Benburb Priory host two-day celebration of St. Carlo Acutis

Carlo Acutis was born in London on May 3, 1991, to Andrea and Antonia Salzano Acutis, a prosperous but only mildly observant Catholic family. Soon after his birth, they returned to Milan, where Carlo enjoyed a happy, ordinary childhood—though his growing devotion to God stood out more and more as the years passed.

To many who admired him, Carlo Acutis seemed like an ordinary boy doing extraordinary things. He was a typical teenager from Milan—he went to school, loved playing soccer, and cared deeply for animals. Yet Carlo also reached beyond the ordinary: he brought meals to those in need, went to Mass every day, and gently encouraged his parents to return to church.

Friends began calling him “God’s Influencer” because he used technology to share his faith. His most famous project was a website on Eucharistic miracles, now translated into nearly twenty languages and documenting 196 events linked to the Eucharist. Each day Carlo liked to spend hours in Eucharistic adoration.

In October 2006, at just fifteen, Carlo was suddenly diagnosed with acute Leukemi and sadly passsed away. His cause for sainthood moved swiftly: he was beatified in 2020, and Pope Francis has since approved the second miracle required for canonization.

Pilgrims have flocked by the millions to Assisi, where Carlo’s body lies in a glass-sided tomb, clothed simply in jeans, a sweatshirt, and Nike sneakers, hands wrapped around a Rosary. Those unable to visit in person can even watch the steady stream of visitors online through a webcam.

The Servite community at Benburb Priory is preparing for a joyful two-day celebration marking the canonization of St. Carlo. The event, which begins on Saturday, 6 September, will bring everyone together for prayer, reflection, and thanksgiving.

Saturday’s programme, running from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., offers a sequence of liturgical and devotional moments designed to honour the life and holiness of St. Carlo.

Programme

10:00 a.m. – Holy Mass, followed by the recitation of the Rosary

11:00 a.m. – Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

12:00 noon – Blessing with the relic of Blessed Carlo

12:30 p.m. – Break for lunch

2:00–3:00 p.m. – Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confessions)

2:00 p.m. – Screening of a documentary on Carlo’s life (Blue Room)

3:00 p.m. – Adoration and the Divine Mercy Chaplet

3:30 p.m. – Concluding blessing with the relic

All petitions placed in the Priory Chapel on Saturday, 6th September and Sunday 7th September will leave Benburb Priory and will travel to the shrine of the new saint in Assisi, Italy.

The Celebrations will continue on Sunday with additional liturgies and events, inviting everyone to honour the newly canonized saint.

9:00 am – Livestream of the Canonization Ceremony

• Direct broadcast from the Vatican, linking our community with the events in Rome.

11:00 am – Procession & Veneration of the Relic

• Procession with a relic of the new Saint Carlo Acutis.

• Opportunity for individual blessings will follow and continue throughout the day.

3:00 pm – Concelebrated Mass & Eucharistic Healing Service

• Principal Celebrant: Fr John Keane

• Mass in honour of the newly canonized saint.

• Eucharistic healing service immediately after Mass.

The schedule allows participants to join in personal prayer over the weekend. This is a time to reflect on the example of holiness that St. Carlo gives to the modern Church.

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Read more here: Benburb Priory to host Celebration for the Canonization of Carlo Acutis

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