Nutley parish dedicates new St. Carlo Acutis statue
Is holiness possible in a world dominated by smartphones, video games, and social media?
According to Auxiliary Bishop Manuel Cruz of the Archdiocese of Newark, the answer may be found in the example of a teenage saint who grew up in the early 21st century, loved computer programming, and devoted his whole life to God.
The saint’s name is Carlo Acutis.
Bishop Cruz spoke about the Milanese teenager during a July 25 Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Nutley, NJ. Hundreds from the church community gathered on a Saturday morning to bless and dedicate a statue of Saint Carlo Acutis that had recently arrived from overseas and now stands outside their church.
The parish already preserves and displays a first-class relic of the saint which was gifted to them a year ago. That relic was carried in procession to the church at the opening of the liturgy by Father Parciano A. Barbieto (known to everyone as “Father Alex”), the pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. His devotion to Saint Carlo Acutis is what brought the saint’s relic — and his new statue — to this humble Catholic church in suburban New Jersey.
A different kind of saint
Father Alex first encountered the young saint-to-be in Italy.
“Just over two years ago, I went on a pilgrimage to Assisi. While we were there, one of the people in my group mentioned that the body of this holy young man lay in one of the big churches there, so I said, Let’s go see,” he told Jersey Catholic.
The moment he saw the body of the young blessed (Carlo had not yet been canonized), Father Alex understood he was in the presence of a different sort of holiness.
“There were a lot of young people passing by,” he said. “And there was this teenager lying behind glass. I would have expected him to be wearing a suit, but instead he was wearing a sweatshirt, denim pants, and Nike sneakers!”
“That attracted me,” Father Alex recalled, “and so later on, I started to read about his life.”
Becoming “original” through the Eucharist
In his homily, Bishop Cruz pointed out that Saint Carlo Acutis “did not wear a monk’s habit,” but was fully a person of our time. “He enjoyed video games, built websites, and laughed with his friends,” the bishop said.
In the modern world, he continued, people are pressured “to imitate everyone else.” He then alluded to one of the young saint’s most quoted sayings: “Everyone is born an original, but many die as photocopies.”
“Carlo refused to become another copy but chose to become the person God created him to be,” Bishop Cruz said. “Where did he find the strength? Not in himself but kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.”
Although Carlo Acutis’s parents were not practicing their Catholic faith, Carlo felt drawn to the Blessed Sacrament at an early age thanks to the influence of his grandparents, his Polish nanny, and his Catholic schooling. At age 7, he begged his mother and father to allow him to receive his First Holy Communion. He also spent time before the Eucharist in adoration.
“His most famous words were, ‘The Eucharist is my highway to heaven,’” Bishop Cruz said. “Carlo was not afraid or bored to spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist. But notice that he did not simply say the Eucharist is a devotion — but rather called it a highway.”
“A highway takes us somewhere,” the bishop explained. “Every holy communion moves us closer to Christ.”
Preparing for eternity
Carlo Acutis enthusiastically invited his family and friends to join him for Mass and to visit the Blessed Sacrament. His mother and father eventually returned to the Catholic Church.
With his love for computers and programming, Carlo also created a website that catalogued and shared the stories of more than 130 Eucharistic miracles around the world, spanning centuries.
“He reminded us that every generation receives new tools,” Bishop Cruz said. “The question is not whether we use them, (but) if we use them for the Kingdom of God.”
Unexpectedly, at the age of 15, Carlo Acutis was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare form of cancer. He died a week later, after offering his sufferings for the Holy Father and the Church.
“Often, you and I, we prepare for our future on this earth. But Carlo was wise enough to prepare for eternity,” Bishop Cruz said, explaining that his preparation for death had unfolded over years. “He had often said our goal must be the infinite, not just the finite,” the bishop explained.
In the life of Saint Carlo Acutis, Bishop Cruz concluded, people can discover that holiness in not something reserved just for priests or mystics. “Holiness is for everyone,” he said. “It is the universal vocation of every baptized Christian.”
Blessing the statue
News of Carlo’s holiness spread rapidly after his death. Young people came to identify with him, while adults also found hope and inspiration in his story. His home diocese of Milan and the Church of Assisi, where Carlo had asked to be buried, joined in promoting his sainthood cause, which was opened just six years after his death.
Even before Saint Carlo’s canonization by Pope Leo XIV last September, he was becoming a popular figure in the US. The enthusiastic devotion he inspires was evident on the morning of June 25 as the church quickly filled beyond capacity. A bus even arrived from Manhattan with fifty-plus pilgrims who wanted to be present for the blessing of the statue. Several local officials also attended the liturgy and dedication ceremony.
After Bishop Cruz blessed Saint Carlo’s statue, there was a ribbon cutting, and many people posed for photos. Others stopped to say a quiet prayer as the crowd headed toward the back of the church for a celebratory feast.
“We’re very big fans,” one parishioner, Elena, said. “We prayed for Carlo Acutis to become a saint and to be in our hearts. And he’s touching a lot of young people.”
Inspired by the saint in sneakers
Father Alex said that Saint Carlo Acutis had already “changed my life dramatically,” along with the life of his parish. He pointed to an influx of people attending daily Mass but also mentioned two healings he believes can be attributed to the young saint’s intercession.
“There are many sick, very sick, people who come here,” Father Alex said. “I let one woman with stage four cancer kiss the relic and she is now in remission.”
He agreed with Bishop Cruz, however, that the greatest miracle that can come from our devotion to the saints is a change in one’s own life.
“I look at myself, a priest, and I understand that sometimes I don’t have the deep faith that (Saint Carlo) did. He inspires me, especially in his love for the Holy Eucharist,” Father Alex said, adding that he now spends “hours in prayer” before the Blessed Sacrament. “I mean, I always prayed, of course, but even more intently now.”
After discovering Saint Carlo’s “Miracles List” website, Father Alex had the Eucharistic Miracles printed on foam boards. They are now on display in the parish hall beneath the church. Already, groups of pilgrims have contacted Father Alex to visit Saint Carlo’s relic, his statue, and the Eucharistic miracles exhibit.
He added that Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish will happily welcome all who wish to visit the young saint who wore sneakers.
To view more photos of the dedication of the new statue of Saint Carlo Acutis at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Nutley, CLICK HERE.
Featured image: Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Nutley celebrated the arrival of a new statue of Saint Carlo Acutis to their parish with a special Mass, dedication ceremony, and blessing on June 25. (Photos by John Touhey / Archdiocese of Newark)
