The Catholic Church is blessed to have members whose holiness and goodness are real-life examples of how to live. We're even more blessed to use them as intercessors and examples when something happens in our lives to take us down a path we either struggle with or didn't expect. That's right- we're talking about the saints! This year join the Natick Catholic Community as we introduce Saint of the Quarter. Each quarter we'll dive into the life of a saint and participate in a service project to honor this saint and remember their works. We invite our parishioners to take part in this initiative and stay tuned for updates on how you can get more involved. We present our second NCC Saint of the Quarter- Blessed Carlo Acutis! This year is the Year of the Eucharist and thus we have chosen a special almost-saint to highlight, Carlo Acutis. Carlo was a Catholic Italian teenager who died in 2006 and was beatified Oct. 10, 2020 in Assisi. Beatification is the Church's official recognition that a person has lived a heroically holy life by serving close to the Lord. Born in London but living in Italy, Carlo was diagnosed with leukemia as a teenager. While his parents were not particularly devout, Carlo made the point of going to confession every week, Mass almost every day, and regular pilgrimages to holy sites. After his death, several miracles were attributed to him, including the birth of twins to his own mother four years after his death. An avid video gamer and computer programmer, Carlo created a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles. Blessed Carlo is set to become one of the first “millennial saints”. Our Project This quarter we are inviting you to spend some prayer time with the Blessed Sacrament, reflecting on God's mercy and deepening your devotion to the Lord's Real Presence among us. Saint Patrick parish has one of 19 adoration chapels in Massachusetts. Our chapel has been welcoming adorers of the Blessed Sacrament for over 25 years. We’d love for you to spend some time with our Eucharistic Lord this springtime. Whether you are a seasoned volunteer or have been thinking about visiting the chapel on Hayes Street for the first time, you can sign up for an hour of adoration by emailing natickcatholics@gmail.com. For more information, see here.
We also ask that you pray about attending the Eucharistic Congress in Lowell in June on the weekend of Corpus Christi. On Friday June 17 there will be a special program for youth and young adults. And on June 18 Catholics from all over the Archdiocese will gather from 8:30 am – 6 pm. Several guest speakers, including Bishops Robert Barron and Daniel Flores, will address the assembly throughout the day. There will be an opportunity for confession and a festive celebration of the Eucharist, led by Cardinal O'Malley. More information can be found here. If you are interested in attending, let us know by filling out the form below and clicking the submit button. Thank you in advance for your help! We look forward to sharing the spirit of Blessed Carlo Acutis with you this spring.