The Tipi Loschi Society

Meet Pier Giorgio Frassati-a young Catholic (soon to be saint) who is a model of joy, faith, bravery, and adventure, even a century later.

A Friend Across Time

I have lots of friends..does it count that we can’t talk? Or that they lived long ago? Or that most don’t even exist? These are some of my people, who I feel are kindred spirits always in my corner. Among these friends, is one who I hold particularly dear to me, his name is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. I consider him one of my best friends, and I feel that perhaps it is reciprocated. I never did meet him face to face, but he shaped the way I view life.

Who Was Pier Giorgio Frassati?

He lived one-hundred years ago in Turin Italy, born into a wealthy family, surrounded by elegance, wealth, and grand squares, yet these were never the desires of his heart. He dreamed of the mountains. He longed for the cool, pure air he breathed deep into his soul. This is where he felt closest to God. I have to say, until i met Pier Giorgio, I never thought I could admit that in creation I felt closest to heaven. When surrounded by dancing, green leaves, the sound of overjoyed birds, the clear blue sky seems to stretch so far, and if you pay attention, you’ll notice, heaven no longer feels so far away.

Known for his contagious joy, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati is also known as "Man of the Beatitudes". He had a heart of service that touched many. One of many examples of this was at the age of only four years old. He was distressed by seeing a young boy and his mother who came to the Frassati home to ask for help with basic needs. Pier Giorgio answered the door and took off his own shoes and socks to give to the barefoot boy treading through frigid weather.

Finding Joy and Faith Together

Until I met Pier Giorgio I struggled to find the line where joy and vigor for life met faith. As a young Catholic man, Pier Giorgio always struck the balance of family, friends, parties, to serving the poor, spending his time in adoration or solitude.

One of his mottos was: "Vivere non vivacchiare!"-Which translates to "We should never just get by; we should live!"

Come Along on the Adventure

As I strive to be more like my friend, I think about how he came about to be the way he was. As you get to know him, you notice he found Jesus in everyone he met. He lived life to the fullest, and always remembered where that life came from. He had a heart of love, that spilled over and is felt by many (including me which is pretty impressive considering he’s been dead for a century, now that’s pretty sick). I hope you become friends with Pier Giorgio too as you get to know him. Come along for the adventure as we grow to be more like our friend, soon to be St. Frassati!

-P. Tipiloschi

If Pier Giorgio inspires you too, share this with a friend!

Luciana knew her name was special, but she wouldn't fully grasp why until her summer with Grandma Laura in the mountains of Turin Italy. At first, she had doubts about spending a summer outdoors, away from her friends and hometown summer activities. In her skepticism, Luciana didn't know how she would feel about a quiet summer in the mountains. What could be so special about them? Her cynical heart was soon going to be very surprised by the things she discovered in this special place.                                                  

     Her Grandmother, Laura Hidalgo, once was in love with a young man named Pier Giorgio but their bond went deeper than that, they were also best friends. Pier Giorgio's sister, Luciana Frassati became like a sister to Grandma Laura. Laura's granddaughter was named after Luciana. Now you know how granddaughter Luciana came to carry her name.                                           

     Luciana was confused my her grandmothers love for a man that died so long ago. She was also perplexed by the way that she always lit up when talking about him. It seemed his life had this lasting glow, a sweet fragrance that had carried through the decades. Luciana's curiosity grew and she desired to understand why grandma wanted her to go to the Italian mountains. Why did grandma care so much about passing on the legacy of a man that lived such a short life. 

"Will you tell me the story of your first love?", Luciana eagerly asked her grandmother. "Mio amore," Grandma Laura replied, smiling, "the time will come when I will tell you all about a very special boy and an old woman's youthful days."Luciana explained, "I always like the stories of Grandpa but I also love hearing stories from when you were my age and in love. I just want to picture what he was like." Luciana always knew that Grandma had loved Grandpa Bob, but she could tell that the boy of her youth had always held a deeply precious place in her heart. She seemed happy when she talked of him, but along with her happy reminiscence, lingered an overhanging feeling of sadness--of a life and love lost.  "To start to understand the story, I want you to go to the mountains that he loved so dearly," Laura said. "My first love is so much a part of those Italian slopes, I sometimes feel as if he is still there in that cool air and blue sky. You will begin to become acquainted with my dear Giorgio. He lives on through the trees and those hearts he touched, he was not someone that could be forgotten in a hundred lifetimes. He often told me if his studies permitted that he would spend all day outdoors 'contemplating the creator's greatness in that pure air"

An adventurer. Brave beyond the rest. What image comes to mind when you hear those words?  

Is it a young Italian boy, his skin browned by time in the sun, growing up in a family where love was withheld-yet flowed endlessly from this little soul?