Hundreds gather in Assisi for thanksgiving Mass honoring St. Carlo Acutis

The Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi was filled with pilgrims on Monday as hundreds attended a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrating the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis. 

Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of the dioceses of Foligno and Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino presided over the liturgy Sept. 8 at the Shrine of the Spogliazione, according to a press release from the latter diocese.

Preaching in the city of St. Francis — who was also Carlo’s confirmation saint — Bishop Sorrentino reflected on how the young man’s holiness fits into Assisi’s long spiritual tradition.

“Saint Carlo Acutis followed in the footsteps of our great saints, not to replicate their features, for, as he loved to emphasize, God wants us to be originals, not photocopies, even in holiness,” he said.

The bishop encouraged young people especially to live life fully, using their talents — whether in art, music, sports, or even technology — for God’s glory. 

“Live life to the fullest. Don’t waste a single drop of it,” he said. “If you love colors, paint. If you like music, sing. If you’re good at sports, try to be a champion. If you have talents of intelligence, don’t be satisfied with passing the exam. If you’re good at the internet, don’t be afraid to master this instrument too. Everything belongs to God and everything comes from God.”

Bishop Sorrentino also noted St. Carlo’s devotion to the Eucharist and to the Virgin Mary, calling them an “inseparable love” in his spiritual life. 

“In every Eucharist, Mary is also at our side. There is no Eucharist without Mary. Carlo understood this,” the Bishop said. “Mary and the Eucharist were for him a single, inseparable love. He saw Jesus through Mary’s eyes, and he loved Mary with Jesus’ heart.”

The Mass was attended by St. Carlo’s parents, Antonia Salzano Acutis and Andrea Acutis, along with civil and religious leaders, including Assisi’s mayor Valter Stoppini and regional president Stefania Proietti. 

According to the release, pilgrims filled the square outside the sanctuary, bringing a celebratory atmosphere to the city just one day after the canonization in Rome, where he was declared a saint alongside Pier Giorgio Frassati.

In closing, Bishop Sorrentino urged the faithful to see St. Carlo Acutis, like Sts. Francis and Clare before him, as a “star” who shines only by leading others to Christ. He reminded pilgrims that while saints inspire and guide, their hands, hearts, and voices ultimately point beyond themselves to Jesus, “the light of the world, the star that never fades.”

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