Father Chris Alar, provincial superior of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, told Newsmax on Sunday that the canonizations of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati show that young Catholics can live heroic lives of faith and serve as role models for the Church.
"This is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that we have an entire family there to see their son canonized a saint," Alar told Newsmax, reflecting on Acutis, the 15-year-old known as the "sneaker saint" for his love of the internet and technology.
He noted that Acutis' parents embodied the true mission of Catholic parenting: "At the end of the day, what is the most important thing that we can give our children, our grandchildren? It's to teach them to know and love God. And that's exactly what the parents of Saint Carlo Acutis have done."
Alar explained that the Church's careful canonization process ensures authenticity, even when saints are young.
"Somebody might say, 'Well, these two men are too young to know that they had that much virtue,'" he said. "But the Church goes through a rigorous process. First, to become a saint, you have to be a servant of God, then venerable, then blessed with a miracle, and then canonized. So by the time the Church is done reviewing you and your background, especially in today's modern age, it's pretty thorough."
Alar added that both Acutis and Frassati represent different ways of living the faith, but together speak directly to today's youth.
"We can rest assured that these two men were great examples, especially for our young today," he said. "They were outdoorsmen. They were handsome men. They enjoyed the zeal for the outdoors and life. So they're great examples for our youth, because a lot of it with Carlo was internet and games, but with Frassati, it was mountain climbing and being part of nature."
The priest also pointed to the wider impact the canonizations are having in Europe.
"As Marian fathers, we're starting to expand quite a bit more into Europe," he said. "We've now sent two of our best men to England. We're seeing what's happening in France — more people, not just people, but young men — entering, being baptized in France, entering into the Church in England," he said.
"By holding up Acutis and Frassati as examples for young Catholics worldwide, the Church is affirming that holiness is possible in both digital and natural worlds," Alar concluded, noting that their canonizations serve as a reminder that sainthood is not distant history but a real and attainable goal for families and young people today.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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