International Vatican Eucharistic Miracles of the World Exhibit Coming to St. Louis de Montfort Mid-November!

We have the great blessing to host the International Vatican Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit at St. Louis de Montfort in mid-November. This exhibit–which has been hosted in dozens of countries across five continents–was compiled by Blessed Carlo Acutis. Carlo, an Italian teen who was born on May 3, 1991, is on the path toward becoming the first saint of the New Millennium.

The Real Presence 

The Eucharist is both the source and summit of our faith. In the Doctrine of the Real Presence, the Church proclaims Christ is truly present in the Eucharist—Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Many of the Eucharistic miracles arose out of a lack of belief in the True Presence in the Eucharist. It is as if the veil is removed as we are able to see Jesus’ flesh and blood. In the miracles, the Eucharist either becomes actual flesh and blood, becomes luminous or even levitates. At other times, images appear on the Host.   

Blessed Carlo Acutis: “To always be close to Jesus, that is my life plan.”

Carlo possessed a remarkable faith and a devotion to Christ in the Eucharist. He asked his parents—who were lukewarm Catholics at the time—for permission to receive his First Holy Communion at the age of seven. From that point onward, he was a daily communicant. His mother, Antonia, recalled: “As a little boy, especially after his First Communion, he never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by Eucharistic adoration.” He often said the Eucharist was his “highway to heaven.” In many respects Blessed Carlo was a typical teenager who enjoyed video games, sports, his pets and friends. Carlo expressed a genuine love for the poor and the homeless—many of whom came to his funeral in great numbers.

He had a deep love for Jesus, the Blessed Mother and for the Eucharist saying: “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”  

As a young boy, Carlo began to research the Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church. For two and a half years, Carlo compiled the miracles and made pilgrimages to some of the sites. Carlo took seriously Pope John Paul II’s exhortation to utilize the internet as a powerful tool in the New Evangelization. As Pope John Paul II shared in his message for the 36th World Communications Day: “Like other communications media, it is a means, not an end in itself. The Internet can offer magnificent opportunities for evangelization if used with competence and a clear awareness of its strengths and weaknesses.” Carlo built a website containing the Eucharistic miracles of the world by wielding his exceptional tech and computer programming skills. This was his life's work—to help evangelize the world and bring the truth of the Real Presence of Christ in Eucharist to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Carlo died on October 12, 2006 after a brief battle with Leukemia.  During this time he offered his suffering for the Lord, the Church and the Pope. His mother said he died peacefully in the knowledge that heaven was awaiting him and that he had lived his life “without wasting a minute on those things which do not please God.” Carlo was beatified on October 10, 2020 in Assisi, Italy. Blessed Carlo is a wonderful model of holiness for people of all ages, most especially our youth.

Details of the Exhibit and Relic

The exhibit will open to our parishioners on Sunday, November 14th in the Youth Ministry Center. We will offer hours throughout the week for our parish, school, religious education and other various ministries to view the exhibit and venerate the relic. We also will offer special hours for seniors and the vulnerable on the morning of Friday, November 19th from 8:00 -11:00 a.m. The exhibit is free of charge and will be held from Sunday, November 14th through Sunday, November 21st. The exhibit will open to the public on the final weekend, November 20th and 21st.

Please see the schedule here!