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 | Teresa Peterson

The Universal Catholic Church will Celebrate the First Millennial Saint on April 27th

Local Catholics will host a special event in Tampa Bay the same day.

In honor of the first millennial saint of the Catholic Church, Saint Carlo Acutis, local Catholics, especially fellow millennials, are preparing to celebrate a historic day in the Catholic Church. 

There will be an international celebration of this new saint on Sunday, April 27th at 10:30 a.m. Rome time at St. Peter’s Square.

Also, teens, young adults, and families will gather for a local celebration on April 27th from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at St. Timothy Catholic Church, in Lutz. This event will include prayer in the presence of a First Class Relic of Carlo Acutis. The Relic is a strand of Carlo’s hair that was given to Bishop Gregory Parkes in 2024. All are welcome to attend.

The Catholic tradition of praying and showing respect to a relic is like a family cherishing the belongings of a relative that died. It’s a sign of respect, of nearness or remembrance. It’s a way to honor and draw near to the saints and ask for their prayers, since they are believed to be so close to God.

WHAT:             Prayer in the Presence of a Relic of Soon-To-Be Saint Carlo Acutis 

WHEN:            Sunday, April 27, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

WHERE:           St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road, Lutz

SCHEDULE:      8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. — Veneration of First Class Relic — Day Chapel
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. — Special Prayer Service, Music, A Talk by Fr. Connor Penn, Veneration and Blessing of St. Carlo Acutis — Main Church

About Soon-to-be Saint Carlo:

Carlo Acutis, the first person from the millennial generation to be named a saint by the Catholic Church, was an Italian teenager who used technology to spread devotion to the Catholic faith. He died at the age of 15 in 2006 from leukemia, and he offered his suffering for the Church. His stated goal throughout his short life was: “To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.”