St Carlo Acutis’ 20th anniversary of death celebrated this month

This month, October 12 marks 20 years since the death of St Carlo Acutis. To mark the date, an anniversary celebration will take place in the Sanctuary of the Spoliation, Assisi, from October 9 to 12. Attending and bringing petitions from the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore is Fr Michael Toomey, PP and Administrator of the St Carlo Acutis Parish Pastoral Area, covering Ardfinnan, Ballybacon, Grange and Newcastle, Fourmilewater and Touraneena and The Nire Parishes.

Fr Toomey said in a statement that the anniversary event will “guide the faithful and pilgrims in memory of a young man whose figure continues to draw young people and adults from around the world.” He said that this was witnessed “in our own humble shrine in Ardfinnan near Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, which contains his First- and Second-class relics”. Ardfinnan is the first home of the millennium saint’s relics in Ireland.

Earlier this year, Fr Toomey celebrated St Carlo Acutis’ 35th birthday with Mass in Holy Family Church. The priest met with St Carlo’s parents and siblings last year in Rome, on the day St Carlo was canonised and he received the two relics personally from the saint’s mother, Antonia Salzano.

The four-day commemoration of St Carlo Acutis’ death anniversary includes Mass with Cardinal Tagle on October 11, and on October 12, the anniversary day, Msgr Felice Accrocca, Bishop of the Dioceses of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and Foligno, will preside over the event’s concluding Mass.

The full schedule can be found at assisisantuariospogliazione.it.

Mass for the Feast Day of St Carlo Acutis from Ardfinnan Church will be broadcast by RTÉ News on Monday, October 12 at 10.30am.