This biography in Pauline's "Encounter the Saints Series" for juvenile readers is a superb account of Blessed Teresa as a tireless worker for poor and sick people in India.

Pier Giorgio Frassati lived only twenty-four short years, but lived them to the fullest. His student escapades, athletic achievements, and dedication to helping the poor combined to make this amazing young man a truly contemporary role model for young peo

His friends called him an explosion of joy. Mountain climbing, music, practical jokes, and political debates were among his many passions. With film-star looks, commonsense intelligence, and amazing athleticism, Pier Giorgio Frassati had every reason to pursue worldly success. He chose to focus on higher goals instead. Identified as "the man of the eight beatitudes" and recognized as one of the most fascinating and relatable saintly examples of the twentieth century, he was devoted to the Eucharist and the Blessed Mother and led a mostly hidden life of charity that ultimately cost him his life at the age of twenty-four. When his body was exhumed in 1981, it was found to be perfectly incorrupt. He was beatified in 1990. All three popes since then have commended this dynamic young Italian's life to the Church - and especially to younger Catholics. Book jacket.

In this definitive biography, Cristina Siccardi situates the appealing figure of young Pier Giorgio Frassati in early 20th century Turin, Italy. In the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Italy where the memory of Savoy is still alive there are two contrasting forms of enterprise: one of older stamp, attentive to the values of patriotism and integrity; the other tending toward ever more acquisitive forms of capitalism. In this environment Pier Giorgio, the young heir of Senator Alfredo Frassati, founder of the newspaper La Stampa, makes his own choice for the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, seeking not so much to solve general problems but to make Christ and the Church more present to those in need. That was the motivation for his assisting in many charitable works of the St. Vincent Society, his support for the Popular Party, and his development of a spirituality of engaged and diligent action. His devotion to friendship and to sports was extraordinary, with a special love for mountain hiking, which was for him both enjoyable exercise and the contemplation of creation, as well as a symbol of his striving for perfection in virtue. Other important aspects that will passionately engage readers of this book include the story of the famous Frassati family, and the marked contrasts among its members--especially the bond of division/union between father and son. Alfredo Frassati, a man of notable accomplishments, will discover, when his widely beloved son dies, a completely new dimension of the world. There follows a spiritual deepening, year after year, which leaves its traces in several letters to Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Pope Paul VI. This book describes an extraordinary itinerary of holiness, but also a key to understanding the history of Italy in the 20th century. Pope John Paul II said about Pier Giorgio on the day of his Beatification (20 May, 1990): "Faith and charity, the true driving forces of his existence, made him active and diligent in the milieu in which he lived, in his family, in the university and society; they transformed him into a joyful apostle of Christ, a passionate follower of his message and charity. The secret of his apostolic zeal and holiness is found in the ascetical and spiritual journey which he traveled; in prayer, in persevering adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, in his thirst for the Word of God; in the peaceful acceptance of life's difficulties; in chastity lived as a cheerful, uncompromising discipline."

Pier Giorgio Frassati is situated in the social and political upheaval of early-twentieth-century Italy. The Roman Catholic Church read the warning signs of atheistic Marxism; Mussolini filled Italy’s political vacuum with fascists; and Rome was still Italy’s disputed capital. The biography draws from a synopsis of selected letters and witness accounts, revealing Pier Giorgio’s increasing engagement with the world around him, shaped by his spiritual life. Pier Giorgio belonged to an upper-middle-class family and his parents transmitted fundamental values of truth, courage, and justice. Although he was deeply loved by his parents, they did not share his religious zeal. Pier Giorgio was concerned about helping the poor in the slums of Turin, the needy German students in Berlin, but especially in contributing to world peace. His spiritual maturity was expressed by making sacrifices: his friendship with a young lady offered up, bidding farewell to his best friend leaving for the Air Force, watching his sister depart once married, and his career in mining engineering abandoned. Pier Giorgio stood alone. He remained at home for the good of his parents to ensure peace and unity. He died at twenty-four years old.

This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry