The UST Senior High School – Music, Arts, and Design (SHS MAD) track collaborated with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to stage an original musical production about the SHS patron, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, O.P. The play premiered on Bl. Frassati鈥檚 feast day, July 4, at the Frassati Auditorium, and had additional shows on July 5 and 6, 2024.
Titled 鈥�Verso L鈥橝lto! Ang Buhay at Kabanalan ni Pier Giorgio Frassati鈥�, the play was directed by Remus Villanueva and written by Eljay Deldoc, with music composed by TJ Ramos and choreographed by Larra Nicavera. SHS MAD Strand Chair Juan Carlos Santos and Mr. Melchor Berja of CCP served as the Overall In-Charge of Production and Production Manager, respectively.
The cast featured a mix of students and academic staff, including Alfredo Jaranilla as the young Frassati, Efraim Fernandez in the dual role of the adult Pier Giorgio Frassati and Alfredo Frassati, Mena Angela Oliveros as Adelaide Ametis, Allyson Romualdo as Luciana Frassati Precious Isamel Cervana as Laura Hidalgo, and Rod Allen Samut as Padre Pietro Lombardi.
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, O.P., was born in Italy on August 6, 1901, to Adelaide and Alfredo Frassati. A young man of faith and action, he was a generous and active member of Catholic organizations and various charitable activities who became known for his dedication to Catholic social justice. He joined the Third Order of St. Dominic in 1922.
While caring for the sick, Frassati contracted polio and passed away at the young age of 24, in the year 1925. His final message was a plea to help another poor man in need, leaving behind a powerful testament to his compassion. He was beatified in 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who named him 鈥淭he Man of the Eight Beatitudes鈥�. It was announced by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro that Bl. Frassati would be canonized in 2025.
