By Kate Hobbs
WORLD Youth Day 2008 in Sydney was my first encounter with St Pier Giorgio Frassati, which was also the same year I encountered the Vatican International Exhibition of Eucharistic Miracles produced by St Carlo Acutis.
Both saints have attracted me by their Eucharistic faith and life.
Both saints have influenced my family’s faith through three generations.
From my husband Keiran and I presenting the Eucharistic Miracle Exhibition and St Carlo’s first class relic around Australia, to my sons being involved in Brisbane Frassati and soon my grandson will take St Carlo as his confirmation saint.
They have certainly had a holy effect on our family’s lives.
In 2017, while on pilgrimage with my son Matthew in Europe, we had an opportunity to visit all places associated with St Pier Giorgio Frassati in Turin, Paloma, and Oropa.
A few years later in 2022, on pilgrimage with my daughter Clare, we were fortunate to visit St Carlo Acutis’ tomb in Assisi.
Last weekend, thanks to a generous donor, I was able to fly to Rome to attend the canonisation of these two holy young Italians.
Being the Carlo Assisi contact for Australia over the last few years granted me an invitation to enter into St Peter’s Square through a special entrance and sit with people from Assisi, as well as others who had helped spread the cause in different counties.
We were spoilt with seats in a section with a pretty good view without hours of queuing.
The day was hot, but the joy was palpable.
Glancing over the crowd, one could only be inspired watching the different groups of each saint sitting and enjoying the moment together.
The square held 80,000 people of all ages with flags and banners being waved for both saints.
The coming together of these saints’ followers was like a family reunion.
Both saints fully-welcomed, embraced and celebrated together with excitement and joy.
The next evening in Assisi was a special Thanksgiving Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Assisi and many local clergy.
It was a great grace to be there with many of St Carlo’s’ family, peers and friends present.
There was a real sense of gratitude for his friendship. The church was packed inside and out with many who knew him during his 15 years of life.
Afterwards the English-speaking friends of St Carlo who have been promoting his cause in several countries notably USA, Philippines and Ireland gathered together for dinner.
It was a real celebration with others who had been on this journey for years, with a sense that it was just a beginning to something unexpectedly big.
Many around the world have been disappointed with the cancellation of the previous canonisation dates, especially those who had made a special effort and could not change their travel arrangements for the new canonisation date.
But perhaps it is the work of the Holy Spirit always at work to unify the Church, who has inspired the canonisation of these two saints together on the same day. The first saints to be canonised by Pope Leo XIV.
Young saints at the beginning of this century who are both important for our times and to be embraced by all. After all, they have been raised together to Heaven.
While St Carlo seems to be more known and he has a tangible work in his Eucharistic Miracle Exhibition, St Pier Giorgio provides an older brother’s wiser influence.
St Carlo Acutis having lived in our present age with computers is easily relatable especially to young people.
His deep love for Jesus in the Eucharist directed all his work on his computer. When he was not helping church groups with websites, he was from the age of 11 to 15 working tirelessly on his website documenting Church approved Eucharistic Miracles, which he then turned into an exhibition that had travelled to a few countries even before he died.
Now his exhibition has been presented on every continent. In Australia there is now at least eight of these Eucharistic Miracle Exhibitions.
St Pier Giorgio Frassati, living more than 100 years ago, prepared a way through the last century for young people to live holiness in a changing world.
He showed holiness in everyday life involving himself in the challenges of his time, anchored by a life of Faith and the Eucharist with daily Mass and hours of Eucharistic Adoration, attending to the poor and sick, and building strong friendships with peers.
The two saints are complementary.
With St Carlo, Saint of the Young, Apostle of the Eucharist, we see him leading us, especially young people, to experience a Eucharistic amazement in the Real Presence.
With St Pier Giorgio Frassati, Man of the Beatitudes, he shows through his life of charity how to grow, strengthen and mature the grace’s we receive.
Both saints show us a clear example by their lives that it is not enough to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, but that we must foster an intimacy with Jesus in our souls and only then go forth and spread the good news by our life bringing others to Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Kate Hobbs is an Annerley parishioner. She attended the canonisation of St Carlo Acutis and St Pier Giorgio Frassati in Rome on September 7
