‘I receive news of miracles and conversions every day from across the world’ – St Carlo’s mother
History was made this week as Fr Michael Toomey, parish priest of Holy Family Church, Ardfinnan, Co. Tipperary, returned from Italy carrying with him a first-class relic of the Church’s newest saint, Carlo Acutis. The relic, entrusted to him by the Bishop of Assisi, will be permanently housed in Ardfinnan, making the parish one of the few in Ireland to hold such a sacred treasure.
Fr Toomey’s journey began in Rome, where he met Antonia Salzano, mother of the 15-year-old computer prodigy turned saint, along with Carlo’s father Andrea Acutis and his younger siblings Francesca and Michele. Antonia, who has become a powerful witness of faith since her son’s death in 2006, and spoke movingly of the impact St Carlo continues to have across the globe:
“I am moved, but also calm and serene, because this canonisation will have the effects all the faithful hope it will. Every day I receive news of miracles and conversions from all over the world – from China, Japan, the USA, and Latin America. Carlo touches many hearts with his example and his infectious faith. That gives me great joy.”
During their meeting, Fr Toomey presented Mrs Salzano with an image of the newly installed Carlo Acutis shrine in Ardfinnan.
A saint who brought his own mother to faith
Dublin’s Bishop Paul Dempsey, reflecting on the canonisation, shared how Mrs Salzano herself rediscovered her faith through her young son:
“Carlo was only three when he insisted on visiting the Tabernacle each time they passed a church. He was a very advanced child – reading and writing at four. His mother admitted she had little or no faith, but through Carlo she discovered the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. She said that Carlo was her saviour. What a profound testimony – that a child could bring his mother to Christ.”
This mission – to bring souls to Jesus, especially through devotion to the Blessed Sacrament – was at the very heart of Carlo’s life, he said.
Ireland to Welcome a Sacred Relic
On Tuesday, Fr. Toomey travelled to Assisi, where Carlo’s incorrupt body lies in repose, to receive the First-Class Relic. It will be solemnly installed in Holy Family Church, Ardfinnan, on Sunday, October 12th – St. Carlo’s Feast Day – at a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan of Waterford & Lismore.
The relic will remain permanently in Ardfinnan, joining the shrine and statue of Carlo that already draws pilgrims from across Ireland. This makes the Tipperary parish one of the few privileged places in the country – alongside St. Anne’s, Sligo, and the Franciscan Friary, Killarney – where the faithful can venerate a First-Class Relic of a saint.
A First-Class Relic, the most sacred category in the Church, is a physical part of a saint’s body, such as bone, blood, or hair. For centuries, such relics have been focal points of prayer, healing, and conversion – a tangible sign of the communion of saints and the nearness of God’s grace.
A Bridge to Jesus
For Antonia Salzano, her son’s mission is only beginning:
“Life is a journey towards holiness. Our goal is heaven. Carlo is a bridge to Jesus – and through him, I hope many will find the same joy and faith that changed my life.”
With the arrival of his relic in Co. Tipperary, the hope of countless Irish faithful is that St. Carlo’s radiant faith will continue to inspire a new generation of young people to rediscover the Eucharist and walk the same path to holiness.
There are other official First-Class Relic’s permanently on display in Ireland including in St. Annes Church in Sligo, and the Friary in Killarney.
