On Sunday, September 7, 2025, at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, the Catholic Church will canonize Pier Giorgio Frassati alongside Carlo Acutis, in a moment that will echo across generations of faithful lay Catholics. Presided over by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, this historic canonization marks the culmination of a dream long held by Pope Francis—to elevate to sainthood two young men who embodied joyful holiness in the modern world. Among the two, Pier Giorgio Frassati stands out as a radiant model for Catholic professionals seeking to lead in civil society with Gospel-rooted courage, conviction, and compassion.
A Saint of the Beatitudes for Ordinary Life
Nicknamed the “Man of the Beatitudes” by St. John Paul II, Frassati lived an extraordinarily ordinary life. He was a university student, an athlete, a son, a brother, a friend, and a servant of the poor. He died at just 24 while serving the sick, but in that short life, he became a towering witness to holiness lived in the world. For today’s lay professionals, his canonization affirms that sanctity is not reserved for the cloistered or ordained—it is the vocation of every baptized person engaged in the world.
Frassati’s life offers a roadmap for Catholic professionals striving to bring the light of Christ into politics, business, medicine, media, and education. His deep Eucharistic devotion, his commitment to justice, and his integration of faith and friendship show that holiness is possible—and deeply needed—in the boardroom, the classroom, and the public square.
Prayer, Action, Sacrifice: A Blueprint for Leadership
In a speech to Catholic youth in 1923, Frassati laid out three guiding principles that resonate powerfully for today’s leaders: prayer, action, and sacrifice.
“Prayer,” he said, “is the most efficient means to obtain from God the graces which we need… especially the strength of persevering in these times.” In a world that often prizes productivity over contemplation, Frassati’s insistence on prayer as the foundation of leadership is a timely corrective. He challenges professionals to make the Eucharist and regular spiritual practices the bedrock of their mission.
“Action,” for Frassati, meant embodying the apostolate of good example, charity, and persuasion. He believed Catholics must live visibly moral lives, extend compassion to the suffering, and persuade those who have wandered from the Church to return. This is not just evangelization—it is Gospel-based leadership that seeks the common good and the transformation of culture.
And “sacrifice” was, in his view, non-negotiable. “We must sacrifice everything for everything,” he declared. Catholic leaders, he believed, must be willing to renounce comfort, ambition, and even reputation for the sake of truth, justice, and the dignity of the human person.
Verso l’Alto: To the Heights of Witness
Perhaps no phrase better encapsulates Frassati’s life and mission than the words he scribbled on a photo after a mountain climb: Verso l’Alto—“To the heights.” For Frassati, mountain climbing was more than a sport; it was a metaphor for the Christian life. As he scaled physical peaks with friends, he also aimed for spiritual heights through acts of love, service, and fidelity.
Catholic professionals today are called to the same ascent. The challenges facing modern society—secularism, injustice, division—can feel like daunting cliffs. But Frassati reminds us that we climb not alone, and not in vain. Through Christ and His Church, we are strengthened to lead, to serve, and to witness with joy.
As the Church canonizes Pier Giorgio Frassati this September, Catholic professionals around the world should look to this new saint not only as a patron, but as a companion. He is one of us—a layperson, a worker, a friend, a believer—who dared to live his faith in every sphere of life. In honoring him, the Church affirms that the path to holiness winds through the everyday world, and that “to the heights” is not just a motto, but a mission.
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