N.L. Catholics line up to hold the heart of 'God's influencer' — the 1st millennial saint

An elaborate gold reliquary containing a part of the heart of a 15-year-old Italian boy sits on a table at the foot of the alter at the St. John's Basilica.

At a welcoming mass on Thursday morning, a few dozen parishioners lined up to pay their respects to Carlo Acutis — the Catholic church's first millennial saint — with some kneeling, some blessing themselves and some even bowing down to kiss it. 

"I've seen so many people just walk in the door and come and venerate or look at the relic and ask for blessed Carlo's prayers," said Bernadette Enriquez, a local organizer overseeing the events. "It was amazing to see such a long line at the Basilica here."

Born in 1991, Carlo Acutis grew up in Italy and according to the Vatican, he discovered God and embraced religion at an early age.

The teen taught himself computer programming, using those skills to create an online archive of eucharistic miracles.

He hoped knowing more about them might encourage more people to attend mass, while at the same time earning him the nickname of "God's influencer."

Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 but his dedication to his religion carried on long after his death.

Pope Francis announced this year that Acutis will be canonized in 2025, making the teen the first millennial saint.

Many Catholics expect he will be named the Patron Saint of the Internet. 

"I believe he is the first saint to be buried in jeans and sneakers," Enriquez said.

He’s the 1st saint buried in jeans and a T-shirt, and his heart is on display in N.L.

1 month ago

Duration 2:45

Carlo Acutis is set to be canonized next year, with many expecting he’ll become the “patron saint of the internet.” A relic containing a piece of his heart is touring the northeast Avalon this week.

Enriquez is the campus team leader of the Catholic Christian Outreach at Memorial University. 

For the next week she'll keep an eye on the religious relic as it shows up at churches on the northeast Avalon. 

"It's a great honour, especially of the saint of about my generation," she said. "He would have been only seven years older than me and he's quite relatable."

The relic contains a section of pericardium, a protective sac that encloses the heart, along with a photo of Acutis and his name in Latin. 

It will spend two days at the Basilica before moving to CBS on Saturday at St. Edward's Parish, then on to Our Lady Queen of Families in Mount Pearl, then to St Theresa's, St. Kevin's and Divine Mercy Parish before it heads to Toronto and then back to Assisi, Italy. 

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