Bl. Pier Giorgio was known for his joy and jokes, his athleticism, his care for the poor, his political activism, his selflessness, and for challenging his friends to virtue. His life illustrates that the words faithful, virtuous, joyful, zealous, athletic, studious, and servant can all be used to describe a person who is animated by the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Born to a wealthy family, Frassati lived frugally and gave his money—and several times even the shoes or coat he was wearing—to the poor. His father was an agnostic, an Italian senator and the founder of a liberal newspaper. Neither he nor his wife were very affectionate with their children. Frassati’s parents disapproved of his faith, but this did not keep him from his daily Mass and rosary, and sometimes whole nights of Eucharistic adoration. He was often scolded for being late for meals, but he never revealed that his tardiness was due to feeding the poor, running errands to buy them medicine, or finding widows and their children a place to stay for the night. The few times that his parents caught Pier Giorgio giving his things away, they punished him.