Carlo Acutis Apostolate to offer parish youth rallies

Friday, Jul. 28, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY — A new youth ministry initiated by Bishop Oscar A. Solis and diocesan leaders in December has seen tremendous success, particularly at the recent diocesan Eucharistic Rally and Mass.

“The response we’ve had has been very positive,” said Michael Edwards, the ministry co-chair.

Edwards, a St. Mary’s West Haven parishioner and diaconate aspirant, counted more than 150 youth in attendance at the July 9 Eucharist Rally and Mass, which drew Catholics from throughout Utah to the Mountain America Expo Center in Sandy for the daylong event. “We had a huge response from the Eucharistic celebration,” he said. “We made a lot of contacts with a lot of directors of religious education and youth ministers throughout the state who would like us to go and help them out.”

The ministry, which aims to involve local Catholic youth more intimately with the Church and to help address the high youth suicide rate, was first known as the Joshua Project. However, at Bishop Solis’ request, the name has been changed to the Carlo Acutis Apostolate. 

Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died at age 15 of leukemia, designed a website that documented Eucharistic miracles throughout the world.

“I think Carlo Acutis really reflects what a lot of the youth today reflect,” Edwards said. “He was involved a lot with social media and programming. He was very outgoing, and I think he’s just a great example for our youth. A lot of times we can talk to youth about the Real Presence in the Eucharist, and a lot of times it’s words, but having Carlo Acutis there and those miracles and how they were examined, it gives the youth a real tangible experience with the Eucharist.” 

The Apostolate is co-chaired by Fr. Gustavo Vidal, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Layton and chairman of the diocesan Liturgical Commission.

“We want to use the Eucharist as a means to create community and that community is going to help, we hope, with creating a sense of camaraderie, someone the kids can lean on, talk to, so they don’t feel so alone,” Edwards said. 

The Apostolate has held three diocesan youth rallies so far this year: in February and April at St. Rose of Lima Parish and in early July at the Eucharistic Rally. Now it is refocusing its efforts to offer rallies at the parish level. 

The first parish rally will be held Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. at St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church in Midvale. It will begin with a Mass, followed by a presentation about Blessed Carlo Acutis and activities and a presentation on the Real Presence. Fr. Vidal will speak on being sent out as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Apostolate hopes to hold these rallies every two months. Some of the content can be tailored to the needs of youth in a particular parish, Edwards said.

“If any parish wants to have us come and talk about Eucharistic miracles, Blessed Carlo Acutis, being sent and the Eucharist itself, we’ll have a team available and willing to go,” he said. “It will be easier for us to get to different parishes instead of teens from all these different parishes showing up at one place. It allows for us to have a little more intimate relationship with the youth. It also gives the parish an opportunity to really put forward a message that they want their youth to hear.”

Adults, particularly parents and grandparents, can have a strong influence on the youth in their lives in encouraging them to attend the rallies and participate in the life of the Church, Edwards said.

“The message the bishop gave at the rally is probably the most important one, to let them know they are loved and that there’s somebody there for them and that our faith is what brings us together and creates a sense of community,” he said. “The bishop also said they are the future of our faith, they are the future of our Church. They are going to be the strength and the backbone of our faith going forward and we want them to be strong in their faith, devout in the Eucharist and create a sense of community with each other as time goes forward.”

WHAT: Parish rally for youth

WHEN: Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. 

WHERE: St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, 624 W. Lennox St., Midvale

For information, call the St. Rose of Lima Parish office, 801-544-4269.