Mission Impact
Yesterday, together with the parish communities of St Mary MacKillop, Oran Park & St Mary Mother of God, Leppington, we were honoured to welcome the Major Relic of St Carlo Acutis as the pilgrimage makes its way through New South Wales, facilitated by the Friends of St Carlo Acutis Australia and accompanied by St Carlo’s Exhibition of Eucharistic Miracles.
Bishop Brian led a significant delegation of Catholic Education Office staff, and school staff in the blessing at the site of the newest school in our diocese named under his patronage, St Carlo Acutis Catholic College, Leppington. The relic continued on pilgrimage and were received and welcomed at both St Justin’s and St Benedict’s schools who were joined by staff and students from St Greg’s College Primary School.
The relic is a 6 × 2 cm section of St Carlo’s pericardium, the membrane surrounding the heart. The pericardium contains deep spiritual meaning. Spiritually, the heart is the centre of our inner life. Our relationship with the Lord is born in the heart and lives there: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37). We also recall Mary, who “treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2:19).
Ahead of the pilgrimage, Bishop Brian invited school communities to offer students in Years 5 and above a unique encounter with St Carlo Acutis. The experience offered students the opportunity to venerate his relic, view the exhibition, reflect on his message, and spend time in Eucharistic Adoration.
“St Carlo offers a powerful witness that holiness is not reserved for the few, but a calling to be discovered in the heart of every person. His love of the Eucharist, his joy-filled faith, and his gifts in the world of technology make him an inspiring model for the young people of today seeking purpose and hope. I want to encourage our students to discover in St Carlo an example of what authentic discipleship can look like in the modern world.”
We pray that St Carlo Acutis will bless our parish and school communities abundantly, stirring up and encouraging a thirst for Jesus in the Eucharist, especially as we head towards the International Eucharistic Congress in Sydney in 2028.
