The miracle that opened the door to Pier Giorgio Frassati’s canonization

Several years ago, a Los Angeles priest made a dramatic recovery from an Achilles tendon injury after praying a novena to then-Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. After an investigation, the Vatican recognized the healing as a miracle — which the priest, Father Juan Gutierrez, has shared about as an incredible experience, especially for its role in Pier Giorgio’s canonization.

His healing has been attributed to the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio, clearing the way for the young Italian layman’s canonization Sept. 7.

According to Angelus News, Fr. Gutierrez spoke to media in December 2024 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Baldwin Park, where he now serves as associate pastor.

“To be part of this miracle has been like being on a roller coaster,” he said. “There have been moments of excitement, anticipation, trepidation, and even fear. There have been moments that left me thinking, ‘How did I end up here? And what was I thinking when I got on this ride?’ But at the end of the day, I am left with a heart filled with gratitude and awe at what God does in our lives.”

The priest’s story began in 2017, when he was still a seminarian at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. While playing basketball, he tore his Achilles tendon — an injury confirmed by MRI. Facing the likelihood of surgery, Fr. Gutierrez decided, on impulse, to begin a novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio.

During prayer in the seminary chapel, he said he felt a sudden warmth in his ankle. Two weeks later, doctors could find no trace of the tear that had shown up clearly on his earlier scans. What seemed medically impossible gradually became the foundation of a case for canonization.

Church officials later opened a formal investigation. Msgr. Robert Sarno, a retired official of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, oversaw the review of medical records and prayer testimony before recommending the case to Rome. 

Archbishop José H. Gomez, who ordained Fr. Gutierrez in 2022 and authorized the inquiry, told reporters: “His healing was a miracle, his doctors could not explain it.”

As news of the miracle spread, Fr. Gutierrez was quick to turn attention away from himself. 

“I happen to be a recipient of this miracle, but it’s not about me. It’s about God,” he said. “Today we gather to share a news that reminds us that prayer works, the saints can help us to pray for our needs, and that there is somebody listening to our prayers. God is always listening.”

>> Special LOOP edition this Sunday will cover canonizations of Blessed Acutis, Frassati <<