Celebration of the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis to be held in Gorham

St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook invites the faithful to gather for a celebration of the canonization of the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, while announcing plans for a chapel that will be dedicated to him. The celebration will be held on April 27, beginning at 2 p.m. at St. Anne Church, 299 Main Street in Gorham. The canonization will have taken place earlier that day in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Italy (10:30 a.m. in Rome / 4:30 a.m. in Maine).

Blessed Carlo Acutis, was born in London, England, of Italian parents in 1991 but developed acute leukemia as a teenager and died at age 15. During his short life, however, Blessed Carlo developed a close relationship with Christ, spending time in study, prayer, and eucharistic adoration. He called the Eucharist his “highway to heaven,” and one of his best-known quotes is “Dio, non io,” which translates to “God and not me.”

Father Louis Phillips, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, says many of his parishioners already have a devotion to Blessed Carlo, which led to the decision to dedicate a chapel at St. Anne Church to him. Father Phillips says he hopes that, in the future, it may become a pilgrimage site and a place for retreats.

“People are very, very excited about it,” he says. “We feel he is a saint who will appeal to both our younger and our older parishioners at the same time. He will be the first millennial saint, and he is someone who is current. We have actual photos of him.”

The chapel that will be dedicated to Blessed Carlo is currently being renovated, and it is anticipated that it will be completed by the end of the year. In addition to new furnishings, the parish commissioned a local artist, Hope Drenning, to create a whole wall mural in honor of Blessed Carlo, which is nearing completion.

"I wanted to bring a real sense of joy to the space and brightness to the space so that when people come up the stairs and when they come out of the sanctuary, it can be just this beautiful, light, hopeful thing of St. Carlo," says Drenning. "I don't know his story very intimately, but I know that a lot of his work was to help inspire youth and to bring youth into the church, and that is something that I'm passionate about in my own way."

The parish also commissioned the Ferdinand Stuflesser Studios in Otisei, Italy, to hand carve a nearly life-sized statue of Blessed Carlo, which Father Phillips donated in memory of his parents, Louis and Irma Phillips. It is among the many memorial donations made by priests and parishioners in support of the project.

In addition, through the sponsorship of the parish’s three Knights of Columbus councils, St. Anthony of Padua is establishing the Apostle of the Eucharist Award, which will include a hand-painted wooden statuette of St. Carlo Acutis. The award will recognize a graduating high school parishioner for his or her extraordinary ministry, service, commitment to the Catholic Church, and faith witness.

During the canonization celebration in Gorham, there will be a viewing of a video on the life of Carlo Acutis produced by EWTN Media. People will then gather at the chapel site for a presentation by Father Phillips about the project, followed by Sunday Mass. After Mass, there will be a pizza supper reception in the church hall. During the reception, people will be able to watch a recording of the canonization Mass.

Two miracles attributed to Blessed Carlo’s intercession have been recognized, paving the way for canonization. Pope Francis chose the canonization date to coincide with the Jubilee of Teenagers, one of the 2025 Jubilee Year celebrations.

Blessed Carlo loved playing video games and was known for his computer skills, but he sought to use them to spread Christ’s message. He updated websites and communication platforms for his parish and school and created a website of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World. There is now an international exhibition of miracles based on his work. That exhibition will be coming to St. Joseph Church in Ellsworth, St. Peter Church in Manset, and St. Vincent de Paul Church in Bucksport this May and June. A list of times and locations can be found at https://portlanddiocese.org/news/eucharistic-miracles-exhibit-hancock.