TO MARK the first feast day of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati on July 4, a Thomasian and lay Dominican group, along with the saint’s local promoters, mounted an exhibit dedicated to the Italian youth activist at the Manila Cathedral on June 26.
The Young Thomasian Professionals-Lay Dominican Fraternity and Frassati Society Philippines (FSP) mounted “Frassati: The Man of Eight Beatitudes,” an exhibit showcasing the life and works of the lay Dominican saint, which will run until Sunday, July 5.
“St. Pier Giorgio stands as living proof of the Church’s affirmation of youth involvement in society. Holiness does not require being rigid or detached; rather, it is fully attainable through joyful companionship, relatable human emotions, and active service,” Froiland Sampiano, project head of the feast day events, told the Varsitarian.
Local organizers will also mark Frassati’s feast with “Frassati Day 2026,” bearing the theme “Pataas sa Diyos, Pababa sa Kapwa,” at the Manila Cathedral.
Fr. Christopher Jeffrey Aytona, O.P., spiritual adviser of FSP, and Dave Dela Cruz, O.P., president of a lay Dominican chapter, will deliver talks on Frassati, youth, and social action during the conference.
The enthronement of Frassati’s image and relic, followed by the recitation of the rosary, will precede the Mass.
Cardinal Jose Advincula will preside over the feast day Mass at 12:30 p.m.
On Sept. 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV canonized St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis, the first saints he elevated to the altars as pope.
A native of Turin, Italy, Frassati was a member of the Third Order of St. Dominic and dedicated his life to prayer, political and social activism, and service to the poor.
Pope St. John Paul II beatified the university student in 1990 and dubbed him the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes.”
He died in 1925 at age 24 after contracting polio while caring for the sick.
Frassati is venerated as the patron saint of youth and athletes for his passion for mountaineering and hiking. With reports from Alexandra Gabrielle C. Mansineros
