Spain: Franciscanos de Granada host relic and sculpture of Carlo Acutis

The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Granada (Spain) has just hosted a first degree relic of Carlo Acutis and opens a sculpture of the Millennial Holy Millennial elaborated by the Colombian religious artist Sebastián García.

The relic was placed in the church at the beginning of the week and, coinciding with the canonization of Carlo Acutis and Piergiorgio Phrase this Sunday in Rome, the community of Franciscans Capuchins of Granada will open the sculpture.

The parish priest, Fray Ismael Medina, explains to ACI Press the reasons why they wanted to carry out this initiative. The first is to be able to bring the parishioners “to the first saint of this century”, which is reflected in their apostolic activity through new technologies.

“He focused a lot on the programming theme” and developed “a great compilation work of Eucharistic Miracles”, which makes him a saint “very focused on the 21st century,” in the opinion of the Capuchin friar.

“We are always used to seeing older saints, very old, of a proven virtue of many years. But he died being a kid and very close to the path of God,” he adds.

In addition, Fray Ismael acknowledges that the closeness of Carlo Acutis to San Francisco has also weighed in the decision to place his sculpture in the temple. Not surprisingly, it is capuchin friars who watch the body of the young saint in Assisi.

“We have thought about it precisely so that young Christians also have a Christian reference in which not everything has to go to the Middle Ages or the seventeenth century, so dear many times, but you can also live Christianly in the 21st century,” adds the pastor.

The Church of the Immaculate in Granada is “very small” and its parishioners, in general terms, “very old”, describes the Capuchin. However, the fact that the crypt is in it where the Blessed Fray Leopoldo de Alpandeirevery dear in the city, “it makes many people go to visit him and pray,” which is why many are also inspired by Carlo Acutis when going to the place.

Fray Leopoldo was born in 1864 in the Serranía de Ronda, in Malaga. At 35, he was admitted as a Capuchin Order candidate in Seville. After carrying out his solemn profession in 1903, he worked especially as alms, which led him to ask for money and to deal with the material and spiritual needs of the most disadvantaged. This was done in Granada between 1914 and 1956, being especially remembered for inviting three dusts to whom he was on the street. It was beatified in 2010.

For the day of the inauguration of the monument to Carlo Acutis, the parish community has prepared conscientiously, even with songs that speak of the spirituality of the Italian young.

The process to obtain the first degree relic, a hair of the saint, has been especially simple in this case, since the people responsible for promoting the cause of Fray Leopoldo and Carlo Acutis were known.

In any case, the parish priest emphasizes, “it is not difficult to ask for it correctly through the bishopric, but always for public use. For private use it is usually more difficult,” especially because of the risk of illegal relics.

Barefoot, with the legs and with a computer

The image that will be blessed next Sunday is the work of Colombian artist Sebastián Sánchez, settled in Granada almost two years ago. In it you can see, to a natural size, a figure of the young barefoot, sitting with a cross leg and typing on his computer, where he works on his research and documentation project of the Eucharistic Miracles.

In conversation with ACI Press, the artist explains that First they considered making a figure lying downthen, to do it, but, for Santiago Sánchez, that would make Acutis look too solemn.

“If I were Carlos, what would I do in my daily life?” Asked the artist, who imagined the Millennial Holy “in his bed, sitting, with his computer, probably without shoes, as is. Then I said, I like that, to do it close to the reality of a young man.”

It is a piece made with resin and fiberglass, on a marble surface that is based on an iron structure and has been installed in one of the side chapels of the parish, next to that of the baptismal battery, near the presbytery.

The set is completed with a Bible, several study books and the rosary, “as fundamental means for the growth of faith,” he details.

The book, the Bible and the Rosary are designed with digital tools. Then a 3D printer was used, this being one of Sánchez’s first experiences with this technique, which for the artist makes sense because Carlo’s life also “talks a little about technology.”

The Bible is open. In one of the pages the discourse of the bread of life is collected: “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes will never be thirsty.” In the other, a verse from the letter from Santiago, which speaks of the life of Caridad de Carlo Acutis: “If you comply with the one that, according to writing, is the royal law ‘you will love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well.”

To present the Eucharistic centrality in the life of the saint, the marble surface on which the Acutis figure is sustained is shaped like a chalice, while the bottom of the set symbolizes the Eucharistic bread.

Santiago Sánchez looked on his face, with a slight smile and a deep look, the enjoyment of the young man delivered to his passion.