Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati will be declared a Saint by Pope Leo XIV on September 7th, 2025. A second miraculous healing attributed to his intercession was recognized by Pope Francis in a decree on Nov. 25, 2024.
Editors note: To be declared a saint in the Catholic Church, two miracles are generally required, attributed to the intercession of the candidate after their death. (In the case of martyrs, only one miracle is needed). The process for becoming a saint involves beatification, where one miracle is proven, followed by canonization, which requires a second miracle.
The first miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Domenico Sellan: Domenico was 40 years old in 1933 and suffering from a tubercular disease of the spine, was paralyzed and nearing death. A priest visited him on December 28, 1933, and brought him a small prayer card of Pier Giorgio (whose cause for canonization was opened soon after his death). Domenico was miraculously cured and lived another 35 years.
The second miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Juan Gutierrez: Juan Gutierrez, 38, was a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. Juan tore his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with other seminarians in 2017.
The day after getting an MRI for his torn tendon, he became concerned about the long, painful recovery as well the expenses that would be incurred. Juan headed for the seminary chapel “with a heavy heart”.
As he prayed, Juan felt inspired to make a novena to Pier Giorgio Frassati. A few days into the novena, Gutierrez went into the chapel to pray when nobody was there. As he prayed, he recalled feeling an unusual sensation around his injured foot.
“I was praying, and I started to feel a sensation of heat around the area of my injury. I honestly thought that maybe something was catching on fire, underneath the pews,” Juan recalled at a press conference on Dec. 16, 2024. Juan remembered from his experiences with the charismatic renewal movement that heat can be associated with healing from God. He found himself gazing at the tabernacle, weeping.
“That event touched me deeply,” Juan said.
He was not only touched spiritually, but he was also healed physically. Incredibly, he was able to walk normally again and no longer needed a brace!
Juan was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in June 2023 and is now Father Juan Gutierrez.
Source: Vatican News Service
You can read the story of Pier Georgio Frassati and his tomb in Turin, Italy here