The Relics of Saints are seen in the Faith of the Catholic Church as a Reminder and Inspiration for People to Imitate the Virtues of that Holy Person.
Newsroom (01/08/2022 15:37, Gaudium Press) Last Wednesday 27, the Bishop of Malolos, Monsignor Dennis Villarojo, presided a Solemn Holy Mass in the Cathedral to receive the relic ex corpore et ex capillis (of the body and hair) of the Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Inspiration for New Saints
The liturgical ceremony was attended by priest advisors and lay members of the Diocesan Youth Commission and the Friends of Blessed Carlo Acutis – Philippines, and some local public officials led by Governor Daniel Fernando and Vice Governor Alex Castro.
In his homily, the prelate recalled that “the relics of saints are seen in the Faith of the Catholic Church as a reminder and inspiration for people to imitate the virtues of that holy person.” Acutis was a layman known for using social media to promote devotion to the Holy Eucharist.
The Pilgrim Relic and the Friends of Blessed Carlo Acutis
The pilgrim relic is a gift from the Diocese of Assisi and the ‘Associazione Amici dei Carlo Acutis’ to further promote devotion to Blessed Carlo. It will be temporarily enshrined at St. James the Apostle Parish in the town of Paombong, which serves as the headquarters of the national organization ‘Friends of Blessed Carlo Acutis’.
Established in the year 2020, the ‘Friends of Blessed Carlo Acutis’ organization aims to promote devotion to Blessed Acutis, especially among Filipino youth, as well as foster a deep love for the Eucharist and Our Lady.
Who was Blessed Carlo Acutis?
Born on 3 May 1991 in the English capital of London, Carlo Acutis moved with his family to the Italian city of Milan when he was only a few months old. As a teenager he was diagnosed with leukemia and dedicated his sufferings to God, the Pope and the Church.
He was noted for his love of God, the recitation of the Holy Rosary and his frequent recourse to the sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession. His Eucharistic devotion was such that he created a website to publicize his Eucharistic miracles.
On 12 October 2006, the feast of Our Lady of the Pilar, he died at the age of 15, being buried in Assisi , a request he had made because of his great devotion to St. Francis.
His cause of beatification was opened in 2013, he was declared venerable in 2018 and will be beatified by Cardinal Agostino Vallini on 10 October 2020, 14 years after his death. (EPC)
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
