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Relics of St. Carlo Acutis were permanently enshrined in the office chapel of the local organizing committee of World Youth Day Seoul 2027, as the city prepares to host millions of young Catholics in the coming years. The relics were enshrined on September 17.
St. Carlo Acutis, who was canonized earlier this month, is the first millennial canonized saint. He died in 2006, at the age of 15, from leukemia.
On September 15, following Acutis' canonization, the South Korean publication Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation and Peace Newspaper announced that he had been named as one of the patrons saints of World Youth Day Seoul.
In a Mass celebrated to mark the enshrinement of the relics, Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo, an auxiliary bishop of Seoul, said in his homily that Acutis' example and mindset towards the Eucharist is one that can be followed by all.
“True happiness blossoms not in a self-centered life, but in a God-centered life,” said Koo.
“As St. Carlo also taught: ‘In the sun, you get a tan, but before the Eucharist, you become a saint—for it transforms our souls.’ When the road of service becomes difficult and our hearts feel heavy with conflicts or our bodies weary, let us remain before the Lord in this chapel, now set apart for all volunteers. Here, in His presence, you will find strength for your soul and renewal for your mission.”
Happiness, as said in the Gospel, said Koo, is not "wealth, fame, youth, health, or social success," adding "the latest smartphone or the most 'likes' cannot give us true joy."
"Holiness—deep communion with God—is the only path to lasting happiness," said Koo.
During his life, Acutis was a daily communicant and would frequently attend Eucharistic adoration—something that people today can and should do as well, said Koo.
The faithful should "make life not a waste, but a masterpiece," he said, noting "we are each called to sanctity along our unique path, not by imitation, but by living faithfully the gifts God has given us."
Those who wish to view Acutis' relics can do so during the World Youth Day office's open Masses, which are held three times a month, said a release from the World Youth Day organizing committee.
World Youth Day Seoul 2027 is set to begin on August 3, 2027, and run through August 8. It is the first time the event has been hosted by a country where Christians are a minority faith.
