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.