OLYPHANT – Just hours after Carlo Acutis was officially canonized by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, a parish community half a world away gathered in celebration and thanksgiving.
Parishioners at Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish – now Saint Carlo Acutis Parish – came together Sept. 7, 2025, to honor the young saint who has become both their patron and a symbol of their renewed identity in Christ.
“This is so exciting,” parishioner Liz Sandrowicz said. “He’s the saint that we chose for our parish and he’s the first millennial saint. I think that is wonderful.”
Following Masses at 9:30 a.m. in Throop and 11:00 a.m. in Olyphant, the faithful were invited to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration through 5 p.m., with the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary being prayed throughout the day.
Saint Carlo Acutis has captured global attention as a teenage tech-savvy Catholic who used his love for computers to spread Eucharistic devotion online. His life and legacy speak powerfully to many people – especially young people – and that has not been lost on the people of Olyphant and Throop.
“Our God is not just a God of the past or the present but also the future,” Sandrowicz added. “Saint Carlo – by utilizing technology and trying to reach people of all different ages, faiths and backgrounds, reminds us that God is with us, and the future is His.”
For the newly consolidated parish – formed just this past July 1 from the former Holy Cross Parish in Olyphant and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Throop – Sunday marked more than a moment of global significance. It was also the day their parish officially transitioned from “Blessed” Carlo Acutis Parish to “Saint” Carlo Acutis Parish.
“We are a young, vibrant parish community. We have a lot of younger families that belong to the parish and to have a saint that passed away at the age of 15 and did so much in those 15 years, it really means a lot that we’re named after him,” parishioner Jonathan Eboli said.
Eboli sees the naming of the parish after a modern saint as a powerful symbol of new life for his local church.
“I really do think it gave us a fresh start,” he said. “Father Scott is an amazing leader who has the ability to really bring people together and encourage them to be a part of the church. We have an amazing CCD program here that is really full and vibrant and he’s a big part of that.”
In many ways, the life of Carlo Acutis offers a bridge between generations. His love for the Eucharist, his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his care for the poor are all timeless virtues – but his use of technology to evangelize speaks directly to the digital age.
Father Scott Sterowski, Pastor of Saint Carlo Acutis Parish, believes the new saint’s youthful witness is more than just inspirational – it’s contagious.
“There is a certain youthfulness, a certain dynamism, regarding Saint Carlo that is a bit contagious. We see that as we look around the world, as we look at how his life, his witness, his simple approach of living the Christian faith has sparked a renewal of faith in the hearts and minds of so many people,” Father Sterowski said.
Father Sterowski emphasized that Acutis was a teenager like many others – he loved soccer, video games, music, and family dinners. What set him apart was his radical love for Christ and his desire to use even the simplest tools – like a website – to make the Eucharist known and loved.
“In a very special way, he is our special intercessor before the throne of God and also a role model – both for young and old – of what it means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus Christ,” Father added.
The Midvalley parish will continue its celebration of their new patron saint on the weekend of Sept. 27-28 when it hosts a Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit in Throop.
Originally created and written by Acutis, the exhibit has been translated into English and displayed in parishes all over the country.
The display will be open on Sept. 27 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Sept. 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at Saint Anthony of Padua Church, 215 Rebecca Street, Throop.