On Sept. 7, 2025, 80,000 worshippers gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for Pope Leo XIV’s first two canonizations: Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. During his homely, the pope addressed especially the young people, presenting the lives of these new saints—however brief—as guides for holiness. He said of Frassati, “Pier Giorgio’s life is a beacon for lay spirituality. For him, faith was not a private devotion, but it was driven by the power of the Gospel and his membership in ecclesial associations. He was also generously committed to society, contributed to political life and devoted himself ardently to the service of the poor.” Pier Giorgio Frassati was born April 6, 1901, in Turin to a rich bourgeois family. His father, Alfredo, was a lawyer and ambassador, as well as founder and director of the newspaper “La Stampa.” His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a passionate and successful painter. Both parents were agnostic. Yet, little Pier Giorgio was struck by the stories of the Gospel, sometimes in such a profound way that he reacted in unexpected ways for such a small child. The Frassatis were one of the city’s most prominent families, but the young boy preferred to be the “porter” of the poor, dragging the carts loaded with household goods of the evicted through the streets of Turin. Pier Giorgio continued assisting the needy, becoming known for giving whatever he had to the poor. The Catholic News Agency reports how he “would even use his bus fare for charity and then run home to be on time for meals.” His sister Luciana, younger by a year, was an inseparable companion in games and study. Pier Giorgio attended the “Massimo d’Azeglio” high school and the “social institute” run by the Jesuit Fathers. Here he began the practice of daily Communion which he maintained throughout his life. In 1918 Pier Giorgio enrolled at the Polytechnic of Turin, studying mechanical engineering with a mining specialization to “serve Christ among the miners.” He was part of the “Militates Mariae” of the Catholic Action of the parish of Crocetta and was also enrolled in religious associations, including the Apostolate of Prayer, an association of young nocturnal worshippers, and the Marian Congregation. During a stay in Germany, Giorgio devoted himself to visiting museums, mining facilities, youth clubs and Catholic works of assistance to the poor, confirming his lay vocation. As a member of the Conference of St. Vincent he visited the most needy families to bring them comfort and material help. He usually went there in the morning, before classes at the university, or during evening outings, loaded with packages. In May of 1922, in the Turin church of San Domenico, he received the habit of a Dominican tertiary. As such, he recited the rosary every day, which he always carried in his breast pocket, not hesitating to take it out at any time to pray, on the tram or on the train, even on the street. “My will,” he said, showing the rosary, “I always carry it in my pocket.” Dynamic, strong-willed, full of life, Giorgio loved mountain climbing. He often walked to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Oropa in the Alpine town of Biella, Italy. Arriving at the sanctuary, after an hour of walking and complete fasting, he would attend Mass and Communion. On his way back home, he recited the rosary along the street, loudly singing the litanies. During his final mountain climb, he wrote a simple note on a photograph: “Verso L’Alto”—“To the Heights.”This would be his motto. A way of life. On June 30, 1925, Pier Giorgio acquired a strange illness, suddenly suffering migraines and lack of appetite. It was not a trivial flu, but a fulminant poliomyelitis, a form of polio. The disease killed him in just four days, on July 4, amid the bewilderment and pain of his family and many friends and acquaintances. He was only 24 years old. Pier Giorgio was born into the life of Heaven on Saturday, a Marian day, just as he had come into the world on Saturday, Holy Saturday, 24 years earlier. On May 20, 1990, he was beatified in Saint Peter’s Square by Saint John Paul II. That day, as my duty, I was the honor guard nearest the altar. Next to me was a cardinal in a wheelchair. For that reason, the cameras would often zoom on him and consequently on me. My parents, my relatives, and many of my friends, saw me on TV that day and they made sure to let me know. From my post I heard John Paul call Pier Giorgio a “joyful apostle of Christ.” He proclaimed by his example that it is worth sacrificing everything to serve the Lord. His life testified that holiness is possible for everyone and that only the revolution of charity can ignite in the hearts of men the hope of a better future. John Paul proposed him as a “heroic model of Christian perfection” and Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV, while elevating him to the glory of sainthood, reminded us of that. At a superficial glance, Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati’s existence did not present anything extraordinary. But it is precisely this fact that is the originality of his virtue, which invites reflection and pushes to imitation. In him, faith and daily events blended harmoniously, so much that the adherence to the Gospel translated into loving attention to the poor and the needy, in a continuous growth until his last days. Nothing prevented him from having a constant relationship with our Lord. His earthly day was all immersed in the mystery of God and dedicated to the constant service of others. Pier Giorgio was a lay Christian, whose vocation was manifested in multiple associative and political commitments, in a society in turmoil, indifferent and sometimes hostile to the Church. He lived with joy and pride, where he committed himself to love Jesus and to see in the Lord the brothers he met and which he sought in places of suffering, marginalization and abandonment, making them feel the warmth of his solidarity and the comfort of faith. Today Pier Giorgio demonstrates that the secret of holiness, the universal vocation of the baptized, is truly within everyone’s reach because when the heart is filled with God, faith is translated into the generous service of others. May Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati be a master to follow! We publish a variety of perspectives. Nothing written here is to be construed as representing the views of The Daily Signal. The post The Brief, Servant’s Life of Newly Sainted Pier Giorgio Frassati appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The man seen on video fatally stabbing a female Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte train was a repeat offender out of jail on cashless bail.  A magistrate judge in North Carolina released him with a “written promise” to show up in court, the New York Post reported Monday night. In a video released over the weekend of the Aug. 22 murder, Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, is seen stabbing the 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, on the Charlotte train. Brown was charged in the crime, according to the Post. Brown was arrested at least 14 times before in North Carolina, according to news reports. The alleged crimes included assault, illegal firearms possession, felony robbery, and larceny. The charges date back to 2007, the Post reported. Brown’s mother told Charlotte TV station WSOC that her son was a schizophrenic and should not have been free.  President Donald Trump blamed soft-on-crime policies across the country in remarks Monday, specifically calling out cashless bail. “This cashless bail started a wave in the country where a killer kills somebody and is out in the street by the afternoon—in many cases killing again,” Trump said. Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. to end cashless bail on a national basis. The bill, called the “Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act,” is sponsored by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., in the Senate. “Iryna Zarutska should still be alive—her blood is on the hands of every single person who made it possible for this monster to walk free,” Moore said in a public statement. “That’s why I’m co-leading the Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act to cut off federal funds to any state or city that refuses to detain violent offenders. If leaders willingly refuse to do their job to lock up dangerous criminals, they shouldn’t get a dime of federal support.” Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, a Democrat, issued a statement in response to the video. “As I reflect on the tragic murder of Iryna Zarutska, my heart continues to go out to her family and our community as we try to make sense of this horrific and senseless loss,” the mayor said. “This was a tragic failure by the courts and magistrates. Our police officers arrest people only to have them quickly released, which undermines our ability to protect our community and ensure safety. We need a bipartisan solution to address repeat offenders who do not face consequences for their actions and those who cannot get treatment for their mental illness and are allowed to be on the streets.” The post Charlotte Train Stabber Was Free on Cashless Bail. What Lawmakers Want to Do About It. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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Despite having only each covered it once Monday, ABC and CBS were back Tuesday to ignoring video released in the brutal murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, omitting it from their flagship morning shows, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings. This return to a bias by omission came after Monday’s CBS Mornings broke the blackout on the lead broadcast network newscasts of this bloody, horrifying, and unprovoked attack while ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News arrived on scene later in the day. NBC’s Today was the only early Tuesday flagship show to highlight it:   As part of a larger segment on President Trump’s push to crackdown on crime nationwide and deportation operations of illegal immigrants, senior White House correspondent Gabe Gutierrez said Trump “has repeatedly framed the expansion of force around crime” and, in Tuesday morning speech, invoked the “recent attack in Charlotte, North Carolina where a Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska, was attacked on a late-night train in August.” He then played a small portion of Trump’s comments on this evil attack: “We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country.” Gutierrez then continued, offering spin from North Carolina Democrat Governor Josh Stein and Charlotte Democrat Mayor Vi Lyles: Disturbing video recently released by authorities show a man attacking the 23-year-old. Investigators say the suspect is 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., who’s now charged with murder. Police and court records show that brown had been arrested more than a dozen times. The President also posting, “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.” Now, North Carolina’s Democratic governor argues that the state needs more police officers and he’s calling for new legislation to help recruit them. Also yesterday, Charlotte’s mayor announcing the city will increase security on public transit and hire more personnel. This leaves the total network coverage of the murder at just under six and a half minutes between ABC, CBS, and NBC, a paltry number compared to, say, the Daniel Penny case or even the Epstein files. To see the relevant NBC transcript from September 9, click “expand.” NBC’s Today September 9, 2025 7:09 a.m. Eastern GABE GUTIERREZ: The President has repeatedly framed the expansion of force around crime. At the same event, responding to a recent attack in Charlotte, North Carolina where a Ukrainian woman Iryna Zarutska, was attacked on a late-night train in August. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country. GUTIERREZ: Disturbing video recently released by authorities show a man attacking the 23-year-old. Investigators say the suspect is 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., who’s now charged with murder. Police and court records show that brown had been arrested more than a dozen times. The President also posting, “her blood is on the hands of the Democrats who refuse to put bad people in jail.” Now, North Carolina’s Democratic governor argues that the state needs more police officers and he’s calling for new legislation to help recruit them. Also yesterday, Charlotte’s mayor announcing the city will increase security on public transit and hire more personnel.