A Nine Day Novena
St Carlo Acutis Novena
7 July – 15 July
I warmly invite you to join us in praying this nine-day Novena as we prepare to welcome the major relic of St Carlo Acutis to our Diocese. We begin today, 7 July, and conclude on 15 July, the day the relic arrives in Alice Springs to begin its journey in our Diocese.
As we pray together, I encourage you to bring before the Lord your own intentions, the needs of your family, and the needs of our Diocese. In a special way, let us pray for our young people. St Carlo was himself a teenager who showed the world that holiness is possible at every age. May his example inspire our young people to know, love and follow Jesus with courage and joy.
I look forward to sharing this special time of grace with you as we prepare to welcome this remarkable young saint into our Diocese.
God bless you.+Charles
Opening Prayer
Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I thank you for all the favours and graces with which you enriched the soul Saint Acutis throughout his 15 years on this earth and for the merits of this beloved angel of youth. Grant me the grace that I ardently ask of you.
1 Day One“Not I, but God.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who made your life a continuous renunciation and annihilation, grant me the grace to seek heavenly things and to detest those that are ephemeral. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
2 Day Two“To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who lived always in unity with the Heart of Jesus, grant me the grace of fulfilling this design of love in everything, according to the Heart of God. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
3 Day Three“Continually ask your Guardian Angel for help. He has to become your best friend.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who sought already in this world, the company of Holy Angels, grant me the grace to live righteously as my Guardian Angel desires. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
4 Day Four“In order for a hot air balloon to go up, you need to drop the weights… we must confess often.”
“In order for a hot air balloon to go up, you need to drop the weights. In the same way, in order to rise to Heaven, the soul needs to drop its venial sins. If by chance there is a mortal sin, the soul falls back to earth and Confession is like the fire, which when lit, makes the hot air balloon rise up to heaven. We must confess often.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who lived this Sacrament of Reconciliation so well, grant me the grace of regularly drawing nearer to confession with profound contrition. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
5 Day Five“Sadness is the gaze directed inwards, while happiness is the gaze directed toward God.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who never took your gaze away from Jesus, your great love, grant me the grace of living this true happiness, already in this world. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
6 Day Six“The only thing we have to ask God in our prayers is the desire to become Saints.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who always knew how to ask God for the essential, grant me the grace of a profound desire for Heaven. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
7 Day Seven“The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who loved the Virgin Mary more than anyone else, grant me the grace of always responding to the love of such a tender and kind Mother. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
8 Day Eight“The Eucharist is my Highway to Heaven.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, you who always sought your Jesus hidden in the Tabernacle, grant me the grace of a profound Eucharistic fervour. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
9 Day Nine“I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even one minute of it on anything unpleasing to God.”
Saint Carlo Acutis, grant me the grace of graces, that is, the final perseverance and a holy death. Amen.
To conclude, I invite you to pray five “Our Fathers”, five “Hail Marys” and five “Glory be to the Fathers”, in thanksgiving to God for the gifts granted to Carlo in the 15 years of his earthly life.
God bless your day
Final Prayer
God, Father of Mercy, thank you for Saint Carlo Acutis, that through him, you may always be glorified. We give thanks You raised him as a saint, he who always did Your will in all things, and for his merits, grant me the grace that I ardently desire.
Know More
St Carlo Acutis was a modern teenager whose deep love for Jesus, especially in the Eucharist, inspired countless people around the world. Today, he is recognised as a saint and a powerful role model, particularly for young people.
Known for his research into Eucharistic miracles and his wise use of technology to share the Gospel, St Carlo reminds us that holiness is possible in everyday life.
This July, we are blessed to welcome the relic of St Carlo Acutis to our Diocese, together with an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles. Everyone is warmly invited to come for prayer, veneration, and to learn more about the life and witness of this remarkable young saint.
I invite families, young people, parish communities, and all the faithful to be part of this special time of prayer and inspiration.
Come and encounter the witness of a young saint who showed the world that holiness is for everyone.
+Charles