The Catholic Church commemorates Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati on 4 July. He was a courageous young man who served the poor and promoted Christian values in politics. Here are the excerpts from a loving letter he wrote to his mother, in which he praises maternal care.
On 19 July 1922, Pier Giorgio wrote a letter to his mother, Mrs Adelaida Ametis. She was a very renowned painter, so much so that the then King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, had bought one of her paintings at the Venice Biennale, one of the most prestigious international art exhibitions in the world.
In the letter, the blessed man tells his mother that he feels sorry because she thinks things that are not true, without specifying what he means. However, he acknowledges that “a mother’s advice is always the wisest and is always good, even when one is already old.”
She then emphasizes that she had been away from him that year, but that it had helped her “appreciate what it means to not have our mother nearby, who yells at us now and then, but who at night gives us a kiss and her blessing.”
Pier Giorgio regrets not being at his side in Pollone, north of Turin, and explains that this is due to the distance and the demanding studies. In this regard, he points out that the “third year” of university is “very hard” and that sacrifices must be made to reach the goal. “But let us not complain, because in this life there are greater miseries,” he emphasizes.
Later he says goodbye saying: “Dear Mom, forgive me for all the little inconveniences I have caused you, but rest assured that, if I ever failed you, in the future I will try to be better, because I think of you often and I always pray to God to give you the comfort that I, because of my defects, cannot give you, even though I love you very much.”
“Kisses to you and Aunt,” concludes with affection Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died in his mother’s arms on 4 July 1925.