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Two years ago, Maximilian Glamuzina first learned about Blessed Carlo Acutis during a school Mass. Glamuzina was intrigued by the teenager from Milan, who died at 15 from leukemia, because he felt relatable and was a normal kid who played video games and learned computer coding. However, he also had a deep love for the Eucharist and befriended the poor. "I look up to him a lot," Glamuzina said, noting Carlo’s use of technology to glorify God, especially through a website dedicated to Eucharistic miracles. This site has since been transformed into a global exhibition.
Glamuzina is now traveling to Rome with his family for Carlo's upcoming canonization on April 27, led by his pastor Father Leon Biernat from St. Gregory the Great Parish in Williamsville, New York. They are among many Americans heading to the ceremony of the church’s first "millennial" saint. The event coincides with Divine Mercy Sunday and the Jubilee of Teenagers on April 25-27.
"From the minute it was announced last fall we have received hundreds of emails asking for information," Sister Maria Juan Anderson from the Bishops’ Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican shared. "Carlo is beloved!" At least two U.S. dioceses, including the archdioceses of Miami and Philadelphia, are arranging pilgrimages for the canonization.
Steve Kerekes, founder of JMJ Youth Pilgrimages, noted the high interest but mentioned that the timing during the school year and the short notice might have slowed some interest. "There's a tremendous amount of interest" in this canonization, he said.
Travelers with JMJ Youth Pilgrimages are promised a trip focused on the Eucharist, alongside significant events in the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. Sally Lanza, from St. Katharine Drexel in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is among the pilgrims. She encountered Carlo Acutis’ story and was moved by his devotion. "There was just something that just struck me," she said.
Since learning about Carlo, Lanza, a mother of teenagers, regularly seeks his prayers, especially regarding technology use. "It would just be nice to be able to put the technology down," she said.
Pope Francis recognized the second miracle for Carlo Acutis' canonization on May 23, 2024. Belinda Reina-Somoza, a theology teacher at St. Brendan High School in Miami, is taking students to the event. “I hope that the once-in-a-lifetime experience brings them closer to the Eucharist," she expressed.
Among Reina-Somoza’s students is Lucia Corbea, who admires Carlo’s use of modern technology to spread the Gospel.
Father Mike Palmer, a U.S. Army chaplain, is leveraging his closeness to Italy to attend. "He's been such a role model for so many," he said. Violet Olszyk, traveling with her son, believes that Carlo's canonization could be a pivotal moment in church history. "This feels like a special moment," she stated.
Maria Wiering reports for OSV News.
