. I am nearing the end of the semester and I am going to achieve a passing grade with a C or higher. This may seem small, but this was my last hope in taking this class. I am thankful for Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati for his friendship and prayers. Thank you, Bl. Pier Giorgio! Thank you to all who reads this. Verso l'alto!

Nathan Gallegos (Sydney, Australia) writes:
Hi there, During the celebration of World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, the body of Blessed Pier Giorgio had been in St Mary's Cathedral. I had not had a chance to visit his relic during the week, and was not sure if I would have the time to, but I would have liked to. During this time, my great grandmother had been very weak, and on the verge of dying - she was 100 years old. Near the end of the week, we received word from family that she was in hospital, and doctors had said she had only a couple of days left. On the 22nd of July, 2008, two days after World Youth Day ended, we went to St. George hospital in Kogarah (NSW) to visit my great grandmother, and to say our last goodbyes. The whole family was there. I spoke a little to my great grandmother, who had cancer of the blood. She had a strong mind, and kept saying that she would like to "go home"- she just wanted to get out of the hospital. I was meant to go out to the cinemas with my friends later that night, but I told my great grandmother that I would go to St. Mary's cathedral to pray for her before Blessed Pier Giorgio, as today was the last day that his relics were in Sydney. So I rushed off to Sydney and when I got to the cathedral, it was crowded full of Italian pilgrims who had just finished Mass. I didn't think I would be able to see Blessed Pier Giorgio, so I was just about to settle at the back of the cathedral and say a decade of the Rosary, when a lady told me that I should really go to see his relics. So I squeezed through the crowd as soon as Mass finished and made my way to the front and knelt before the body of Blessed Pier Giorgio. I was always interested in him after someone said that I looked a little like him. I prayed a decade of the Rosary before his body, and asked him to intercede for me and pray for my great grandmother, that if it were God's will, she would be better, but if not, that God would take her in to heaven. It was amazing to be before Blessed Pier Giorgio. After this, I left and walked in late to the cinemas to meet my friends. Not long after this day, I heard that my great grandmother had returned home, with the family. She reached her 101st birthday, on the 12th of August, and lived on before finally passing away in the last week of October, 2008 - more than 3 months after the doctors told her she had a couple of days to live. She was a very devout catholic, praying the Rosary almost every day. I believe with no doubt that my great grandmother was able to return home and pass away there, because of the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio. Thank you, and God bless.

Pier Giorgio in Japan

Another great story about Pier Giorgio's impact on today's youth came to me recently all the way from Okinawa, Japan!

From correspondence with Laura Wells, I learned that Okinawa is a small island south of the main island of Japan. There are 71 teens receiving Confirmation from five different military bases on the island. The bishop of the Archdiocese of the military will be present for the Confirmation (May 5th) and the teens are very excited. The retreat leader, Denise Loftesnes, used Pier Giorgio as the patron saint for the Confirmation Teen Retreat. All 71 teens received a pledge packet (The Pact) and Denise spoke about Pier Giorgio and showed the two posters of him. Laura writes that "The Confirmation retreat was very powerful and it was wonderful that so many teens were moved so much. I'm sure that Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was praying for all of the teens."

Thanks Laura and Denise for bringing Pier Giorgio into the lives of these teens so far away from the U.S.! And may God bless all of our servicemen and women and their families for the sacrifices they make to defend the cause of freedom. Verso l'alto!

Easter Greetings

Christ is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen! This is the traditional greeting in the Byzantine Catholic Church throughout the Easter season. These few words provide an inexhaustible source of meditation on the great gift of Eternal Life with Christ that we have been given.

On Easter Sunday, I was sitting in church next to my little six-year-old friend who noticed a keychain tag of mine that says "God loves you." She whispered to me, "God really loves you because you work for one of his saints." I whispered back, "God really loves you, too. He really loves all of us. That is what we are celebrating today." The insights of this little girl never cease to amaze me. In fact, I felt Pier Giorgio's presence through her on Holy Thursday evening. We had processed together after Mass to the chapel where the Blessed Sacrament would be exposed for one hour. I explained to her how Jesus asked His friends to spend one hour with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. She knew the story well. She went and begged her mom for permission to stay and spend an hour with Jesus. When her mom said she could stay for a little bit, she ran over to me erupting with joy. Immediately, I thought of how elated Pier Giorgio was when he finally got permission from his mother to receive daily Communion. "I won, Father!" he exclaimed to the Jesuit priest at school.

That same, uncontainable, childlike joy at being able to spend time with Jesus is the joy we can experience today. For Christ is risen! Indeed, He is risen!

Celebrating Pier Giorgio's Birthday

It is a dreary, rainy, cold day here in Nashville and the start of Holy Week. It is a day for celebration, though, because we are marking what would be Pier Giorgio's 108th birthday! I'm sure many of you joined in the novena leading up to today. I admit that I keep hoping my phone will ring with news of a canonization miracle, but I know that it is all in God's perfect timing.

In the meantime, many wonderful things keep happening as knowledge of Pier Giorgio becomes more and more widespread. This past weekend, for example, I was in Boston for the Eucharistic Congress sponsored by the Archdiocese. What a beautiful event! (Thanks, by the way, to Fr. Dan Hennessey for the invitation to attend and to Maria Lucci for getting me to where I needed to go!) It is always inspiring to be around young adults who are joyfully living the Faith and it was an added bonus that Pier Giorgio was the focus of the Saturday morning event.

Often, I view my work at FrassatiUSA as merely planting "Pier Giorgio seeds." When even one seed bears fruit, it is a cause of great joy. Here are a just a few:

• Last week, I spoke at a high school in San Antonio where only a handful of the 700+ crowd had ever heard of Pier Giorgio. I recently learned that the very next day one of the students presented a proposal to school administration to start a Frassati Society there.
  
• A few hours after giving a talk in New Braunfels, Texas, I received a phone call from the mother of one of the youth in attendance. She called to say that her daughter never got excited about Catholic things but couldn't stop talking about Pier Giorgio. The mother could hardly believe that someone had gotten through to her daughter that quickly. (I didn't want to suggest it could have been Pier Giorgio's exceptional good looks but I am guessing that may have had something to do with it!)
  
• After a presentation to K-4 children at a Nashville school, one little girl announced to her teacher that she no longer wanted to be a ballerina -- she wanted to be a saint!

These young people responded to the simple message of Pier Giorgio -- holiness is for everyone. Today, on his birthday, may his message also inspire you to reach for even greater heights in your spiritual journey. Verso l'alto!

Arrivederci, San Antonio!

Thanks for the prayers for my recent trip to San Antonio. It was a wonderful opportunity to plant a lot of "Pier Giorgio seeds" in the hearts of many young people.

Thanks to Josh Torres, Mr. Vega's Campus Ministry Class and the administration at Holy Cross of San Antonio for planning their weekly prayer service around the spirituality of Pier Giorgio. It was great to visit the school and have time to reflect on the Man of the Beatitudes.

Also, thanks to Father John Mary, Mother Magdalene and Dr. Paul Foster for welcoming the message of Pier Giorgio to the Mission of Divine Mercy in New Braunfels, TX. While there, I was able to climb "to the top" of the trail to the simple cross situated high above the Mission. The wind was absolutely wicked but it was worth braving the elements to enjoy the incredible view of Canyon Lake and the surrounding area down below! I know Pier Giorgio would have done the same! If you are ever in the New Braunfels area and want to enjoy the beauty of creation, be sure to visit the Mission.

Finally, thanks to Father Mark Clarke, Maria Gutierrez and the administration of Antonian College Preparatory High School for allowing me to share Pier Giorgio's message that "Holiness is for Everyone" with the entire student body -- a great way to start the school week!

Next stop is Boston for the Eucharistic Congress hosted by the Archdiocese. Keep those prayers coming as Pier Giorgio's message continues to spread. Verso l'alto!

Pier Giorgio on EWTN

This coming week (while we are praying the novena in honor of Pier Giorgio's birthday), you can watch a program about him on EWTN. Bob and Penny Lord have informed me that their upcoming episode of "Super Saints" featuring Pier Giorgio will air as follows:

Wednesday, April 1st, at 9 p.m.
Thursday, April 2nd, at 10:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 4th, at 3:00 a.m.

If you don't get EWTN in your area, remember that you can watch it with live video streaming on your computer. Here's a link to get you there: http://ewtn.com/audiovideo/index.asp

A Time to Pray

We are just a few days away from the start of the wonderful "Novena in the Year of St. Paul Remembering Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati on his 108th Birthday." Hopefully, by now, you have had a chance to read through the novena and invite some friends to pray it with you. (All of the prayers can be downloaded from the FrassatiUSA website. Click here.) The novena begins on Saturday, March 28th, so spread the word!

The novena was prepared by Fr. Tom Rosica, head of Canada's Salt and Light TV. I know from firsthand experience that Fr. Rosica is a big fan of Pier Giorgio's. He has spearheaded many World Youth Day activities in honor of Pier Giorgio and has contributed so much to the promotion of his spirituality in Canada and beyond.

Be forewarned that this novena is a challenging one. It is easy to lapse into an almost automatic or robotic prayer mode, rattling off prayers without even stopping to think of a single word. This novena calls for contemplation and action. The meditations on the writings of St. Paul are really a wonderful opportunity for us to take advantage of the special graces offered during this Jubilee Year in honor of St. Paul before it ends in June. The novena also provides concrete actions we can take to go from just praying to really living out our faith. In this way, we can truly follow the example set for us by Pier Giorgio.

People often ask me where things stand in the cause for Pier Giorgio's canonization. The answer is always the same: "We need a miracle!" This opportunity to pray a novena in honor of Pier Giorgio, united with so many around the world who are doing the same thing, is a tremendous opportunity to ask God for that miracle. So, please add this intention to those you will bring to Pier Giorgio during the novena.

And many thanks to Ada Rivera for pointing out the coverage of the novena by Zenit. Click here to read the story.

Blessed Pier Giorgio...pray for us!

Deep in the Heart of Texas!

For those of you who so generously include the work of FrassatiUSA in your prayers, I have a special intention. In the next few days, I will be bringing Pier Giorgio's message ("Holiness is for everyone!") to three different groups in San Antonio, Texas. More than 1,200 young people will be introduced to Pier Giorgio this coming Friday, Saturday and Monday. Please pray that the seeds of Pier Giorgio's spirituality will be planted in their hearts and that they will aspire to strive with him verso l'alto!

FrassatiUSA on Facebook

If you are a Facebook person, you may have discovered (like I did) that there are many clubs and pages dedicated to Pier Giorgio Frassati. About a year ago, we posted a page under the name "Pier Giorgio Frassati" just to have a place for accurate info on Facebook. But there is not really any reliable way for surfers to know the difference. So, we are trying to start a FrassatiUSA page on Facebook, just to make the distinction. If someone out there is a Facebook expert and can offer any help on navigating all of the applications, please send me an email: chris@frassatiusa.org.

By the way, one easy tip for when you are out there surfing and coming across Pier Giorgio info is to see if the page or website calls him Pier. If so, don't believe everything you read!

Pier Giorgio in Oregon and beyond

We LOVE hearing about how you are making Pier Giorgio a part of your lives! According to Daniel Murphy in Oregon:

"A small group of men in Oregon has formed "men of the Beatitudes" in honor of Pier Giorgio Frassati--making an Entrustment to the Holy Trinity as Merciful Love and Life, which incorporates a five-part code of honor. Pier Giorgio is our (primary) model; John Paul II is our (primary) teacher. Among other things, we pray the "Living Rosary," after the example of John Paul II. Pier Giorgio's exemplary Christian humanism and personalism are the measure of our hope for holiness of life."

For those of you in the Toledo, Ohio area, a new Frassati Society has recently formed! This group has an emphasis on Eucharistic Adoration. Jerry Rusch is hoping to make more info about it available online soon.

Many of you have also written about how you are using Pier Giorgio as the patron or model for your group -- from cub scouts to homeschoolers to Knights of Columbus to youth groups to hiking clubs to you name it! Keep up the great work and thanks for keeping us posted on how Pier Giorgio is leading your group to the top! Verso l'alto!

Save the Date!

It's official! Wanda Gawronska, niece of Blessed Pier Giorgio, will be in the U.S. in early June. She will be the guest on "EWTN Live" on Wednesday, June 3rd. The show airs at 8 p.m. EST. Plan to be in the audience or just to watch the show! You can call in or email questions during the live hour.

Note: Individuals wishing to attend a Live Show must make their reservations in advance by contacting the EWTN Pilgrimage Department. This may be done in writing, by phone [205-271-2966 (option 2)], by fax [205-271-2957], or by e-mail [pilgrimages@ewtn.com ].

The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls

I am more than happy to say that I visited the beautiful Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls today. This is a great jubilee year in honor of the 2000th birthday of St. Paul. Along with that celebration, comes the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence. What a great gift from the Church!

It is always special for me to visit this particular Basilica, not only because of its incredible beauty or that it is one of the four major basilicas, but because it held a special place for Pier Giorgio who also visited it. St. Paul was his favorite saint and an inspiration for his life of charity.

The Basilica has undergone some changes since my last visit. Most likely because of the crowds expected during this jubilee year, they have constructed a great bathroom facility. If you have done any traveling in Italy, you will understand why I am mentioning that detail! They have moved the gift shop/bookstore from its previous location and have installed turnstiles that you must pass through to visit the courtyard area. Unfortunately, you have to pay a few euro to go through the turnstiles. Inside the Basilica, they have done some additional excavation and you can see a part of the tomb of St. Paul. They have a new little area that makes it extremely easy to offer Mass intentions, as well.

The Pier Giorgio Pilgrimage 2009 will begin with a visit to St. Paul Outside the Walls. What a great way to begin a journey in the footsteps of Pier Giorgio! The trip is now filled but we will do it again next year and you won't want to miss it.

Even though it takes a little extra effort to visit this Basilica when you are in Rome, I hope that you will make a point to do it if you find yourself here at any time. Just hop on Bus 23 and tell the driver you are going "verso l'alto!"

The Best of Times and Worst of Times in Rome

Everyone has a favorite city and Rome is high on my list. The sights are spectacular and numerous; the churches are magnificent; the cappuccino is delicious; and the Pope is here! Today, the piazza was packed for his Sunday Angelus. I would have to give the French the prize for the biggest cheering.

After the Angelus, I headed down to the tomb of Pope John Paul II. It keeps changing down there, each time I come. At first, you could take pictures and give the guards things to touch to the tomb. They started getting less willing to touch items to the tomb and added an overhead speaker system in many languages reminding you to be quiet. Ironically, it's the noise from the speaker that is the most distracting! Now they are not even allowing pictures to be taken. They do allow you to touch something to the floor just inside the rope but that's it. And yet, the crowds keep coming and coming and coming. Santo Subito!

I went to Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Altar of St. Joseph. Headed out afterward to the shops along Borgo Pio. Not much tourist traffic at all. Just before 3 o'clock, I entered the Holy Spirit Church for the beautiful Divine Mercy chaplet conducted each day by the sisters who take care of this beautiful church. Many of the prayers are in Polish because of the connection to Saint Faustina Kowalska. But the majority of the prayers were in Italian. I have been to this service before but noticed a beautiful addition this year. At the end of the chaplet, one of the sisters came to the front of the church with a cross that contained a relic of St. Faustina. I happened to be kneeling on the floor just to the left of her and was moved to watch the crowd of hundreds come forward to venerate the relic.

As an American Catholic, it is so uplifting to participate in the traditions and devotions and services here in Rome. But, it is also a sad time in this country for those who respect the sanctity of human life at all stages.

Yesterday, death by starvation began for a beautiful woman named Eluana Englaro who fell into a coma in 1992 and is now considered to be in a "persistent vegetative state." Sadly, she is being denied basic nutrition at the request of her father. The debate taking place over here, amid various protests and stages of legal action, are hauntingly similar to those that occurred in the U.S. when we were forced to stand by and watch the euthanization of Terry Schiavo. The news last night was centered on every aspect of this story.

Just two weeks ago, I was in Washington, D.C., for the March for Life and spent some time talking with a group of Italians, "Voglio Vivere," who have been coming to the U.S. for several years now to stand up for life. The war being waged against the most vulnerable in our society, the unborn and the infirm, is a global war and we need to be united in prayer. Please pray for Eluana, for her father, for all those who are involved in this situation, and for a victory over the culture of death.

Rome Sweet Rome

I have been meaning to post something since arriving in Rome but have had little free time. This is a good problem to have!

I am here to do some work with Pier Giorgio's niece Wanda who is expected to come to the U.S. in June. If you have not met Wanda, you would be fascinated by all that she does on behalf of Pier Giorgio. By the way, Wanda was recently interiewed by Canada's Salt and Light TV for a special episode of "Witness" that will air on February 15th. You can see the schedule on their website and it looks like you can view the network via live streaming but may have to subscribe. I was able to view the interview last night and you won't want to miss it!

The place where I am staying is right around the bend from a church called Santa Lucia del Gonfalone. This church has a huge painting of Pier Giorgio on the wall of the first side altar as you enter on the left. It has become my special place to pray to Pier Giorgio here in Rome. As soon as I can get to a scanner, I will post a picture of the painting. It is quite unique.

Because of my work, I have been able to spend many unforgettable weeks in Rome over the past few years. I must say, it is strange to come to a large city in a foreign country and feel very much at home. But, considering this is the heart of the Church, that makes some sort of sense. My favorite thing (outside of spending time with Wanda, of course!) is going to the Sunday Angelus on the piazza of St. Peter's Basilica. It is the most beautiful display of the universal church that I have ever seen. I never tire of it and wish every Catholic in the world could attend just once.

Pier Giorgio once wrote: "...every day I understand better what a Grace it is to be Catholic." That, I would say, most succinctly sums up my feelings after each day I spend here in Rome. Hopefully, I will be able to share a little more with you in the next few days. Verso l'alto!

The Letters of Pier Giorgio

So many of you have contacted me to ask about the letters of Pier Giorgio. WHEN IS THE BOOK COMING OUT?! It seems like I have been promising it for nearly a year and I am just as anxious as all of you. Good news! We now have an American publisher on board and the project is moving full-speed ahead.

One of the greatest privileges I have had throughout my work on behalf of Pier Giorgio was to be able to edit his letters with his niece Wanda Gawronska. We did a good bit of it in Rome and then worked on it again in Pollone. As we read each letter, I had the opportunity to ask questions and listen to Wanda's many stories and really understand the context and mindset and culture at the time the letters were written. With each page, I grew to love Pier Giorgio more and more. It's not that his letters are some great theological or spiritual work. It's that his letters are a reflection of the normality of his life and how his faith was a part of everything he did. He was not a compartmentalized Catholic! He loved his faith, his family, his friends. He had a sense of humor, a sense of duty, a spirit of humility, a spirit of adventure. In short, he is who we think he is.

When we finished the editing last March, I was very excited that for the first time it would be printed in English and all of you would have the opportunity to read about Pier Giorgio in his own words. However, I soon discovered that it is not so easy to get something like this published. Last year, a Canadian company agreed to do it. Not long afterward, that company was bought out by a French company that decided not to do it! It has been such a rollercoaster.

Earlier this month, we received the good news that the book will be published here in the U.S. I will provide more details as they become available. In the meantime, please keep the success of this project in your prayers. Verso l'alto!

Pier Giorgio trivia

Today is the feast of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian -- two great early martyrs for the Faith. These saints play a small role in Pier Giorgio's life story. One of the churches in the town of Pollone, Italy -- where the Frassati summer villa is located -- is named for these two saints. However, the locals refer to the church as the "Cangio church" because of its location. This church was the site of the completion of Pier Giorgio's baptism. Inside, a large reproduction of the baptismal certificate hangs on the wall. You can check out pictures of this church on the FrassatiUSA website by clicking here.

Pier Giorgio answers prayers

Here is another great story of a situation where Pier Giorgio has answered prayers. Although it is not the type of cure that will satisfy the Vatican for a canonization miracle, it is uplifting to read. Keep praying!

"My husband had a brain aneurism that leaked then resealed on Sept. 6th, 2008. He needed a drain tube in the top of his of his head, a trac tube, a peg tube in his stomach for feeding. He also needed a procedure that filled his aneurism with platinum wire that coiled inside to prevent it from bursting again. My husband was in intensive care for almost the whole month of September, he then spent almost 3 weeks in a rehab hospital. I had purchased one of the small blue Pier Giorgio Frassati Prayer Books, that I kept in my purse. I started praying the novena to Pier Giorgio Frassati every day when I was visiting my husband in the hospital and in rehab, after I finished it I would start again and again. We had recently lost a close friend and another was in the process of dying and I would pray for them and then that my husband would make a complete recovery. He is back working full-time. He still suffers from some short term memory loss at times, but the doctor who fixed his aneurism said he should come back 95% after around 6 months. The doctor also gives lectures and uses my husband as an example of a good outcome. We both feel we have been given another chance at life and we have become closer than ever (we will celebrate our 43rd anniversary on March 5th). I will always continue to pray to Pier Giorgio Frassati because in my mind he did give me a miracle, he gave me my husband back."

Happy New Year

"The year has begun well, after toasting it in with my family I went to Holy Martyrs Church; there in the Church, crowded with people, we prayed that there would be peace in Italy and Peace among us.
And this Peace, which is the burning Desire of us all, we hope will come in this year in which the Graces of the Lord are multiplied."

So wrote Pier Giorgio to his friend Franz Massetti on January 4, 1925. It would be the last new year he would mark on earth. It also happened to be the start of a Jubilee Year in the Church (which explains Pier Giorgio's reference to graces being multiplied.) Many of his letters express a desire for peace. Considering Pier Giorgio lived through World War I and the rise of fascism in Italy, it is no wonder that he was constantly wishing for peace in the world. This longing for peace is universal and no different for us in our current world situation. As we pray for peace today, it seems fitting to ask for Pier Giorgio's special intercession. May the Graces of the Lord abound in 2009!

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

In the Byzantine Catholic church, the birth of Our Savior is celebrated with a special greeting extended by the priest: "CHRIST IS BORN!" In response, the congregation replies, "GLORIFY HIM!" It is a wonderful way to remind ourselves that something is different today and throughout the Christmas season.

In Rome, the Holy Father marked the start of the Christmas season with the Latin wish for peace: "Pax vobis" ("Peace be with you") to which the faithful present at St. Peter's responded, "Et cum spiritu tuo." ("And also with you.")

Both greetings have a simple similarity: they announce good news and they call for our response. May the love of the Holy Family pour into your heart this Christmas and help you to respond with even greater charity to all those you meet in 2009. Buon Natale and Verso l'alto!

The Best Christmas Gifts

Well, here we are, less than a week away from the celebration of the birth of Christ. How has your Advent been going? I'm happy to say that I've had a prayerful few weeks, thanks in large part to my wonderful morning prayer group, and have been cultivating the spirit of joyful expectation. I have actually enjoyed doing the Christmas shopping, a little baking and the other material preparations that are necessary at this time of year. And in the midst of it all, I have been able to witness many times what Pier Giorgio knew so well: i.e, the best Christmas gifts are acts of charity.

If you have joined THE PACT, you know that it involves a simple commitment to do one act of charity a day. At this time of year, there are endless opportunities that present themselves. You can let someone ahead of you in a long check-out line, share a coupon with someone who needs one, smile and speak kind words to the tired cashier, buy a little gift for someone you normally wouldn't, leave the parking space closest to the store for someone else -- and all of that is just some of what you can do when you are out shopping! There is so much more. Send Christmas cards to people you know are lonely, who live alone or have very little family. Make a call to someone who would so appreciate having a little conversation with you. Go caroling! Make time for people instead of excuses. Love. Forgive. Pray.

A wise woman I know has often reminded me, "Honey, all people have the same basic needs: to be loved and to be needed." She's right. And those are two things that you won't find on any shelf in any store. Give the best gifts this Christmas. You will be so glad you did.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Just taking a moment today to wish you a blessed feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the unborn and patroness of the Americas. By the way, this is also the anniversary date for FrassatiUSA which relies on her patronage as well as that of Pier Giorgio.

This is such a great Marian week with two wonderful feasts serving as bookends -- Monday, the Immaculate Conception, and, today, Our Lady of Guadalupe! I have been reflecting on the great faith of both St. Bernadette and St. Juan Diego who were the messengers of Our Lady. Can you imagine going to a priest or bishop and saying that you have spoken with the Blessed Mother and she would like a church built? I like how the priest's response is portrayed in the film, "Bernadette." He practically throws her out of the rectory! What would you have done in his shoes?

In both cases, the visionaries were asked to go back to the Lady and ask for a sign, a miracle. Although this may at first seem like a lack of faith on the part of the priest or bishop, it really is a show of faith when you stop and think about it. In other words, they believed enough to believe a miracle would enable them to believe! Do you follow me?

In the movie, "Bernadette," after the priest's very harsh reception of her message, Bernadette says that she wasn't upset about it. She says, "I was asked to deliver the message and I have delivered it." Such humble obedience. Centuries later, we can still see the tremendous fruit that came from the humble obedience of St. Bernadette and St. Juan Diego. Simple messengers. What a great challenge for us during this second week of Advent -- to look for and find ways that we can be simple messengers of the Good News of Christ.

In the Good Old Days

The other night, I was reading a bedtime story to a little six-year-old friend of mine. She looked at me, at one point, and said with a sigh, "I miss the good old days when..." and gave an example of something she missed doing. It was so odd to hear a six-year-old talking about the good old days! She was right to miss them, though.

I miss the good old days when Advent was a real season that we celebrated. My great Catholic parents made a point of it. Would you believe our Christmas tree did not go up until a day or two before Christmas? We never turned our Christmas lights on until Christmas Eve and we kept them on for the 12 days of Christmas...or longer.

Every night, we gathered around the Advent wreath and lit the candles, said the prayers and sang a hymn. We had a chart to keep track of our good deeds. On the feast of St. Lucy (December 13), we were given one seed of wheat for each good deed we had done. We planted our seeds in our own little pots of dirt and placed them on a window sill to grow as gifts for Baby Jesus. It was a great competition to see who had the most wheat and the tallest.

Very late on Christmas Eve, we would all gather by the tree where a nativity set was displayed below. The manger was always empty until that night. We would have a family procession and sing "Silent Night" and the youngest in the family would place the infant Jesus in the crib. We would sing other carols afterward. Sometimes I would play "The Little Drummer Boy" on the piano while my brother Greg accompanied me on his snare drum. (We are all so much older now but we still have that procession and the youngest still places Baby Jesus in the crib.)

On Christmas Day, we opened gifts with tags that said, "From Baby Jesus" or "From Saint Nick." We never got anything from Santa Claus. In fact, a funny story in our family is that, one year, a neighbor up the street asked two of my sisters what Santa brought them for Christmas. They said, "nothing." The neighbor thought maybe we were poor and couldn't afford presents and sent down bags of gifts! My mom had to explain to her that Santa didn't come to our house, but, not to worry, we got our share of presents from Baby Jesus and St. Nick.

Christmas-caroling was usually impromptu but you could always pull a little group together. We would go to the neighbors who didn't have much family or company and sing a few songs and visit awhile. This is a tradition that has passed down to some of the nieces and nephews. Last year, we piled into a few cars and went to a neighboring town to sing a few carols for a woman with a homebound, disabled son. Such a simple joy to give that costs only a little time.

I could go on and on about our family traditions and how Advent was a time of joyful expectation and Christmas was all about the birth of Christ. But you probably have your own memories of how it was -- in the good old days.