By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
Supporters of an upcoming exhibition of eucharistic miracles and the visit of a relic of one of the Church’s newest – and youngest – saints say they hope it will be a source of inspiration for Catholics of all ages.
St Carlo Acutis, who was canonised last September, was an Italian teenager with a deep Catholic faith and a passion for spreading that faith using technology. Among his online projects was a website of eucharistic miracles, which he built before he died in 2006 at the age of 15.
He has been dubbed by many “the patron saint of the internet”, in light of that work.
Palmerston North priest Fr Marcus Francis says when the visit of a relic and the associated exhibition to Australian dioceses was publicised, an approach was made to see if the tour could extend to New Zealand.
That addition could be made, albeit with a limited timeframe – meaning the tour will not take in the whole country. It is officially known as the Mission of St Carlo Acutis.
Fr Francis said visits of a relic, in this case the pericardium of St Carlo, are not all that common in New Zealand. They are a powerful tool for devotion, though.
“The veneration of relics draws us closer to the saints and our regard for them assists us in our desire to imitate Christ more closely as they did,” he said.
“We call on them for their intercession as the great cloud of witnesses who have received the crown of faith ahead of us.”
The pericardium is the membrane that surrounds the heart. It has great importance physically, protecting the body’s most vital organ, but also deep spiritual meaning as the site of people’s sentiments and actions.
The exhibition element of the mission will help raise awareness of the new saint, who doesn’t have the benefit of centuries of devotion and recognition other saints enjoy.
Fr Francis said it was hoped that the Mission of St Carlo Acutis can serve as a springboard for New Zealand interest in World Youth Day 2027, to be held in South Korea, and the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney.
“The Mission will stir up a desire in young people and Catholics in general to engage not only with the Catholic faith in New Zealand but to deepen that faith by joining in these global Catholic events,” he said.
Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen said he is excited to host the relic of St Carlo and the exhibition in the diocese.
“During the time of Confirmations last year, we were preparing for the canonisation of St Carlo – someone who was not that different from them, in history and in age,” Bishop Gielen said.
“St Carlo helps to inspire young people to think about how they can live a life that is inspired by God and shaped by God’s love, his peace and his mercy.
“While our Church is blessed with countless holy men and women in the communion of saints, a millennial joining those ranks can speak to today’s young people in new ways.”
Fr Francis concurs, saying the mission will provide “a focus on the example of St Carlo, who died at the age of 15 as a result of acute leukaemia, as someone capable of attaining holiness and heroic virtue despite his youth”.
The Catholic Enquiry Centre will support the Mission’s visit to New Zealand by providing educational resources on St Carlo Acutis and the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist.
“What an inspirational and missionary young man St Carlo was,” said CEC Director Carly Mulqueen.
“We are pleased to be working alongside the organisers of the Mission to help more people encounter the story of St Carlo, and to discover more deeply the beauty and truth of the Eucharist.”
The Mission of St Carlo Acutis will arrive in Wellington on June 6, before returning to Australia on June 24.
Information on local events will be advertised through dioceses, parishes and schools.