On Thursday April 28 at 10 a.m., Bishop O’Connell celebrated Mass in St. Dominic Church, Brick. At the Mass, attended in person by the students of St. Dominic school and faithful from area parishes and virtually by schools throughout the diocese via livestream, he received a relic of Carlo Acutis, who died at the age of 15 but, as a result of the holiness he exhibited in his brief life, has been declared "Blessed" by the Catholic Church and will soon, in all likelihood, be canonized a Saint - the first Millennial to receive such an honor. His faith serves as a special inspiration to young people but is also a model to people of all ages.
As part of the Mass, Bishop O’Connell placed all Catholic schools (parish, diocesan and independent) within the Diocese under the special patronage and protection of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has chosen Blessed Carlo as the patron of the first year of a three-year National Eucharistic Revival – a campaign which seeks to “renew the Church by enkindling a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist,” its mission statement declares.
For more information on Blessed Carlo, visit https://carloacutis-en.org/
The livestream of the Mass on Thursday, including a biographical video of Carlo, is available at https://youtu.be/fqEhlu87GnU
Official prayer asking for the Canonization of the Blessed Carlo Acutis
Oh Father,
who has given us the ardent testimony,
of the young Blessed Carlo Acutis,
who made the Eucharist the core of his life
and the strength of his daily commitments
so that everybody may love You above all else,
let him soon be
counted among the Saints in Your Church.
Confirm my faith,
nurture my hope,
strengthen my charity,
in the image of young Carlo
who, growing in these virtues,
now lives with You.
Grant me the grace that I need ...
I trust in You, Father,
and your Beloved Son Jesus,
in the Virgin Mary, our Dearest Mother,
and in the intervention of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Oh Father,
who has given us the ardent testimony,
of the young Blessed Carlo Acutis,
who made the Eucharist the core of his life
and the strength of his daily commitments
so that everybody may love You above all else,
let him soon be
counted among the Saints in Your Church.
Confirm my faith,
nurture my hope,
strengthen my charity,
in the image of young Carlo
who, growing in these virtues,
now lives with You.
Grant me the grace that I need ...
I trust in You, Father,
and your Beloved Son Jesus,
in the Virgin Mary, our Dearest Mother,
and in the intervention of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
The Eucharist is the highway to heaven.
Our FORMED Recommendation for the Week
Ebook (205 pages) - A Mother's Rule of Life: How to Bring Order to Your Home & Peace to Your Soul by Holly Pierlot
On January 1, 2000, Holly Pierlot pounded her fist on the kitchen table and yelled at her husband, “I can’t take it anymore!” Motherhood and homeschooling had overwhelmed her. The house was dirty, the laundry undone. Holly felt frustrated, discouraged, and alone. She couldn’t find time to snuggle and have fun with her five children or to go out with her husband. Yes, she loved Philip and she did love God, but she had come to resent Philip’s freedom, and she almost never found time for prayer. Today, everything’s better. Holly still homeschools, but the house is cleaner, she gets more done, and the kids are happier. There’s less stress, less strife, and less housework. Holly’s been healed of past wounds that troubled her soul and her marriage. Best of all, she spends at least an hour each day in prayer and time each evening with Philip. Holly brought about these changes with what she calls her Mother’s Rule of Life, a pattern for living that combines the spiritual wisdom of the monastery with the practical wisdom of motherhood. Holly’s Rule is not just another set of schedules; it’s a way for Christian mothers to answer God’s call to holiness.
With the help of your own Rule, you can get control of your own household, grow closer to God, come to love your husband more, and raise up holy Christian children. In these wise and practical pages, Holly shows you how.
Do you want to be a better wife and mother? To have more order in your life? To grow in union with God? Are you desperate yet?
With your own Mother’s Rule of Life, you’ll transform motherhood and its burdens into the joyful vocation it’s meant to be. Learn from Holly Pierlot how to craft a Rule that’s right for you and your family. Then use that Rule to help God draw you, your husband, and each of your children into Heaven!
With the help of your own Rule, you can get control of your own household, grow closer to God, come to love your husband more, and raise up holy Christian children. In these wise and practical pages, Holly shows you how.
Do you want to be a better wife and mother? To have more order in your life? To grow in union with God? Are you desperate yet?
With your own Mother’s Rule of Life, you’ll transform motherhood and its burdens into the joyful vocation it’s meant to be. Learn from Holly Pierlot how to craft a Rule that’s right for you and your family. Then use that Rule to help God draw you, your husband, and each of your children into Heaven!
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