Description
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, young lay Catholic and servant of the poor
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin in 1901 and studied mining engineering at the Royal Polytechnic. Daily Eucharist, prayer and frequent confession shaped an active lay vocation expressed through Catholic Action, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and the Dominican Third Order. He visited poor families, shared his money and defended Christian social commitments during the rise of Fascism. An enthusiastic mountaineer and loyal friend, he died from polio on July 4, 1925, at age twenty-four. Beatified by Saint John Paul II in 1990, he was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025.
Contemporary clothing and a direct youthful portrait
The icon presents Pier Giorgio in the shirt, tie and suspenders of an early twentieth-century student rather than in clerical or monastic dress. That choice accurately emphasizes lay holiness lived through study, friendship, civic engagement, sport and direct service to neighbors. The halo and gold-tone field place a recognizably modern face within the visual language of sacred portraiture. No mountain, rosary or bundle for the poor is shown, so these important parts of his life should be explained in the text rather than claimed as visible attributes.
Crafted on linden wood in Poland
Made to order in Poland on a double-primed linden wood panel, the image is printed directly onto the prepared surface and finished with decorative gold-tone metal leaf. A certificate recording the year of production and a wall hanger are included. This is a contemporary devotional icon, not an individually hand-painted work.
For young adults, students, athletes and practical charity
The icon suits a youth room, campus ministry office, school, mountain-club chapel, charitable center or home prayer corner. Pier Giorgio offers a compelling patron for students, young professionals, hikers, athletes, volunteers and Catholic lay movements. His example connects sacramental life with friendship, study, social responsibility and discreet help for the poor. Devotion should encourage concrete service and responsible health care; the icon does not guarantee academic success, athletic safety, healing or popularity.