The canonization of two young men as saints shows the Church's enduring message that holiness is possible at any age, Father Gerald Murray, pastor of Saint Joseph's Church in New York City, told Newsmax on Sunday.
"We got two new saints there, saints of youth," Murray told Newsmax's "Sunday Agenda." "They both died when they were quite young. They were holy men. They were very devoted family members. They were inspirational not only in Italy but throughout the world. It's a great day for the Church."
Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer whiz who died in 2006, and Pier Giorgio Frassati on Sunday during an open-air Mass in St. Peter's Square, with tens of thousands of pilgrims, including many young families and millennials, attending the ceremony.
The Vatican said 36 cardinals, 270 bishops, and hundreds of priests joined the Mass, underscoring the widespread devotion to the two new saints.
"The sermon that he gave is absolutely beautiful. You can get that on the Vatican website," Murray said. "I think this is a reminder that everybody is looking for more in life than simply being happy with money and possessions, and the saints remind us that God is good, and that if we turn to God, he'll help us. Even when we have great tragedies in our life, such as illness and death."
Murray highlighted how Acutis' deep faith transformed his own family.
"His mother really wasn't practicing. She had him baptized, but he started going to catechism, received his [First] Communion. He loved to go to church and pray. And his mother became very devoted to the Catholic faith as a result," Murray said. "Sometimes the children teach the adults what it means to be a servant of God."
Turning to Frassati, Murray recalled knowing his niece, who promoted his cause for sainthood. "This was a guy who had everything ahead of him. But he decided he wanted to devote himself to the poor," Murray said. "He gave things away. He visited the poor. He was also involved in defending Catholicism ... He stood up for the Church."
Frassati, he noted, died at 24 after contracting polio.
Reflecting on Acutis' final words to his mother — "Mom, don't be afraid" — Murray said they revealed a profound truth.
"We're all afraid of dying," he said. "So when someone who is dying, who is a holy person, says, 'Don't be afraid,' it's a reminder. God is good. Heaven is a place of joy. And we hate to leave this world."
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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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