Some in the small, medieval town famed for St Francis worry too many people will come because of ‘Millennial saint’ Carlo Acutis
nside a souvenir shop in Assisi, the face of a boy with thick black curly hair smiles out from wall tapestries, fridge magnets and key rings, outshining the flying cherubim, snow globes and other religious trinkets that cram the shelves.
But they will also be lured by Acutis, who in late April will become the Catholic church’s first millennial saint. His embalmed body, dressed in jeans, trainers and a blue tracksuit top, is on view behind a glass-panelled case in Assisi’s Santa Maria Maggiore church. As many as 33 million pilgrims are forecast to travel to Rome during the holy year. Many will come on package tours that include Assisi. Surrounded by Umbria’s sublime green hills, the town has long been a well-trodden spiritual draw. But tourism has surged in recent years, and the Jubilee is expected to bring in more than 5 million visitors, double the number in 2024.
Sorrentino is unperturbed by the risk of Assisi, also attractive as a place for peace and contemplation, becoming swamped. “We have two great events and it will have an impact on Assisi,” he said. “But I think it’s also a great occasion for our town, diocese and the faithful.” Still, while some local people have questioned whether there is room for two saints in Assisi, Moroni disagreed. “They’re not in competition,” he said. “That’s the way it is and we need to see this as a beautiful resource for increasing the faith.”
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