The Feast Day Of Saint Carlo Acutis
Every year on 12 October the Church celebrates Saint Carlo Acutis. Here is why that date was chosen and how you can keep his feast at home, in your parish or with young people.
When Is Saint Carlo Acutis's Feast Day?
The feast day of Saint Carlo Acutis is 12 October. This is the anniversary of his death in 2006, when he was just 15 years old. Following an ancient Christian tradition, the Church keeps a saint's feast on the day of their death, which it calls their dies natalis, their "birthday into heaven".
Carlo's feast entered the Church's calendar after his beatification in 2020, and it takes on new meaning now that he has been canonized a saint, honoured by the universal Church.
Celebrating The Feast At Home
Carlo lived his holiness in very ordinary surroundings, so the best way to honour him is often the simplest. A few ideas for families:
- • Go to Mass together, or make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament, since the Eucharist was the centre of Carlo's life.
- • Pray a decade of the Rosary as a family, a devotion Carlo kept every day.
- • Read a short passage from his biography or one of his quotes at dinner.
- • Do one small act of charity for someone in need, as Carlo did for the poor and the lonely.
- • Talk about a healthy, prayerful use of phones and the internet, a theme close to Carlo's heart.
Some families like to bake a cake, light a candle by an image of Carlo, or let children choose a favourite meal, turning the day into a real celebration.
Ideas For Parishes And Youth Groups
- • Celebrate a Mass or hold a period of Eucharistic adoration in Carlo's honour.
- • Set up a display or small exhibition about his life and his Eucharistic miracles project.
- • Invite young people to share how they use technology for good.
- • Pray the novena to Carlo in the nine days leading up to the feast.
- • Use the ready-made teens and youth sessions for a group meeting.
In Catholic Schools
Carlo is a natural patron for schools, especially where young people are learning about computing and the internet. On or near 12 October, teachers can hold a special assembly, share his story in form time or religious education, and invite pupils to reflect on his challenge to be an "original" rather than a "photocopy". His example makes an ideal starting point for lessons on online kindness, self-discipline with screens, and using talents to help others.
A Prayer For His Feast Day
Saint Carlo Acutis, on this your feast day, help me to love Jesus in the Eucharist as you did, to be kind to those the world forgets, and to use every gift I have, even my phone and my computer, for what is good and true. Teach me to be an original and not a copy, and to walk with joy along your highway to heaven. Amen.
For more prayers, see our prayer to Carlo Acutis and the full nine-day novena.