A parish in Blanchardstown is preparing for the arrival of a First Class Relic of millennial soon-to-be Saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis. The ‘God influencer,’ who grew up in London and died in 2006, is set to become the first canonisation of the 21st century, attracting a worldwide following.
St. Patrick’s Parish in Corduff will welcome the Relic of the Italian teenager this Tuesday 9th September and Wednesday, 10th September.
Parish priest Fr John Regan told Gript that the relic is a fragment of the membrane that surrounds the heart, and will be accompanied by Fr. Marco OFM, who is parish priest of Assisi – where Blessed Carlo’s incorrupt body lies for the veneration of Catholics.
The Relic’s first stop will be in Dublin, firstly at St. Patrick’s Church in Corduff, Blanchardstown, including an all night vigil. From there, the Relic will visit St. Pater and Paul’s Church in Portlaoise on the 12th and 13th September, followed by St. Mary’s Church in Navan on the 15th and 16th of September.
Its final stop will be in Dublin, with the Relic set to arrive – weather permitting – by boat down the River Liffey to visit the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in City Quay Parish.
While the Relic previously drew crowds during a visit to the dioceses of Armagh, Derry, Down and Connor, Dromore, Clogher and Tuam, this visit will mark the first since Pope Francis announced the canonization of the cheerful and computer-loving teenager in July this year. The Pope’s approval of the young website designer’s canonisation process this summer came after a second miracle, attributed to Carlo, was confirmed in May 2024.
This visit is being coordinated by Brenda Cleary, Director of Carlo Acutis Ireland, who, according to Carlo Acutis Youth Ireland, is hoping the people of Ireland will come out to venerate the relic of Carlo, dubbed ‘Millennium Saint of the Internet’ whose life was marked by a devotion to the Eucharist.
Fr John Regan, Curate of St. Patrick’s Corduff – the parish who initiated the Relic visit through contact with Assisi – says he had been inundated with emails and calls from people all over Ireland asking for details. He is hopeful that bringing the Relic to the capital will help more people learn about Carlo, and will inspire joy and hope in the lives of parishioners, particularly the young.
Fr Regan, a Pallottine priest, says the visit of the relic was inspired by a parishioner who was suffering from leukemia – the same form of cancer Carlo died from at the age of fifteen in 2006.
“We had heard about Blessed Carlo, and we initiated bringing this Relic over. We were initially inspired to bring the Relic over from Assisi in part because we were looking for a way to inspire young people, and to get young people connected with their faith.
“Ultimately what inspired us to do it though was the fact that one of our parishioners was sick with leukaemia. We had been visiting him in hospital, and this man had been reading up on Blessed Carlo Acutis – this young person, who is going to become a Saint.
“Carlo suffered from a similar form of leukemia to this parishioner. That evening, when we left the hospital room, we thought, “Wouldn’t it be lovely to get the Relic for him?” And so, I started getting in touch with the parish in Assisi, and with those responsible for the Relic. That was what put the initial idea in our hearts, and what made us put it into action.”
Fr Regan points to the two miracles, which led to Carlo being accepted as a saint by Rome. Blessed Carlo was first linked to the healing of a child in Brazil, which led to the teenager being declared blessed. The curing of a university student in Florence, who had suffered brain trauma, has been confirmed as being due to Carlo’s intercession – meaning he will be canonized by Pope Francis .
The first miracle attributed to Carlo Acutis, Fr Regan details, involved a boy from Brazil named Matteus who had a serious birth defect called an annular pancreas, which caused him difficulty eating and serious abdominal pain. He was unable to keep any food in his stomach, and vomited constantly.
The child’s mother spent years praying for her son’s healing. It was a family friend, Fr Marcelo Tenorio, who learned about the life of Carlo Acutis online. He had started praying for his beatification and in 2013, obtained a relic from Carlo’s mother, after which he organized a Mass and prayer service in his parish, encouraging people to ask Acutis’ intercession for whatever healing they might need. Matteus was brought to the prayer service by his mother.
Fr. Nicola Gori, the priest responsible for promoting Acutis’ sainthood cause, told Italian media what happened next:
“On October 12, 2013, seven years after Carlo’s death, a child, affected by a congenital malformation (annular pancreas), when it was his turn to touch the picture of the future blessed, expressed a singular wish, like a prayer: ‘I wish I could stop vomiting so much.’ Healing began immediately, to the point that the physiology of the organ in question changed.”
On the way home, the child told his mother he was already cured, and asked for French fries, rice, beans, and steak – the favourite foods his brothers enjoyed. The child was able to eat everything without vomiting, and after being brought to doctors, they were mystified by Mattheus’ healing, his mother told the Italian press.
Fr Regan says that Blessed Carlo speaks to teenagers, as someone who experienced similar struggles and joys in his short life.
“I think the huge significance of Carlo Acutis is the fact that he’s different,” he says. “He was only fifteen years old when he died, but his life was lived to the full.
Carlo said himself, “I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minute on those things that do not please God.” This highlights the importance of Carlo, something which I think is a big attraction for young people – how he integrated his faith into all aspects of his life.
“He loved playing soccer, he loved supporting AC Milan. He was a normal young boy that was involved in all the normal things – and I think that’s a big attraction for young people to see.
“Here is s a young lad, a fifteen year old , who was involved in all the normal things that any young person would be involved in – but he could integrate his faith into all of this. His faith was seen as normal.
“If you look at the way he is dressed, to this day, in his jeans and his Nike trainers, all the photos we see of him with his backpack on, from a purely visual point of view, he is simply a normal young person who comes across as relatable and accessible.”
The soon-to-be Saint, whose life was characterized by a clear love of God, a kindness to others, and a dedication to spreading the word of God, particularly through technology, has grown a following that extends to Ireland.
“I am meeting people in the secular world, on the golf course and in social areas, that are talking about him and asking me about him,” Fr Regan says.
“People are saying things like, ‘Who is this Carlo Acutis, and what’s the story? I’m hearing about miracles.” People are enthusiastic about him. He has created wonder in people’s hearts and minds. There is a huge search going on for spirituality.”
Fr Regan points to the thousands of people who this summer flocked to the Relic in Norfolk, England – as documented here by the Times newspaper.
“It just goes to show that for people of all ages, there’s a huge search in the human heart going on at the moment. People want meaning and purpose. Here was a young person who was totally fulfilled with his life.
“Yet, young people today are looking for all sorts of things to give their lives meaning and purpose. Blessed Carlo filled life with the normal things, but most importantly, he filled it with his faith as well. We are seeing people, younger and younger, suffering from things like poor mental health and addiction, including drug and alcohol addiction. People are ultimately looking for that sense of contentment and fulfillment he embodies. It’s ultimately a search for what he had – he had contentment in his heart and soul.”
“We’ve had phone calls from all over Ireland, and we’ve had emails from people across the country, so we’re expecting a lot of people here on Tuesday and Wednesday,” an excited Fr Regan says.
A reception for the Relic will be held at 10am on Tuesday, followed by a talk on the life of the Saint. The Relic will remain at the Church for blessings until 8pm Mass, which will be followed by all-night adoration from 9pm.
After 9am Mass on Wednesday, there will be further talks and blessings with the relic, as well as music, until 1pm, when the parish bids farewell to the relic.
For more information on the tour’s full schedule, you can email info@carloacutisireland.org, or visit www.carloacutisireland.org.