04/29/2024
The Diocesan Office of Archives in coordination with the Office of Ministry with Young Catholics (MYC) have announced that a new Blessed Carlo Acutis Relic, which was obtained by Diocese in October 2023, will be touring the Diocese with an opportunity for all parishes and schools to host the relic.
The Office of Archives, as the custodian of the Blessed Carlo Acutis relic, is offering this unique opportunity for parishes and schools.
“By hosting the relic, the parishes will not only be part of a significant spiritual journey for our youth but also have the chance to deepen the faith of their community,” said Office of Archives Director Arlene Gutierrez.
The Office of Archives will manage the tour by organizing appointments through the diocesan website’s live calendar, answering questions about the tour, and teaching parishes the care and handling needed while the relic is in their possession. The office plans compile a summary of the relic’s tour, documenting its impact on youth and their wider faith communities.
“We saw such an outpouring of support from our community who wanted to see the relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis in 2023; for many, this was their first time seeing a relic up close,” Gutierrez said. “Many of our younger generations expressed that this was an old tradition in our faith that they were always curious about and happy to experience with their family.”
Blessed Carlo Acutis was a Catholic Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. He had a powerful devotion to the Holy Eucharist and used digital and social media to share his faith, making him especially popular with young Catholics. A relic of Blessed Carlo was loaned to the Diocese by a parish in the Diocese of Sacramento last year for veneration at the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress. The relic also toured several parishes in the Diocese from mid-June through early August 2023. While visiting the various parishes, the relic of Blessed Carlo and his story encouraged participation in the National Eucharistic Revival and inspired the youth to grow closer to God.
“We saw so many people from other dioceses and other states travel to see the relic while he was on tour [here] last year, and through these experiences, we learned that he brought many young people together to experience the beauty of our faith and evangelization,” Gutierrez said.
The now owned first-class relic, a lock of Blessed Carlo’s hair, arrived at the Diocesan Pastoral Center on Oct. 20, 2023, but the journey to bring it here began in August 2023 when a former MYC staffer hand delivered a formal request letter to the Sanctuary of Renunciation in Assisi, Italy. It took another European traveler to bring the relic to San Bernardino. Father George Snyder, the pastor of St. Clare Parish in the Diocese of Sacramento, who had earlier loaned the Diocese his parish’s relic, was in Europe in September and was able to retrieve the relic and bring it back with him.
The relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis has proven to be a powerful tool for Catholic youth to engage in conversations about their Catholic faith with their family and friends. His life, dedicated to serving God and living with the love of the Holy Spirit, has inspired many to deepen their understanding and connection to our faith, Guiterrez said.
“Our parishes and schools hosting the relic can provide a unique and impactful experience for the young members of their community,” Gutierrez said.
The reservation system for parishes to begin requesting the relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis was launched on April 21. The Office of Archives suggests parishes request the relic in the summer when there is more of an opportunity for youth to see him. Catholic Schools will also be invited to share in the presence of Blessed Carlo Acutis; for those dates, Archives will contact the schools regarding their potential dates.