Saint Francis University Renames Agape Chapel to the Saint Carlo Acutis Adoration Chapel

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Honoring a Modern Saint and Renewing Eucharistic Devotion on Campus

Saint Francis University is proud to announce the renaming of the Agape Chapel to the Saint Carlo Acutis Adoration Chapel, a sacred space dedicated to deepening devotion to the Eucharist through silent prayer and adoration. The formal dedication and blessing of the chapel will take place on September 7, 2025, the same day that Saint Carlo Acutis will be canonized in Rome by Pope Leo XIV.

This change reflects a growing spiritual movement on campus. Students have expressed an increasing desire for Eucharistic Adoration. In response, adoration hours have expanded from 5 hours per week to 15, with further increases planned in the coming year. The chapel will now serve as the spiritual center for this devotion, offering both the University and the surrounding community a place to encounter Christ in the Eucharist.

Dedication Details

The dedication ceremony for the Saint Carlo Acutis Adoration Chapel will take place on Sunday, September 7, at 7:00 PM, followed by a time of Eucharistic Adoration, and then the regularly scheduled 8:00 PM Mass.

All members of the University and the local community are invited to attend and participate in this meaningful evening of prayer and celebration.

Why Saint Carlo Acutis?

Saint Carlo Acutis has been chosen as the patron of this chapel because of his profound love for the Eucharist. Born in 1991, Carlo lived a short but powerful life before passing away from leukemia in 2006 at the age of fifteen.

Carlo was known for using his talents to serve God and deepen others' faith. He built a widely acclaimed website that catalogs Eucharistic miracles throughout history.

This effort remains accessible today and continues to lead many to believe more deeply in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist: https://www.miracolieucaristici.org.

As Carlo once said,

"To be close to Jesus, that's my life plan."

"The Eucharist is my highway to heaven."

"When we face the sun, we get a tan… but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints."

These words capture the purpose of the newly named chapel, a place of prayer, silence, and holiness.

A Chapel for the Entire Community.

While the chapel supports the spiritual life of Saint Francis University students, it also welcomes members of the broader community. Anyone interested in signing up for a time of Eucharistic Adoration can do so by visiting: adorationpro.org/francisloretto

The chapel is intended to be a refuge, a peaceful space where one can sit in the presence of Christ, pray, and grow closer to Him.

Legacy and Canonization

Saint Carlo Acutis continues to inspire people of all ages. His incorrupt body rests in Assisi at the Church of St. Mary Major, where many Saint Francis University students and faculty have visited during pilgrimages to Rome and Assisi. His witness remains especially meaningful to our university community.

Carlo's beatification in 2020 was a moment of grand celebration for the Church. The recent recognition of a second miracle attributed to his intercession has paved the way for his official canonization on September 7, 2025. As Pope Francis said during his beatification:

"His witness shows today's young people that true happiness is found by putting God first and serving him in our brothers, especially the least."

-Pope Francis, Angelus Address, October 11, 2020

Join Us, September 7, 2025

Please join us for the dedication of the Saint Carlo Acutis Adoration Chapel at 7:00 PM, followed by Eucharistic Adoration and 8:00 PM Mass. This sacred celebration will align with Carlo's canonization in Rome, a day of immense joy for the Church and for our university. May this chapel serve as a sanctuary of peace and prayer, helping all who enter to draw closer to Christ through the gift of the Eucharist.