Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati will be featured at the Jubilee of Youth. The event will likely focus on the lives and examples of these future saints. The Jubilee of Youth provides an opportunity for young people to learn about and be inspired by religious figures.
5 months ago
The Jubilee of Youth is scheduled to take place in Rome from July 28 to August 3, 2025, bringing thousands of young pilgrims from around the world 2. This event will feature a variety of activities including musical performances, prayer vigils, and special events 2. A central highlight of the Jubilee will be the veneration of relics of two young men slated for canonization: Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati 1 2 3.
Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer coder who died of cancer in 2006, is recognized for his profound devotion to the Eucharist and his work in cataloging Eucharistic miracles 2. Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, who passed away in 1925 at the age of 24, was known for his life of service and charity, and was a member of the Dominican Third Order 2 3. Both are set to be proclaimed saints together in a canonization ceremony at the Vatican on September 7, 2025, by Pope Leo XIV 2 3. Their canonization was originally planned for April but was postponed 3.
During the Jubilee, pilgrims will have unique opportunities to venerate relics of these future saints. The incorrupt body of Pier Giorgio Frassati will be available for public veneration at the Basilica of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, near the Pantheon, from July 26 through the morning of August 4 2 3. Youth volunteers from the U.S.-based JP2 Project will assist pilgrims in prayer at the basilica, and a "Night of Adoration with Pier Giorgio Frassati" is also scheduled 2. Frassati's remains will return to Turin, Italy, on August 5 2.
A first-class relic of Carlo Acutis' heart will be venerated at the "Blessed Carlo Acutis Center," located at the Church of San Marcello al Corso 2 3. This center will operate from July 29 to July 31, offering daily Eucharistic adoration, music, testimonies, and prayer 2. Visitors can also submit prayer intentions to be brought to Acutis' tomb in Assisi, and an exhibit on Eucharistic miracles compiled by Acutis will be on display 2 3.
Beyond Acutis and Frassati, the Jubilee will highlight other young figures recognized for their sanctity 2. The Blessed Ivan Merz Center will be hosted at the Basilica of Sant’Andrea della Valle on July 30, featuring relic veneration, confession, and youth talks 2. Additionally, the Centro San Lorenzo will offer insights into the Pier Giorgio Homeless Ministry and host a gathering with the Servant Sisters of the Home of the Mother, the religious community of Sister Clare Crockett, whose cause for canonization is underway 2.
A self-guided "Young Saints Walk," accessible through the EWTN Travel app, encourages pilgrims to visit churches across Rome housing relics of various young saints 2. These stops include St. Agnes, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Philip Neri, and St. John Paul II, all remembered for their commitment to youth 2.
How does the Church define and recognize sanctity?
The Church defines sanctity as a close union with God and the moral perfection that results from this union . This holiness is a divine gift, not something achieved by human nature alone . The Church, as a society, aims to produce holiness in its members and possesses the means to achieve this, with the lives of its members reflecting this purpose .
The recognition of sanctity involves a rigorous process, often leading to beatification and canonization. This process distinguishes between martyrs and confessors (those who practiced heroic virtues) .
The general procedure for recognizing sanctity involves several steps:
The Church emphasizes that saints are a source and origin of renewal, serving as models of Christian life and illuminating new aspects of the Gospel . The call to holiness is universal, rooted in Baptism, and reinforced by the other sacraments, especially the Eucharist . Christians are called to live out the holiness they have received, striving for the perfection of charity and conforming their lives to Christ's image .