Saints of Our Time · Week 4 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Pier Giorgio Frassati
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Privilege and a choice
Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, blank 1. His father, Alfredo, owned La Stampa, one of the biggest newspapers in Italy, and later became a senator and an ambassador. His mother, Adelaide, was a painter.
His parents were not very religious, so his faith was his own choice. He went to blank 2 every day and prayed the Rosary. He was not a top student and had to work hard. He also smoked a pipe, played pranks and was known for his booming laugh.
The other Turin
At blank 3, Pier Giorgio joined the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, a group that helps the poor. He visited sick and poor people in the worst parts of Turin, bringing food, medicine and money. He gave away so much that he often came home with no money, no coat or no shoes.
He chose to study mining engineering because miners were poor and he wanted to work beside them. He joined groups that fought for workers’ rights. He spoke out against fascism, a kind of government where one leader has total control, which was taking over blank 4. He said: “Charity is not enough. We need social reform.”
Pier Giorgio’s life
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1901 | Write your answer |
| 1918 | Write your answer |
| 1922 | Write your answer |
| 1924 | Write your answer |
| 1925 | Write your answer |
| 1990 | Write your answer |
| 2025 | Write your answer |
Check the cause
Why did Pier Giorgio choose to study mining engineering? Circle one.
- A His father needed an engineer for the newspaper
- B It was the easiest course for a weak student
- C It let him spend more time in the mountains
- D He wanted to work with miners, who were poor
Why is that the right answer?
Read the evidence
What does the crowd at his funeral show about how Pier Giorgio served? Circle one.
- A He served quietly, so even his family did not know
- B He served to make his father’s newspaper look good
- C He served only with the members of his hiking club
- D He served mostly by giving speeches about the poor
Why is that the right answer?
Real friendship or just getting along?
Pier Giorgio built a friend group that hiked, prayed and served together. Sort each online or in-person choice: does it build real communion, or does it just get along? Check one box for each.
| Item | Builds real communion | Just gets along |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a group chat that plans a service project | ||
| Staying silent while a classmate is mocked online | ||
| Putting your phone away to listen to a friend | ||
| Posting a good deed mainly to collect likes | ||
| Inviting the new student to join your game or team | ||
| Sharing a rumor because everyone else already has | ||
| Praying for a friend and telling them you did |
Becoming a saint
Which miracle did the Church approve before Pier Giorgio was canonized in 2025? Circle one.
- A A climber in the Alps was rescued from a storm
- B A poor man in Turin was cured of polio
- C A seminarian in California was healed of a torn tendon
- D A student in Rome was freed from prison
Why is that the right answer?
Think, pair, share
Pier Giorgio’s friends, the “Tipi Loschi,” hiked, prayed and helped the poor together. What do your friend groups, in person and online, mostly do together? What would it take for one of them to pull each other “to the heights”?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “My group chat is mostly about ...”“One thing we could start doing together is ...”“A friend who pulls me higher is someone who ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
Lord Jesus, draw us upward, to the heights.
Give us joyful friendships and eyes that see people in need.
Make us brave enough to do good without being noticed.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Verso l’alto!
Pier Giorgio shows that a young person can be holy while having fun and living a normal life.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Pick one friend group or group chat and suggest one thing this week that lifts it higher: a kind word, an invitation or an act of service.