The Sisters who Serve Frassati

Pier Giorgio Frassati crossed paths with religious sisters from many communities during his lifetime.  He received his First Holy Communion in the chapel of the Sister Helpers of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  He went to Mass and Confession in the chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph.  He ordered special rosaries from the Angeline Franciscan Sisters. 

When Pier Giorgio's grandmother Linda began to fail, the family hired Sister Angelica to stay in the home and take care of her.  And when Pier Giorgio was dying, it was Sister Michelina who helped him make the sign of the cross.  After his death, Sisters from these and several other congregations submitted testimonies about their personal encounters with him. 

These days, it is the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word who are helping to spread the spirituality of Blessed Frassati by making resources available through the online store.  Many novelty-type items from koozies to tattoo decals have popped up online over the years but the official place for devotional items such as holy cards, The Pact kits and hand-made rosaries and the only place for the Frassati-family-designed medal is the Casa Maria Bookstore.

I first met the Sister Servants in 2009, when I brought Wanda Gawronska to their convent and retreat house Casa Maria for a visit.  (Wanda, a niece of Blessed Frassati, has a connection with one of the Sisters who happened to be out of the country when we stopped by.) Several years later, I returned to Casa Maria for a life-changing retreat with Father Jacques Philippe.  One amazing thing led to another and I returned again to Casa Maria to offer a retreat experience on reaching the heights of holiness with Blessed Pier Giorgio.

When the Sisters offered to assume the responsibility of shipping Frassati resources a few years ago, it considerably lightened the load of FrassatiUSA where mailings were overtaking the mission of the ministry.  Their commitment to evangelization is consistent with Blessed Pier Giorgio's own apostolate of persuasion.  They share his Dominican spirit, his devotion to the Eucharist, his love for Our Blessed Mother and his charism of joy. 

Hopefully, the Sister Servants will soon be able to offer retreats in person again at Casa Maria.  In the meantime, check out their virtual retreat schedule, their online store and did I mention their musical gifts?



I'm so grateful for this wonderful community and feel confident Blessed Pier Giorgio would be right at home in the midst of them. 

Verso l'alto!  ///cmw