Pier was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901. His mother, Adelaide, was a painter, and his father, Alfredo, was the director and founder of a newspaper called “La Stampa”. He was also an Italian senator and Ambassador to Germany. A high political position that Pier refused to be recognized …show more content…
He was so special that he was granted the rare permission at the time to receive Daily Communion. As he said, “I urge you with all the strength of my soul to approach the Eucharistic Table as often as possible.” so it’s no surprise that the two poles of his life of prayer were the Holy Eucharist, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
With his great Catholic faith, he felt called to serve in the periphery by giving to the poor. He would constantly give his bus fare for charity and run home to catch meals. He considered it an honor and a privilege to be a servant of the poor and suffering. By 1921, at the age of 20, he was a central figure in Ravenna.
Pier was anti-fascist, and participated in church-organized demonstrations in Rome. He withstood police violence and rallied other people by grabbing a banner the the police had knocked out of a petitioner’s hands. Many people were arrested, including Pier and some of his friends. Because of his father’s high political position, the police officers offered him a better cell, but he refused them to stay with his friends. And all the time, praying for