Blessed Carlo Acutis gains more fans as relic and Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition arrive in Melbourne

St Thomas More Parish in Mount Eliza recently hosted a remarkable week-long parish mission, welcoming a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis—a strand of his hair—alongside his renowned International Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition. This event, held from 18 to 23 February, marked the first time both the relic and exhibition had been displayed in Melbourne, inspiring parishioners and visitors alike, and drawing them into a deeper reflection on the mystery of the Eucharist.

Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager beatified in 2020, is often called the ‘cyber-apostle of the Eucharist’ for his devotion to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and his use of technology to share his faith. Before his death from leukaemia at just 15, Carlo documented and compiled Eucharistic miracles from around the world into an online exhibition, which has since inspired Catholics across the globe. The exhibition has been shown on all five continents, visiting more than 3,000 parishes in Italy, the United States and Canada alone.

Throughout the week, visitors to St Thomas More Parish had the opportunity to venerate Carlo’s relic and explore his Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition, which was displayed in the parish hall. Each evening featured a special talk highlighting different aspects of Carlo’s faith, with guest speakers offering insights into his life, devotion to the Eucharist, and the transformative power of God’s presence.

We knew he would be someone who could really inspire people.

Parish priest Fr Patrick Bradford shared his enthusiasm for hosting the event, noting its impact on the community. ‘I think his impact on youth and families is very powerful,’ he said.

Explaining how the exhibition came about, he said, ‘The opportunity just presented itself.’ Kate Hobbs, a faithful Catholic from Queensland, obtained the relic in 2022 and arranged the printing of the exhibition posters. Since then she has been gradually making them available to parishes in Australia, including coordinating tours of the exhibition and relic to Sydney and Tasmania. Fr Bradford heard they were coming to Melbourne and leapt at the opportunity to host a mission focused on Carlo Acutis in Mount Eliza. ’ We knew he would be someone who could really inspire people,’ he said.

Anna Krohn opened the series of talks on Tuesday evening with a reflection on how the Eucharist shaped Carlo’s family life. On Wednesday, Fr Bradford explored the miraculous events associated with Carlo, concluding with a Eucharistic healing service.

A highlight, he said, has been ‘seeing the people, our own parishioners first of all. I’ve tried to encourage them to come, and many of them have—a large number.’ He has enjoyed ‘seeing them interact with the exhibition and spending time marvelling at the Eucharistic miracles. Many of them have told me, “We knew that there was one or two but we didn’t know there were 156 of them!“ ‘

People finding their way back to God is very powerful.

The mission continued on Thursday with Rev Dr Trevor Tibbertsma discussing Carlo’s deep love for both the Eucharist and Sacred Scripture, while John Canavan spoke on Friday about Carlo’s devotion to Divine Mercy and the theme of healing.

Fr Bradford was encouraged by the growing crowds and increased participation in the sacraments throughout the mission. ‘Each night the crowds have been getting bigger and bigger, and each night the number of confessions that people have been wanting has also been growing,’ he said. ‘So, on the last night, we had several hours of confessions ... and that was a great privilege. People finding their way back to God is very powerful.’

Young attendees also found the experience deeply moving. Capri Surace reflected on the moment she prayed before the relic, describing it as ‘quite serene, very peaceful’.

‘I haven’t ever been in front of a relic before,’ she said. ‘It was also really humbling. Just knowing that someone so young achieved something so great in his life. At such an early age he really devoted his life to Jesus. It’s really inspirational, and I was in awe of what he did. It inspired me to deepen my faith with God more, and take a page out of his book.’

He’s very relatable, you know. He lived in our generation. He played video games, just like us.

Jacob Melham also found the experience of praying before the relic ‘quite beautiful’.

‘There was a nice little prayer that was on the side, right next to the relic, and it helped me lock in on what was in front of me. It was very peaceful and it helped me reflect on his life, and on asking for his intercession as well.’

Both young people were particularly inspired by Carlo’s discipline and commitment to his faith. ‘At such a young age, he limited his screen time, his video gaming, to an hour a day, which I think is really inspirational,’ Capri said. Jacob agreed, adding, ‘He’s very relatable, you know. He lived in our generation. He played video games, just like us, so he’s very relatable to young people.’

In addition to the talks, the parish offered daily opportunities for Eucharistic adoration, confession and Mass. Friday night included an extended period of adoration, continuing until Saturday morning. The weekend saw a strong focus on community engagement, with a youth-centred Mass on Saturday evening followed by a screening of Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist (2024). On Sunday, a visiting youth choir enriched the liturgy, and the mission concluded with a parish barbecue, family activities and a final evening of adoration, vespers and benediction.

There is another way that we can live in God’s plan, giving our lives to God, living a more simple life.

This year, on 27 April, Carlo Acutis will be canonised during the Jubilee of Teenagers, and there are plans for the relic and exhibition to visit at least nine other parishes in Melbourne throughout the course of the Jubilee Year.  Work is underway to set up a website, and ‘we’re trying to spread it around the different parishes and different suburbs,’ Fr Bradford says, so ‘it’s not more than 20 or 30 minutes drive’ for those who would like to experience the exhibition and relic this year in person.

Meanwhile, as a result of the mission at St Thomas More Parish, Fr Bradford thinks Carlo Acutis has gained ‘a few more fans, people who have taken the cards and are learning about his life, and learning that there is another way that we can live in God’s plan, giving our lives to God, living a more simple life.’

He expressed hope that the mission would bear lasting fruit. ‘I think, for many people, it will be a deeper devotion to the Mass and the Eucharist. And perhaps for some people, who haven’t been so connected to the Church in their faith lives, I think this will be a refocus for them.’