The faithful come together to celebrate Pier Giorgio Frassati in McKean
By Annie Moks & Allison Mosier09/09/2025
At St. Francis Xavier Parish Center in McKean, the weekend of Sept. 6–7 was filled with anticipation, joy and faith as parishioners and the faithful community gathered to honor a man who has inspired Catholics around the world, Pier Giorgio Frassati. On Saturday evening, following the vigil Mass, the parish hosted a special showing of a film recounting the life of the young Italian layman whose deep love for Christ and dedication to others led him to be canonized as a saint by Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, Sept. 7.
The evening was more than a movie screening. Parishioners and guests shared pizza, popcorn and drinks, creating a warm, family-like atmosphere that reflected Pier Giorgio’s own joy in community life. As the story of his short but remarkable journey unfolded on the screen, those in attendance witnessed how Pier Giorgio lived his faith with simplicity, courage and an adventurous spirit. He served the poor in secret, led friends in prayer and sought God in the beauty of the mountains. The film illuminated the very qualities that the universal church celebrated in Rome the following day when he was declared a saint.
Mary Duncan, a parishioner of St. Patrick’s Parish in Erie, expressed her excitement to see the movie at such a historic moment. “I had heard about the film and really wanted to see it,” she said. “With he and Carlo becoming saints, and both of them being so young, it makes holiness feel real and possible in our time.” Her words echoed the sentiments of many who find encouragement in young saints, examples that sanctity is not reserved for those with long religious lives, but for ordinary people who live with extraordinary faith.
For Father Ben Daghir, pastor of St. Francis Xavier, Pier Giorgio’s life holds timeless lessons. “Saints are timeless,” he said. “People turned to Pier Giorgio in the 1920s when he was alive, and people are still turning to him now as he is made a saint.” Father Ben has been particularly drawn to Frassati’s ability to evangelize through joy and friendship. This summer, along with his brother Father Luke Daghir, he led a men’s retreat titled To the Heights, a phrase often associated with Pier Giorgio’s love of mountain climbing and his view that every Christian is called to strive toward the heights of holiness. By rooting the retreat in Pier Giorgio’s writings and his love of nature, the priests helped participants discover how ordinary activities can become paths to encountering Christ.
The canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati holds special meaning for Catholics today. Known as the “man of the beatitudes,” he embodied compassion, service and joy while living an active life as a student, friend and mountain climber. Now recognized as the patron saint of mountain climbers, he reminds the faithful that the climb toward holiness requires perseverance, trust and a spirit of adventure.
For those gathered in McKean, the weekend was a tangible way to join in the global celebration of his canonization. It linked the universal church to a parish in Pennsylvania, reminding everyone that sainthood is both universal and deeply personal. As the faithful looked to Rome on Sunday, they carried with them the witness of a young man who continues to inspire people of every generation to reach “to the heights.”
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