Father Dave welcomes Bobby Angel to discuss how one of the Church’s newest saints, Pier Giorgio Frassati, can be a role model for all of us. Bobby is a Catholic speaker, author, and certified mentor for the CatholicPsych Institute. His new book is called “The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue.”
Bobby discusses parallels between the lives of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati and Saint Carlo Acutis, who were both canonized on September 7, 2025. “You have two Italian men living 100 years apart. One had the internet, one did not; both had a heart for the poor,” he says. “Both came from families that weren’t devout, and it really was the involvement of other people, whether it was a nanny or teachers, that planted the seeds of the faith in their heart. Their witness ended up bringing their families into or back into the Catholic faith.”
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“Pier Giorgio Frassati had a deep love for the poor. He would give his shoes away and walk barefoot. He would give his winter coat out in the dead of winter, just because someone needed it,” Bobby continues. “A lot of people know him as this cheerful saint climbing mountains, and a young, dapper man laughing with friends. He was a prankster and loved the outdoors; He also loved our Lord and the Eucharist.”
He notes how these qualities make Saint Pier Giorgio relatable. “[A saint] can be engaging with life, with friendships, and with nature. He inspired the man who became Saint John Paul II, who called him ‘a man of the Beatitudes,’” Bobby says. “ His life asked, what about action? Let’s take prayer seriously, but let’s also get out there and get after it in very ordinary ways.”
In his book, Bobby outlines virtues that Saint Pier Giorgio embodies, including wonder. “[It’s about] regaining a sense of wonder and awe, and to not do things in a mediocre way. For us, who are all so tech-addicted today, just screen hopping, we have less attention than a goldfish now. There is something rehabilitating about being in nature that destimulates us and calms us down,” he says. “It’s not about worshiping the mountain; It’s about worshiping the Creator who created the mountain.”
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They also assess the virtue of freedom, and Father Dave says, “I think it’s important to talk about it, particularly today, when our country prides itself on that concept and interprets it often in very different ways than our Catholic faith does.” Bobby responds, “For us as Americans, we hear ‘freedom’ and we think [it means] the license to do whatever I want. The Catholic understanding is something much more rich, which is the freedom to do the good.”
“‘Freedom exists for the sake of love,’ Saint John Paul II said. It’s not just freedom in a vacuum, because in my God-given freedom and agency, I can choose the wrong. I can choose the thing that’s going to diminish my greatness; I can choose sin,” Bobby continues. “Frassati, who wanted to avoid mediocrity at all cost, knew that my freedom must be used well. My time must be used well, whether that was in life-enriching activities such as spending time with friends, being in nature, or spending all night in adoration. …I have one shot at this life here on Earth, so how am I going to use my freedom well?”
Bobby highlights that Saint Pier Giorgio and Saint Carlo remind us that there is no perfect time to strive for sainthood. “The Holy Spirit knows what he’s doing in elevating both of these guys [to sainthood] at the same time. I see a generation, mine and younger, that really hyperventilates about vocation, like there’s a lot of anxiety about getting it right,” he says. “[They say] ‘I’ll be happy when I’m a priest,’ or ‘I’ll be happy when I’m married.’ We’re elevating two young adults — a 15-year-old and 24-year-old — not in a vocation proper. It is not about ‘I’ll be holy when I’m in a vocation’ or ‘My life starts in a vocation.’ Your life starts right now; You can literally be a saint now in your state.”
