7th/8th Grade Religious Education for the BVM Catholic Church

09/23/2025

09/07/2025

GET TO KNOW OUR NEWEST SAINT!

Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London, England, to Italian parents who soon moved the family to Milan. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable love for the Catholic faith. After receiving his First Communion at age seven, he began attending daily Mass and developed a profound devotion to the Eucharist, often describing it as “my highway to heaven.”

Though he was a typical teenager in many ways—enjoying video games, soccer, and technology—Carlo balanced these interests with deep charity. He dedicated himself to helping the homeless, teaching catechism, and offering both his time and resources to those in need. His parents even noted how his compassion inspired them to return to practicing the faith.

Acutis was also an early digital evangelist: he taught himself programming and web design, and by age 11 had created a groundbreaking online catalog of more than 100 Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church. His multilingual, multimedia website became a resource for parishes around the world and exemplified how technology could serve spiritual purposes.

In October 2006, at just 15 years old, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. He offered his suffering for the Church and its leaders, and passed away on October 12, 2006. He was buried in Assisi as he had desired, close to the legacy of St. Francis.

The process toward sainthood began soon after. Carlo was declared Venerable in 2018 and beatified in 2020, following recognition of a miracle in Brazil. A second confirmed miracle, involving the healing of a young woman from Costa Rica, led to his canonization. On September 7, 2025, he was canonized by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square—marking him as the Church’s first millennial saint.

Carlo Acutis’s life continues to resonate deeply with many, especially young people. He is remembered as “God’s Influencer,” the “Patron Saint of the Internet,” and a model of holiness lived authentically in the digital age.

09/07/2025

MEET OUR NEW SAINT!

Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on Holy Saturday, April 6, 1901, into an intellectually and artistically inclined family—his father, Alfredo, founded and directed the newspaper La Stampa, while his mother, Adelaide Ametis, was an accomplished painter. Though raised in comfortable circumstances, his faith blossomed in unexpected ways; he attended Jesuit schools, where he began receiving daily Communion and became involved in the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, nurturing a lifelong devotion to serving those in need.

As a young man, Frassati enrolled at the Polytechnic of Turin to study engineering, aspiring to serve Christ more fully among miners and the working poor. He immersed himself in movements of the Church such as Catholic Action and the Apostleship of Prayer, and his zeal for living the Gospel earned him the nickname “the man of the Eight Beatitudes” from Pope John Paul II.

Frassati’s spirituality wasn’t confined to study and prayer—he was also an avid mountaineer, often inviting friends on hikes. One photograph from his last climb bears the words “Verso l’Alto,” meaning “to the heights,” a phrase that has since inspired many to pursue spiritual ascent even amid ordinary life.

His life of vibrant faith and service ended abruptly when he contracted polio, likely while caring for the sick, and died at the tender age of twenty-four on July 4, 1925.

The cause for his sainthood began early, but it was only after beatification by Pope John Paul II in 1990 that his legacy began to spread widely. The miracle that confirmed his canonization involved the healing of an American seminarian, Fr. Juan Gutierrez, who tore his Achilles tendon playing basketball. After praying a novena to Blessed Pier Giorgio, he experienced a sudden, inexplicable healing: a warmth in his injury, restored mobility, and a doctor's stunned remark that he “must have someone in heaven who likes you.”

On September 7, 2025, Pier Giorgio Frassati is canonized by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square, together with Blessed Carlo Acutis. His life continues to inspire young people and those involved in Catholic Action as a model of youthful holiness rooted in joy, service, and steadfast devotion.

09/06/2025

CHURCH NEWS | Pope Leo XIV to canonize Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati on September 7, 2025

Tomorrow, September 7, under the guidance of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV is the Canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.

The two Italian laymen are the first saints to be canonized by Pope Leo XIV.

Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-06/carlo-acutis-and-pier-giorgio-frassati-to-be-canonized-together.html

Photo: Vatican News

08/30/2025

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Rectory Chapel photos with Fr. Callistus Iyorember (on the left) 🙏🏼

08/30/2025

Raffle Tickets On Sale - 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal

✝️Raffle tickets will be available for $1 each or 6 for $5 during Coffee and Donuts in Phelan Hall after all September weekend Masses beginning September 7. You may also purchase tickets from Chuck Goldsmith at 520-560-4886. The drawing will occur during Coffee and Donuts following our 9:30 AM Mass on September 28.

✝️To help reach our parish ACA goal for the first time in ten years, a weekend in beautiful Sedona Arizona has been graciously donated for raffle.

✝️Tucked in the upper Sedona Plateau, Sedona Summit, a Hilton Vacation Club is a family-friendly resort providing all the comforts of home. Go on an outdoor adventure in the famous Red Rock Country, fuel your adventurous spirit on a Jeep tour, take a journey of self-exploration at the Sedona vortex or get a round in at one of the local golf courses. Relax in the heated outdoor pools, host a family barbecue or kick up your workout routine in the convenient fitness center.

Enjoy a weekend at the beautiful Sedona Summit, a Hilton Vacation Resort Check in Thursday, October 23, 2025, 4:00 PM; check out Sunday, October 26, 2025, 10:00 AM.

1 Queen Bedroom Sunset Suite accommodates 4 guests
Room Description – This one-bedroom, one-bathroom accommodation with patio features a fully equipped kitchen as well as a washer/dryer. The living room includes a sleeper sofa, television and DVD player, fireplace and dining table.