Logan Peterson displays an icon of St. Carlo Acutis during the start of the 11 a.m. Mass Sept. 7 at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Davenport as Father Bruce DeRammelaere, left, and Deacon Bob Shaw process in.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
DAVENPORT — Youths at St. Paul the Apostle Parish honored newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis, the first teenage saint of the digital era, during the children’s Mass Sept. 7.
During the procession into church, Logan Peterson carried an icon of St. Carlo, canonized earlier that morning at the Vatican by Pope Leo XIV. St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young adult who died in 1925, also was canonized during the Vatican ceremony.
Father Bruce DeRammelaere, pastor of St. Paul the Apostle, described St. Carlo as “impressive.” The teen, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, shared his deep love for the Eucharist on the internet to draw his peers and others back to Church. “He had a passion for the Eucharist,” Father DeRammelaere said. St. Carlo visited as many Eucharistic miracle sites as possible and documented the miracles on the internet.
St. Carlo also recited the rosary daily, had a love for pets and the saints, cared for the homeless, fed the poor, and taught the Catholic faith to others, among other things. “He was simply amazing,” the pastor said.
Another exhibit the young saint started, which his family completed after his death, featured Marian apparitions, Father DeRammelaere said. He shared St. Carlo’s holiness kit: love God with all your heart, go to Mass, receive Communion, pray the rosary, read a passage from Scripture, visit Jesus at the tabernacle, go to confession, help others as much as you can and rely on your guardian angel to be your best friend.
“Don’t think you are too young to be a saint,” the priest said. St. Carlo is an example of a young person who picked up his cross and followed Jesus.
During the presentation of the gifts, youths brought items to place by an icon in the sanctuary, which symbolized the saint’s life. A laptop computer is a symbol of the young teen using technology to spread the stories of Eucharistic miracles to people around the world. A rosary symbolizes St. Carlo’s deep devotion to Mary. A prayer journal represents his commitment to prayer and the personal relationship the saint had with God. The gifts of bread and wine symbolize the Eucharist, the greatest gift in the life of the teenager.
As Mass concluded, Charley DiIulio read a reflection about the new saint. She said, “He is one of my favorite saints. He is so relatable.” She encouraged youths to “be more like Carlo. Attend Mass, make Jesus a priority, and never fear death. St. Carlo Acutis — pray for us.”
