“The Blessed gave glory to his Order with all the passion and pride of being a member of it with all his faith and all his strength” (Nicola Gori).
In view of the canonisation of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, who will reach the honour of the altars during the Holy Mass of 3 August 2025, as the culminating event of the Jubilee of the Youth, it is worth highlighting his love for the Order of Preachers, as Nicola Gori underlines in his book “Sulla via dell’amore. Studio su un carteggio di Pier Giorgio Frassati con un amico” (“On the way of love. Study on a correspondence between Pier Giorgio Frassati and a friend”), in the collection “Notebooks of the Dominican Family”, in which he writes: “Like St. Dominic, contemplative in action and preacher of the Gospel in every place and in every situation, the Blessed gave glory to his Order with all the passion and pride of being a member of it with all his faith and all his strength”.
Pier Giorgio Frassati came into contact with the Order in 1918 and joined it as a layman in 1922, “a considered and certainly not improvised choice, because to profess as a tertiary in an Order is not like enrolling in just any association, but requires a strong Christian commitment, He recalls that, after his profession, a new path began for him in imitation of St. Dominic and other Dominican figures, such as St. Catherine of Siena, whose Dialogue on Divine Providence and Life he often read; St. Thomas Aquinas, beginning the systematic reading of the “Summa Theologica”; and Bro Jerome Savonarola, from whom took his religious name, Jerome.
“I am writing to you while I have that beautiful book of St Thomas Aquinas open before me, and when I read those sublime concepts, I always think of you, who were the first to instil in me the desire to know the great truths contained in this work written to exalt and glorify Divine Providence”, Pier Giorgio wrote in a letter of March 1923 to his friend Antonio Villani, to whom, in August of the same year, he expressed his joy at his desire to enter the Third Order, of which he was already a member: “I am very happy that you want to be part of the great family of St. Dominic (….).) I hope that you will take the habit in the magnificent temple of Turin and, then, I will be with you to give you a fraternal embrace (…) you, who are already united to me by the bonds of fraternity through the Blood of N.S.G.C. (Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, Our Lord Jesus Christ n.d.r.), you will be doubly united to me through the Blood of N.S.G.C. (Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo, Our Lord Jesus Christ n.d.r.).), you will be doubly so because you have St. Dominic in common with me as Father”, reads the letter, included in the book of his sister Luciana Frassati, “Lettere di Pier Giorgio Frassati” (“Letters of Pier Giorgio Frassati”), signed by Pier Giorgio with his religious name, “Fra Girolamo” (“Brother Jerome”), with which he would have often signed his letters. Luciana Frassati, who in her book adds some comments on her brother’s letters, writes that there is no need to comment on this letter, because “Pier Giorgio’s own voice reconfirms, but with much more richness and warmth”, what has already been said about his belonging to the Third Order of St. Dominic.
Letters published in the book “Lettere di Pier Giorgio Frassati” by Luciana Frassati, from which the quotations in the article are taken. (Automatically translated from Italian)
S. Croce, 26 marzo 1923
Carissimo Villani, Grazie della tua lettera e delle buone parole ivi contenute.
Ti scrivo mentre ho dinanzi aperto quel bel libro di S. Tommaso d’Aquino e quando leggo quei sublimi concetti, penso sempre a te che sei stato il primo ad infondere in me il desiderio di conoscere le grandi verità contenute in questa opera scritta per esaltare, glorificare la Divina Provvidenza.
In questi giorni in cui nella tranquillità di questa casa noi ci raccogliamo per pregare, pregherò anche per te, e tu prega molto per me, affinchè, se purtroppo nella vita terrena dovremo stare lontani per le esigenze della nostra carriera, almeno nel giorno in cui il Signore vorrà, ci ritroveremo insieme nella nostra vera Patria a cantare le lodi di Dio.
Appena tornato a Torino se la buona volontà non mi mancherà, riprenderò gli studi perchè avrei intenzione di dare il colloquio di Grassi e poi a luglio Termotecnica Idraulica e chimica metallurgica. Anzi se tu hai qualche appunto riguardante queste materie ti prego di portarmeli quando verrai a Torino.
Pochi giorni fa ho dato l’esame di disegno di macchine ho preso 60%, non mi meritavo di più non avendo fatto io i disegni, e di chimica applicata. Quest’ultimo esame è andato bene sul principio e poi non tanto in fine e così ho avuto 65%; pazienza un’altra volta studierò di più e così mi meriterò più bei voti.
E tu cosa fai? Hai sempre molto da fare?
Credo che rimpiangerai la vita universitaria con le sue buone attrattive.
Addio caro Villani ed arrivederci presto.
Auguri di buona Pasqua a tutti i tuoi e a te in particolare in G. C. Fra Girolamo
E tu cosa fai di bello?
S. Croce, 26 March 1923
Dear Villani, Thank you for your letter and for the kind words contained in it.
I write to you while I have open before me that beautiful book of St. Thomas Aquinas, and when I read those sublime concepts, I always think of you, who were the first to instil in me the desire to know the great truths contained in this work written to exalt and glorify Divine Providence.
In these days when in the quiet of this house we gather in prayer, I will also pray for you, and you pray much for me, so that, although unfortunately in earthly life we will have to be far away because of the needs of our careers, at least on the day when the Lord wills, we will meet together in our true homeland to sing the praises of God.
As soon as I return to Turin, if I am not lacking in goodwill, I will resume my studies because I intend to take the Grassi exam and then in July those of Hydraulic Thermotechnics and Metallurgical Chemistry. Moreover, if you have any notes on these subjects, please bring them to me when you come to Turin.
A few days ago I took the Design of Machines exam and I got 60%, I didn’t deserve more as I didn’t do the designs, and the Applied Chemistry exam. This last exam went well at the beginning and then not so well at the end, and so I got 65%; patience, I will study more again and then I will deserve better marks.
What do you do? Do you always have a lot to do?
I think you will miss university life with its good attractions.
Goodbye dear Villani and see you soon.
Happy Easter to all your loved ones and in particular to you, in G. C. (Jesus Christ) Brother Jeronimo
What are you doing?
Pollone, 31 agosto 1923
Carissimo, Rispondo ora alle tue 2 lettere per le ragioni che tu ben conosci. La parte prima della tua ultima lettera è al quanto misteriosa; non riesco a capire bene il significato di certi periodi; te ne chiederò spiegazione poi a voce.
Sono contentissimo che tu voglia far parte della grande famiglia di San Domenico, dove, come dice Dante «Ben s’impingua se non si vaneggia». Gli obblighi sono piccolissimi altrimenti dovresti capire che io non potrei appartenere ad un ordine che obbligasse molto.
Quando il Santo istituì il terz’ordine lo istituì come una milizia per combattere contro gli eretici ed allora avevano delle regole molto severe, seguiva quasi l’antica regola del primo ordine, ma ora è stata trasformata non v’è più rimasta traccia di obblighi severi. Bisognerebbe recitare ogni giorno l’Ufficio Domenicano della Madonna oppure il Rosario, ma anche questo senza commettere alcun peccato mortale se deliberatamente tu un giorno o parecchi giorni lo tralasciassi di recitare.
Spero che tu faccia la vestizione nel magnifico tempio di Torino ed allora sarò vicino a te per darti l’abbraccio fraterno; poichè tu che già sei a me legato dai vincoli della fratellanza per il Sangue di N.S.G.C. lo sarai doppiamente anche per avere comune con me per Padre San Domenico.
Mi piacerebbe molto che tu assumessi il nome di Fra Girolamo, non perchè è il nome che io ho come figlio di San Domenico, ma perchè mi ricorda una figura a me cara e certamente anche a te, che hai comune a me gli stessi sentimenti contro i corrotti costumi, la figura di Girolamo Savonarola, di cui io molto indegnamente porto il nome. Ammiratore fervente di questo frate, morto da santo sul patibolo, ho voluto nel farmi terziario prenderlo come modello, ma purtroppo sono ben lungi da imitarlo. Pensaci e poi scrivimi le tue idee in proposito.
In quanto a Genova non ho ancora deciso nulla.
Ti ringrazio anche a nome dei miei delle buone parole che in questi momenti giungono così gradite specialmente quando vengono non solo pensate ma sentite col cuore che come il tuo so vicino a me in queste ore.
Ossequi ai tuoi a te mille cose in G. C. Fra Girolamo
(Pollone, 31 August 1923)
Dear friend, I am now replying to your two letters for reasons you know well. The first part of your last letter is somewhat mysterious; I do not quite understand the meaning of certain paragraphs; I shall ask you for an explanation later, personally.
I am very happy that you want to be part of the great family of St. Dominic, where, as Dante says, “Ben s’impingua se non si vaneggia”. The obligations are very small; otherwise, you would understand that I could not belong to an order that obliges much.
When the Saint instituted the third order, he instituted it as a militia to fight against heretics and then they had very severe rules, almost following the old rule of the first order, but now it has been transformed and no trace of severe obligations remains. The Dominican Office of Our Lady or the Rosary must be prayed every day, but even this without committing any mortal sin if you deliberately forget to pray it on one or more days.
I hope that you will take the habit in the magnificent temple of Turin, and then I will be with you to give you a fraternal embrace; for you, who are already united to me by the bonds of fraternity through the Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, will be doubly so, having St. Dominic as your Father in common with me.
I would very much like you to take the name of Brother Jerome, not because it is the name I have as a son of St. Dominic, but because it reminds me of a figure dear to me and certainly also to you, who, like me, have the same feelings against corrupt customs: the figure of Jerome Savonarola, whose name I unworthily bear. A fervent admirer of this friar, who died as a saint on the scaffold, when I became a tertiary I wanted to take him as a model, but unfortunately I am far from imitating him. Think about it and then write me your thoughts on the matter.
As for Genoa, I have not yet decided anything.
I thank you also on behalf of mine for the kind words that are so welcome at this time, especially when they are not only thought, but felt with the heart, which, like yours, I know is close to me at this time.
Respectful greetings to yours and a thousand good things to you, in (Jesus Christ) Brother Jerome.
