Farewell to Luciana Frassati

Pollone, Italy, was home to Luciana Frassati Gawronska. Although her primary residence was in other cities, she always came back to the family villa which was built in 1875 by her maternal grandfather, Francesco Ametis. On August 18, 2007, she celebrated her 105th birthday there. On Sunday, October 7, 2007, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, she drew her last breath rather peacefully in the room she had stayed in for 105 years.

A funeral Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Turin, Italy, at 11:30 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, October 9th. The body of her beloved brother, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, rests in a side altar in that same Cathedral not far from the location of the Holy Shroud of Turin.

The simple wooden coffin adorned with a large spray of white roses was carried into the Cathedral and paused momentarily in front of the tomb of Pier Giorgio. It then rested on the floor of the Cathedral throughout the ceremony. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Severino Poletto, archbishop of Turin, with many concelebrants. At the conclusion of the Mass, Luciana's daughter, Wanda Gawronska, spoke beautiful words of farewell to her mother on behalf of her family.

Following the Mass in Turin, the funeral procession made its way to the little village of Pollone, Italy, where a second Mass of Christian Burial was held in the parish church, La Parrocchia. The bishop of Biella, Gabriele Mana, was the main celebrant for the second Mass.

Afterward, the procession traveled along Via Pier Giorgio Frassati to reach the Pollone cemetery. The local priest, Don Mario, presided over the final blessing and then the coffin was placed in the family crypt in the same space once occupied by the coffin of Pier Giorgio.

Luciana Frassati was preceded in death by her husband, the Polish diplomat Jan Gawronski. She leaves behind six children (Jas, Alfredo, Wanda, Giovanna, Maria Grazia, Nella) and 13 grandchildren. She graduated with a degree in law and wrote many books including biographies of her brother and her father as well as books of poetry and history. She was the daughter of Adelaide Ametis and Alfredo Frassati.

May God grant her eternal memory and blessed repose.