Teenage Italian saint rekindles faith of young Vietnamese Catholics

Exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles documented by Saint Carlo Acutis drew thousands in Vietnam9;s largest city.

Visitors look at pictures at an exhibition called Eucharistic Miracles of the World – The Legacy of Saint Carlo Acutis; which ran from Oct. 12–22, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of tgpsaigon.net)

Ngọc Lan shed tears as she stepped inside the chapel of the Pastoral Center in Ho Chi Minh City in mid-October.

The 18-year-old knelt before a relic of Saint Carlo Acutis and the Eucharist in the chapel, and emotionally whispered, “Carlo!”

The pastoral center in Vietnam9;s largest city hosted an exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles documented by Acutis, an English-born Italian teenager declared a saint by Pope Leo on Sept. 7.

Around 10,000 mostly young Catholics visited the exhibition Eucharistic Miracles of the World – The Legacy of Saint Carlo Acutis from Oct. 12-22, which kicked off on his first feast day after canonization.

Many young people, like Lan, became emotional as they visited the exhibition and said the faith of the new saint rekindled their own faith, particularly their devotion to Eucharistic Miracles.

“I used to think the Blessed Sacrament was something far away. But today I feel Jesus is so close — right here with me,” she told UCA News.

The exhibition featured 136 Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church, which the saint compiled and presented on his website. He died in 2006 aged 15.

Each display combined images, sound, and QR codes, forming what organizers called a “map of faith” guiding visitors to encounter Christ in the Eucharist.

Visitors were also invited to venerate the saint’s first-class relic — strands of his hair — and spend time in adoration in the center’s old chapel.

Many, especially young people, wrote heartfelt prayers and reflections after viewing the exhibition and kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament.

Their handwritten notes — hundreds of them, pinned beneath a large portrait of the saint — spoke of faith renewed, gratitude rediscovered, and the longing to live with purpose in a digital age.

“Thank you, Carlo,” wrote 19-year-old Phuong Anh. “You helped me see that every Mass is a miracle. From now on, I’ll go to church not out of habit but to meet the One I love.”

Another youth, 22-year-old Thien An, said, “Carlo became a saint in the middle of the internet world, so I can become holy in my own world — in school, with friends, at work. Thank you for showing me that.”

9;Saint attracting youth9;

The center’s director, Father Francis Xavier Bao Loc, said the response to the exhibition was overwhelming.

“More than 10,000 people came to the exhibition, to adore the Blessed Sacrament and go to confession,” he said. Many participants received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, some for the first time in years.

“We hope this renewed love for the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation won’t stop at a movement, but become a way of life,” he added.

On Sept. 30, Father Anthony Bunly from the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, delivered the saint s relics to the archdiocese and the dioceses of Nha Trang and Xuan Loc.

The same relics had first arrived in the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, in November 2024, ahead of preparations for World Youth Day 2027. Since then, they have traveled through Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

During the closing Mass of the exhibition, Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Nang of Ho Chi Minh City announced that the local Church holds three first-class relics of the saint — one at the Pastoral Center, one at Notre Dame Cathedral, and another that will pass through more than 200 local parishes.

“Each parish will hold adoration hours and sessions on the Eucharist, media, and technology,” Nang explained. “We hope this will help young people discover how to live their faith in today’s digital world. It will be a journey of Eucharistic fire — bringing more hearts to encounter Christ.”

The archbishop also expressed hope that the saint’s example will inspire a new generation of “friends of Carlo Acutis — and more deeply, friends of Jesus in the Eucharist,” spreading holiness quietly but powerfully within the Church.

9;Saint of the Digital Age9;

The exhibition later moved to Hanh Thong Tay parish, where it will remain until Nov. 8. The parish, which trains catechists and youth leaders for the archdiocese, has pledged to continue promoting devotion to both the Eucharist and Saint Carlo Acutis.

Father Joseph Pham Duc Tuan, pastor of the parish and head of the archdiocesan youth ministry, said the exhibition will help young people serve the Lord with enthusiasm.

Dominic Phan, a visitor, told UCA News that through the exhibition he 9;saw a Church coming alive with the youth — the future of the Church. I hope this will be held in other dioceses.9;

Another Catholic, Joseph Tran, said his nine-year-old son, soon to receive First Communion, visited the exhibition twice.

“He was amazed and said he longed to receive Jesus soon. I truly hope the Church continues organizing such events to rekindle faith, especially among the young,” Tran said.

As the crowd thinned one evening, 24-year-old Lan Anh stayed behind, kneeling before the relic.

She said Acutis lived in the same digital age and she lives and prays to him to walk with me so I can be brave like you — to follow God’s will and share His love in my own world.”

Source: ucanews.com