In the days leading up to the Jubilee of Youth, I was given the extraordinary privilege of helping carry the relics of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati into the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.
The basilica, a jewel of Dominican architecture in the heart of Rome, is home to the tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. As we entered with Frassati’s remains, the symbolism was unmistakable. At the start of a jubilee year dedicated to rekindling hope, the Church was bringing together two powerful intercessors: a young man of the 20th century whose life was marked by prayer, social action, and tireless service to the poor, and a medieval mystic and doctor of the Church who gave fearless witness to truth, unity, and reform.
In the final days of his life, Pier Giorgio had been reading St. Catherine’s Dialogue. The connection between the two is more than poetic. Both were lay Dominicans–members of the Third Order–who wove their love of contemplation into the fabric of real-world struggle. Catherine confronted schism and plague with unflinching truth and radical charity. Pier Giorgio, a university student in 1920s Turin, gave his life to the Eucharist, to the poor, and to political engagement rooted in Catholic social teaching.
He found in Dominican spirituality a path that harmonized prayer and action. He joined the Dominican Laity in 1922, taking the name “Girolamo” after the Renaissance preacher and reformer Girolamo Savonarola. As a lay Dominican, Pier Giorgio immersed himself in Scripture and the Rosary, in the lives of the saints, and in the theological depth of the Church’s tradition. He was no stranger to study–his love of truth was formed not just by textbooks, but by a living pursuit of justice and holiness. His favorite saying, drawn from St. Paul, was simple: “Verso l’alto!”–“To the heights!”
And now, at the threshold of the 2025 Jubilee Year, the Church has brought Pier Giorgio home to Rome–to the feet of St. Catherine.
As we reverently lowered his coffin before the altar, just steps from Catherine’s tomb, I was struck by the quiet providence of it all. It was not triumphal. It was not theatrical. It was something more profound–a silent witness. Frassati now rests at the feet of a saint he admired, in a basilica that will soon welcome young pilgrims from around the world.
For them, he is not simply a relic. He is a model.
A Jubilee of Youth in a ‘Year of Hope’
The 2025 Jubilee Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis under the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” invites the whole Church to rediscover trust in God’s promises. It comes at a time of global unrest, technological upheaval, and deep cultural anxiety–especially among the young. That’s why the Jubilee of Youth, taking place July 28-Aug. 3, holds particular significance.
The week-long celebration will bring hundreds of thousands of young adults (ages 18-30) to Rome for a spiritual pilgrimage that includes daily catechesis, adoration, reconciliation, public service, and festival-style gatherings across the city.
Events include:
- Opening Mass in St. Peter’s Square
- A city-wide mission called “Dialogue with the City”, with youth engaging in works of mercy and cultural outreach at 35 Jubilee churches
- A full Day of Reconciliation at Circus Maximus, where confessors will hear confessions in every major language
- An evening vigil with Pope Leo XIV at Tor Vergata, followed by the closing Mass drawing youth from across the globe
More than logistics or programming, however, the Jubilee of Youth is an invitation to encounter Christ–through the Church, the sacraments, the saints, and one another. It’s a week for young people to walk the same streets as Peter and Paul, to pray where martyrs died, and to enter into dialogue with a living faith.
That is why Frassati’s presence in Rome matters. He gives the Jubilee a face.
A Saint for Our Time
Together, Pier Giorgio and Catherine speak to the heart of the Church’s hope for this generation. They show that holiness is not outdated, that sanctity is not the preserve of clerics or mystics. They show that the search for truth, the longing for justice, and the joy of friendship with Christ can–and must–belong to young people today.
They also remind us that sainthood is not a solitary endeavor. It is rooted in community, in sacramental life, and in spiritual tradition. Frassati climbed mountains, wrote letters to parliament, visited orphans, served in the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and knelt before the Eucharist–all while keeping a sense of humor and an unwavering hope.
Carrying his body that evening, I realized I was also bearing something else: a message. A reminder that sainthood is not reserved for the cloistered or the canonized, but is the call of every baptized person. As the Church prepares to welcome young people to Rome, Pier Giorgio Frassati is ready–at the feet of Catherine–to show them the way.
