St. Mary Parish in Dover, N.J., was filled with joy on Oct. 12 when it celebrated the first feast day of St. Carlo Acutis, as the first Catholic millennial saint, whom Pope Leo XIV canonized in Rome on Sept. 7. St. Mary’s already has a strong devotion to St. Carlo, who used his computer skills to promote Eucharistic miracles before his death from incurable leukemia in 2006 at age 15 in Italy.
Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass, which Father Lemmuel Camacho, pastor of St. Mary’s, concelebrated. The parish’s devotion to St. Carlo, one of its patron saints, included the creation of a special place in the church for the faithful to venerate the saint, who was devoted to Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. The space features a first-class relic of St. Carlo, his portrait, candles, and flowers.
St. Mary’s also dedicated a room in its ministry center to St. Carlo, who was canonized along with St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Before the 7 a.m. Mass on Fridays in St. Mary’s Church, a group of parishioners join to recite the Prayer of St. Carlo. Additionally, families learn about the saint through St. Mary’s Family Faith Formation program, which inspires the youth to be bold in living out their faith.
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A group of parishioners arrived in St. Mary Church 20 minutes before the 9:30 a.m. Mass. Father Camacho provided a brief explanation of the St. Carlo Acutis prayer, followed by a video presentation featuring Confirmation students reflecting on the new saint.
“Every day is a gift, and Jesus is calling each of us to be a saint. As we reflect on St. Carlo’s example today, we try to follow that example: the call to holiness,” Bishop Sweeney said in his homily on Oct. 12. “Every day, we can give thanks to God for the air we breathe, the food we eat, our families, the gift of our faith, the ability to listen to God’s Word, and spending time with Jesus in the Eucharist. The word ‘Eucharist’ is the lesson that Jesus teaches us. We should say, ‘Thank you'”
Bishop Sweeney recently paid homage to the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis in Assisi, Italy, also the hometown of St. Francis and St. Clare. The visit took place during a pilgrimage of the Paterson Diocese in New Jersey to Rome and Assisi from Sept. 26 to Oct. 4. The pilgrimage was held in observance of the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, which the Universal Church is currently celebrating.
A computer gamer and programmer, the British-born St. Carlo received the Eucharist daily. He used his talents to share the joy of Christ’s presence with the world. His work developed what became an Eucharistic Miracles exhibit.
“Kids can relate to St. Carlo. He is an example for the youth of love for the Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the life of Christ,” Father Camacho told The Beacon.
