Why JPII saw Blessed Frédéric Ozanam as a guide for youth

In brief

St. John Paul II presented Blessed Frédéric Ozanam as a model of holiness for young people during the 1997 World Youth Day in Paris, France.

While many modern youths look to figures like St. Pier Giorgio Frassati or St. Carlo Acutis for inspiration, Philip Kosloski reports that the late pope specifically pointed young people toward Ozanam decades ago. The pope highlighted Ozanam's unique example while presiding over the international gathering in Paris.