LA Catholics prepare to celebrate two of the church’s newest saints
LA Catholics prepare to celebrate two of the church’s newest saints, one with special local significance
Faithful across the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are joining Catholics worldwide in preparing to celebrate the joint canonization of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Blessed Carlo Acutis, two young Catholics beloved for their vibrant faith and witness to holiness, at St. Peter’s Square in Rome presided by Pope Leo XIV on September 7.
Last December, Pope Francis confirmed that Blessed Frassati would be declared a saint on account of the miracle of a healed Achillies tendon experienced by Father Juan Manuel Gutierrez, a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. For the story of Father Gutierrez’s miraculous healing, read the full account in Angelus, https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/frassati-la-miracle/.
“As we know, before someone can be declared a saint, the Church must determine that this individual has worked two miracles from heaven,” wrote Archbishop José H. Gomez in his weekly column to the faithful of the Archdiocese. “In the case of Blessed Frassati, it was determined that he worked a miracle for a Los Angeles seminarian, and it’s this miracle that caused the Church to declare that he is a saint.”
Auxiliary Bishop Matthew G. Elshoff for the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region of the Archdiocese and several priests of the Archdiocese will be leading a pilgrimage of 52 faithful from Southern California to Rome to witness the canonization of the two new saints. The local pilgrims will be blessed by Archbishop Gomez on Sunday, August 31, during the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, before they depart for a week-long pilgrimage in Rome.
“Los Angeles is truly a city of the angels and also a city of saints. And Blessed Pier Frassati truly is a saint for our times, a model for all of us, but especially for our young people,” said Archbishop Gomez. “That’s why we have created a new website, FriendsWithFrassati.com, to help us all to follow the way of our new saint.”
The Digital Team of the Archdiocese has launched “Friends with Frassati” online resources to support faithful in growing in prayer, service, and advocacy. Explore and download tools like the Lectio Divina Journal, How to Pray the Rosary Card, links to teaching that inspired Pier Giorgio and simple guides on Ways to Pray, Serve, and Advocate — all designed to help you follow Christ with intention and joy.
“As we approach his canonization, we invite you to become Friends with Frassati and climb with him toward the heights of holiness,” said Sarah Yaklic, Chief Digital Officer for the Archdiocese. “Your Verso l’alto Pledges and #FriendsWithFrassati social media posts will be collected and added to our Friends with Frassati book and gifted to his family.”
The youth will have a special gathering to celebrate the canonizations on Saturday, September 6 from 5-9 p.m. at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Los Angeles. The event will include food, games, vendors, music and Eucharistic Adoration. A relic is Blessed Carlo Acutis will also be present for veneration.
On the day of the canonizations, Sunday, September 7, the relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis will be installed in the “Chapel of Young Witnesses” which will be blessed by Archbishop Gomez at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels after Mass at 10 a.m.
“This chapel will hold the relics of our new St. Carlo Acutis, along with the relics of two other young 20th-century saints, St. Maria Goretti and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río,” wrote Archbishop Gomez in him column. “Our new young saints teach us that we can root our lives in a deep friendship with Jesus. They teach us that holiness is possible in our ordinary, daily lives, and that by our love, we can bring our neighbors and loved ones to know the friendship with Jesus that we know.”
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