Rome: A young seminarian from France has turned admiration into action by penning a book about Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Italian youth whose zest for faith and service continues to inspire a century after his death.
Timothée Croux, a 23-year-old seminarian from the Diocese of Meaux in Île-de-France, says the example of Frassati was instrumental in his decision to pursue priesthood. Currently pursuing ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical French Seminary in Rome, Croux explained that his own journey of faith found unexpected resonance with the life of the soon-to-be saint.
“I first encountered Frassati through scouting,” Croux recalled. “During my preparatory year before entering seminary, I explored his life in depth and was surprised by the parallels we shared a love of the mountains, a restless search for authentic vocation, and a deep concern for the poor.”
A Youthful Adventurer with a Gospel Heart
Born in Turin in 1901, Pier Giorgio Frassati lived only 24 years before succumbing to poliomyelitis in 1925. Yet his brief life left an indelible mark on Catholic youth movements, particularly among scouts. Known as a vibrant outdoorsman, a passionate mountaineer, and a joyful friend, he lived out his Catholic faith with an energy that made holiness appear attainable in ordinary life.
It is this dynamism that Croux hopes to communicate to his peers through his new book, “An Adventurer in Paradise”, co-authored with Belgian priest Emmanuel de Ruyver. Published in both France and Italy, the work blends biography with spiritual reflection, offering young readers not just a portrait of Frassati but a roadmap for living the Gospel.
“Each chapter presents moments from his life, accompanied by a meditation on one of the Beatitudes, a Gospel passage, reflection questions, and a prayer,” Croux explained. “We want to show young people that holiness was a daily pursuit for him not something abstract, but something lived with freedom and consistency.”
A Saint Who Served the Poor
Frassati’s radical charity toward the poor remains one of his defining features. As a child, he gave away his shoes to a barefoot boy at his family’s doorstep. As a student, he worked tirelessly to provide food, medicine, and dignity to the most vulnerable, often in secret.
“He once said that in the poor he saw a light we don’t have the light of Christ,” Croux noted. “For him, visiting the marginalized was the same as visiting Christ Himself, echoing Matthew 25.”
This profound link between Eucharist and service was at the core of Frassati’s spirituality. At age 13, he sought permission to attend daily Mass, remarking: “Jesus visits me in Communion every day, and I return the visit by serving the poor.”
Echoes of Carlo Acutis
Frassati’s canonization on September 7 will be paired with that of another young figure of contemporary sanctity Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at just 15. Both lives, though separated by nearly a century, reflect a similar witness of youthful holiness rooted in joy, prayer, and self-giving.
“Young people might think that to be a saint, you must die young,” Croux observed. “But what matters is not the length of life, but the faithfulness with which you live it.”
Firmness in Faith and Society
Frassati also stood firm against the rising tide of Fascism in Italy. Though initially part of the Italian Popular Party, he withdrew when the group compromised with Mussolini. He likewise resigned from a Catholic student group that paid homage to the dictator.
“For him, politics was always service, not power,” Croux said. “He could not accept any movement that exalted force.”
This moral clarity, combined with his disarming kindness, explains why John Paul II once called him “the man of the Beatitudes” and why his witness still resonates today.
A Message for Today’s Youth
According to Croux, Frassati’s message to the 21st century is clear: prayer rooted in the Eucharist, friendship lived with joy, and a commitment to peace and charity.
“He was not a priest, nor a martyr,” Croux emphasized, “yet he lived the Gospel in a way that was both ordinary and extraordinary. That’s why he continues to inspire us to this day.”
Croux’s book carries a personal connection to Frassati’s family as well. Wanda Gawronska, the blessed’s niece, wrote its preface and will be present for the canonization in Rome.
As the Church prepares to proclaim Pier Giorgio Frassati a saint alongside Carlo Acutis, the testimony of a young French seminarian suggests that holiness is not a distant ideal but a living invitation one that can still capture the imagination of today’s generation.