STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Students and families gathered at Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy last week to celebrate St. Carlo Acutis Day, honoring the newly canonized teen saint with a day of faith, learning, and inspiration.
The centerpiece of the celebration was the internationally renowned “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibition, originally created by Acutis himself.
The exhibit features panels documenting global Eucharistic miracles that were compiled by the tech-savvy teen who used the internet to spread his devotion to the Eucharist. Known as “God’s influencer,” Acutis taught himself computer coding and built a website to share these miracles, aiming to inspire faith in others.
The event featured part of the saint’s renowned “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibition for students to view.Courtesy of Lisa Nielson
Acutis, a British-born Italian teen, died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. His deep devotion to the Eucharist and innovative use of technology to evangelize led to his canonization by Pope Leo XIV on Sept. 7, following a delay due to the death of Pope Francis earlier this year.
In honor of the saint, local artist Sofia Nielsen was commissioned by the Padre Pio Society to create a painting of St. Carlo Acutis for the seventh-grade classroom at Holy Rosary School. The painting will remain in the classroom permanently.
Sofia Nielsen painted this oil portrait of St. Carlo Acutis for the seventh-grade classroom at Holy Rosary School in South Beach.Advance/SILive.com | Shaina McLawrence
“The primary inspiration comes from my faith,” said Nielsen, who also teaches art classes for young children at Emerging Talent Studios. “I went through a difficult period last year with health anxiety. My faith and the church got me through it. This painting is a way for me to give back and hopefully inspire young people.”
Nielsen, who was the salutatorian of her class at Notre Dame Academy, previously gifted each girl in her graduating class a hand-painted portrait during her speech on graduation day this past June. She hopes her painting of Acutis will continue his legacy of communicating faith in a modern way.
“I hope the painting accurately captures his likeness and, more importantly, honors his legacy,” she said.
Members of Padre Pio Society, Lisa Nielsen (left), Laura Lucchese (right), and Laura Uruchima (middle), pose with the painting that Sofia Nielsen completed.Advance/SILive.com | Shaina McLawrence
In a statement to the Advance/SILive.com Father Vincent Capodanno Catholic Academy’s Principal Debbie Cretella said the school is grateful for the gift.
“We are extremely grateful to be the recipient of this painting,” Cretella said. “Every grade from kindergarten through eighth has a classroom saint for a yearlong study. St. Carlo Acutis is our seventh-grade saint.”
As part of the celebration, families received rosaries that had been touched to a relic of St. Carlo Acutis — strands of his hair currently on loan from the pastor at St. Rita’s Church.
These rosaries, having touched the relic, are considered third-class relics, carrying spiritual significance for those who use them in prayer.
The relic of St. Carlo Acutis’ hair that was used to bless over 400 rosaries for students and their families.
“We had over 400 rosaries touched to the relic,” said Lisa Nielsen of the Padre Pio Society. “We taught the children how to pray a decade of the rosary and explained how Carlo Acutis believed Jesus was the center of one’s life. He used rosaries like these every day.”
The Padre Pio Society hopes the children will treasure the rosaries and that the event will help rekindle faith in the community.
The event featured part of the saint’s renowned “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibition and the unveiling of a new painting for Holy Rosary School’s seventh-grade classroom.Courtesy of Lisa Nielson
“Our mission is just beginning,” said event organizer Laura Lucchese of the Padre Pio Society. “We want to bring people back to the church. St. Carlo believed that through the children, we can reach the parents.”
The event also featured light refreshments, interactive learning stations, and a short film about Acutis’s life, offering a meaningful experience for all who attended.
The event featured part of the saint’s renowned “Eucharistic Miracles of the World” exhibition and the unveiling of a new painting for Holy Rosary School’s seventh-grade classroom.Courtesy of Lisa Nielson
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