As Rome prepares for the canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, Our Lady of Dolores in Sydney’s North has already begun the festivities with a week-long program that celebrates the soon-to-be saints and establishes their presence within the community.
The celebration will culminate with a special Mass before the televised canonisation and will see the installation of a relic of Pier Giorgio Frassati at the Chatswood parish.
Frassati’s relic will complete the parish’s new Eucharistic chapel, designed by architect John O’Brien, which already permanently houses a relic of Carlo Acutis for veneration and has the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament from 8am to 10pm during the days the church is open.
Diocese of Broken Bay vicar general Fr David Ranson told The Catholic Weekly that the Mass will feature a 30-strong student orchestra from Pius X College and Mercy College as well as a new Mass setting written by the Chatswood parish director of music Titus Grenyer called ‘Mass in Honour of Blessed Carlo Acutis’.
“Surrounding the canonisation we have our inaugural parish Angelus Film Festival which will screen Roadmap to Reality, a film on Carlo Acutis, on Saturday 6 September and To the Top, a film on Pier Giorgio, on Saturday 13 September,” said Fr David who is also parish priest of Our Lady of Dolores.
“In anticipation of the canonisation on 7 September we are having a nightly bonfire on the forecourt of our church at 7.30pm where people can gather in a novena to the two new saints and enjoy one another’s company.
“And throughout the week of the canonisation, we will also have art displays on Carlo and Pier Giorgio from our school children in our church.”
For the vicar general, the canonisations highlight the “power of the Spirit of God to spark the life of discipleship even among people who are young in age”.
It is hoped that these two saints will inspire many young people to live their lives with both passion and purpose.
“For our parish the creation of the Eucharistic chapel with the relics has given our church an amazing new life,” said Fr David.
“Many people come and spend time in silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament all times through the day and evening and there is hardly a time when there is not someone in our church in prayer.
“It is our hope that the church and its chapel become more and more a place of belonging and silence for people.
“I would say that this Year of Jubilee has been a very special one for us, and one that marks a truly new way of being for us as a church in the city of Chatswood.”
The Eucharistic chapel was first opened on 11 October 2024, the eve of the feast day of Carlo Acutis, with banners of Carlo and Pier Giorgio displayed throughout the parish forecourt and literature and prayer cards on both saints available in the church.
For the Year of Jubilee, Bishop Randazzo designated Our Lady of Dolours as one of the four Shrines of Hope in the diocese of Broken Bay.
The shrine has been visited by many groups of pilgrims over the course of this Jubilee year and has held a number of events including praise and worship as well as primary school retreat days on both future saints.
For more information please go to https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/chatswood or register for the film festival via https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1440350
