Chicago parish celebrates canonization of first millennial saint
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Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino speaks to worshippers after Mass about Carlo Acutis (left). Photo: Courtesy of Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic
The Catholic Church's first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, will be canonized Sunday, and a Chicago parish bearing his name is celebrating the historic event.
The big picture: Acutis has been described as a deeply devout teen who reached out to the unhoused and stood up against bullies, but also enjoyed typical kid activities, like playing soccer and video games.
- The Italian teen built a website documenting Eucharistic miracles, which grabbed the attention of Catholics around the globe.
- When Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, thousands from around the globe came to Italy to mourn him.
Catch up quick: Sainthood requires three steps. First, the title of "venerable" is given to a deceased person the pope recognizes as having lived a heroically virtuous life or been martyred.
- A venerable person becomes "blessed" if one miracle has taken place because of the person's intervention.
- Canonization requires a second miracle.
State of play: The two miracles attributed to the soon-to-be saint include the healing of a woman's brain hemorrhage after her mother visited Acutis' grave and a Brazilian boy's recovery from a birth defect in his pancreas after he and his mother prayed to Acutis.
- Acutis' canonization had been planned for April 27, but it was postponed after Pope Francis' death on April 21.
Zoom in: The only known parish in North America named after Acutis sits in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood.
- Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish was formed after St. Hedwig Church in Bucktown and St. John Berchman Church in Logan Square merged in 2021. The parish also includes a pre-K through 8th-grade school.
- After Sunday's canonization, the name will change from Blessed to St. Carlo Acutis Church.
What they're saying: "For the kids, for the students, the grammar school students and high school students, it's a saint who played video games and played soccer and was somebody who dressed like they did," the parish's Rev. Ed Howe tells Axios.
- "It's a saint they can relate to rather than someone who lived 100, 300, 500 years ago."
State of play: The Bucktown parish has been celebrating Carlo Acutis Fest 2.0 this week with classes focused on Acutis at the elementary school, a book drive and a soccer shootout in honor of Acutis' love of the sport.
- A delegation from the parish will attend the canonization in Rome on Sunday, while local parishioners attend a Mass that opens with a mariachi band.