Despite temperatures in the high 90s and no air conditioning, more than 200 people attended Mass July 15 at St. Hedwig Church of Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish with Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, archbishop of Assisi, Italy, to hear about the parish patron and venerate a relic of tissue from his heart.
Archbishop Sorrentino, curator of the tomb and relics of Acutis, was visiting the U.S. in anticipation of the teenager’s canonization in September.
Acutis is considered the first millennial saint. He was a deeply devout teen who taught himself coding, and he created a website documenting eucharistic miracles. Through this action, he captured global attention for his joyful faith and digital evangelization and has been widely embraced by young Catholics around the world.
The archdiocesan parish is the only one in North America named for the teen, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Pope Leo XIV will canonize Acutis in Rome on Sept. 7.
Archbishop Sorrentino also celebrated Mass and offered a public veneration of the relic at Christ Our Light Parish in Hegewisch on July 16.
The archbishop and two women religious from Assisi, who help promote awareness of Acutis, were treated to a personal tour of sites related to Pope Leo, such as his childhood home in Dolton, the graves of his parents in Glenwood and a stop at Aurelio’s in Homewood, where the pope visited in August.
Archbishop Sorrentino said the number of pilgrims traveling to Assisi since Acutis’ body was moved there in 2007 has tripled. He has seen firsthand Acutis’ impact on young people.
“Carlo is an influencer on the first level, but his influence comes from Jesus,” the archbishop said in an interview before Mass.
Acutis was born into a wealthy family and had “everything in life,” Archbishop Sorrentino said, but Jesus demanded everything from him, much like St. Francis, who came from a wealthy family.
Also, like Francis, Acutis loved the poor and spent much time caring for the homeless, he said, and many of them attended Acutis’ funeral.
“At just 15 years, he had dreams of spending his life with Jesus, but two months before his death he had a premonition he would die,” the archbishop said. “Carlo is a way Jesus is using to say to the church ‘Take courage. Restart.’”
There are many problems in the church today, but Acutis is a “wind of encouragement” for the church and society, who engaged the world and saw it as being good, Archbishop Sorrentino said.
“Carlo preached the Gospel in few words,” the archbishop said.
Mary Gail Reding, a promoter of adoration for children in local parishes, has had a devotion to Acutis since interest in him began to grow shortly after his death.
“I like the fact that he’s bringing the youth to the Eucharist and using the internet,” Reding said before Mass. “He looks like a normal guy … he’s really special. I’m hoping all my nieces and nephews come to church through him.”
Allison Foerster, a teacher at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Academy who helped orchestrate a mock conclave with students before Pope Leo’s election, brought her children to the Mass. She shares a birthday with Acutis and has a special devotion to him.
“The same day, same year that he was born, I was born, but in Indiana,” she said. “That’s incredible inspiring to me and, it turns out, it is incredibly inspiring to children — to physically look at someone and say, ‘My teacher is not that old and is the same age and somebody who is becoming a saint.’”
Students and staff at the school share her devotion to Acutis and identify with him. For example, Acutis played Pokémon and so do the students, she said.
“There are so many access points for kids that Carlo offers,” Foerster said. “It’s neat to be able to introduce them to saints that can bring them a little closer to all of our calls to sainthood.”