The relics of St. Carlo Acutis were solemnly enshrined at the World Youth Day (WYD) Seoul 2027 Local Organizing Committee (LOC) chapel on September 17.
SEOUL — Auxiliary Bishop Job Yo-bi Koo of Seoul presided over the Mass in the LOC office building chapel, which gathered priests, volunteers, and young faithful.
Organizers described the celebration as a profound moment of grace.
Acutis (1991–2006), known as the “Influencer of God,” has been hailed as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.
Remembered for using technology to spread the Gospel, his life continues to inspire young people preparing for World Youth Day.
In his homily, Bishop Koo urged the faithful to look beyond fleeting measures of success.
He said true joy does not come from “the latest smartphone or the most ‘likes’” but from holiness, which he called “the only path to lasting happiness.”
The prelate emphasized that happiness flourishes “not in a self-centered life, but in a God-centered life.”
Quoting Acutis, he added: “In the sun, you get a tan, but before the Eucharist, you become a saint—for it transforms our souls.”
Bishop Koo invited volunteers to draw strength from the chapel itself, now a place of prayer and renewal for those serving WYD.
He also encouraged them to “make life not a waste, but a masterpiece,” reminding young Catholics that sanctity means living faithfully the gifts God has given, not imitation.
The relics are now permanently housed in the LOC chapel, which will be open for veneration during the WYD Open Mass every second and fourth Friday, and third Wednesday of the month, at 7:30 p.m.
On September 16, the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation and Peace Newspaper also declared Acutis their second patron saint and blessed a new statue to be installed at their headquarters.
