In 2017, a seminarian’s basketball injury led to an extraordinary miracle that would contribute to the cause for the canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Father Juan Gutierrez, then a seminarian at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California, tore his Achilles tendon during a game. His MRI confirmed the injury, and he faced a long, painful recovery and the potential of costly surgery. With a heavy heart, Gutierrez sought solace in prayer at the seminary chapel.

Inspired by his faith, Gutierrez decided to pray a novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. A few days later, as he prayed alone in the chapel, something remarkable happened. He felt a sensation of intense heat around his injured foot, a sensation that he initially thought was a fire. Upon checking, he found no fire, but the heat persisted. Having experienced the Charismatic Renewal movement, Gutierrez recognized this as a sign of God’s healing power. He gazed at the tabernacle, weeping, deeply moved by the experience.

Miraculously, his physical healing followed. The next day, he walked without pain and no longer needed a brace. A visit to his orthopedic surgeon confirmed the impossible: the tear seen on the MRI was completely gone. The surgeon was astounded, and no medical explanation could account for the sudden disappearance of the injury.

“This healing was a miracle,” said Los Angeles Archbishop José Gómez. “His doctors could not explain it. And we believe that Jesus continues to work miracles from heaven through the intercession of the saints.”

Gutierrez’s story soon sparked an investigation by the Vatican into the miracle, with Monsignor Robert Sarno leading the process. Sarno, who had met Gutierrez during his time teaching at St. John’s Seminary, recognized the significance of the event and brought it to the attention of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The investigation is now in its final stages, and Frassati’s canonization is expected in the coming year.

Father Gutierrez, still humbled by the experience, reflects, “This healing reminds us that prayer works. The saints can help us pray, and there is someone listening to our prayers.”

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was known for his deep love of the Eucharist, joy for life, and compassion for the poor, will soon be recognized as a saint—a “saint for our times,” according to Archbishop Gómez. Frassati’s life and witness continue to inspire young people, especially in their search for meaning and purpose in a world that can often feel confusing.

For Father Gutierrez, the healing has not only given him a new life free of pain but has also introduced him to a heavenly friend and intercessor in Pier Giorgio Frassati. “God has given me not only an intercessor but also a friend,” he shares, expressing profound gratitude for the journey that has brought him closer to faith.

As Frassati’s canonization approaches, Gutierrez’s miraculous healing serves as a powerful reminder that God is ever-present, working through the saints to answer our prayers. And in Frassati, we have a model of holiness, joy, and service that continues to touch lives, both on earth and in heaven.