THE relic of a 15-year-old Italian boy beatified by Pope Francis has been brought to Armagh.
Visitors are able to view the relic of Blessed Carlos Acutis at St Patrick’s Cathedral until tomorrow.
Archbishop Eamon Martin received the relic on Sunday, prior to the 11am Mass at the cathedral.
It has been brought to Ireland for three days by Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo, who is based in Assisi in Italy.
Blessed Carlo was born in London to Italian parents, but grew up in Milan where his family relocated when he was just a child.
From a young age, he displayed an extraordinary devotion to his Catholic faith and attended Mass daily, regularly received the sacraments as well as developing a deep love for the Eucharist.
In pictures: Relic of Blessed Carlo Acutis at St Paul's in west Belfast
He died in 2006 after a battle with leukemia and was beatified by Pope Francis in Assisi in October 2020.
His friends remember him as "a young dreamer, service-oriented and full of charisma". He once said: “Always to be united with Jesus, that is my life’s programme”.
On October 10, 2020, he was beatified by Pope Francis, becoming the first millennial to be declared 'Blessed' by the Catholic Church.
The Church said that his beatification highlighted "the significance of his witness, particularly for the younger generation, demonstrating that holiness is attainable even in our modern world".
Recently, in the process for the teenager’s beatification, his tomb became a pilgrimage site.
The special relic will be at St Patrick's Cathedral until Tuesday morning.
