When the Vatican announced that the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis had been postponed following the death of Pope Francis, tens of thousands of mostly young people were preparing to leave for Rome for an eagerly awaited pilgrimage.

To miss out on the canonization of the first millennial saint was a disappointment, several of them shared with the Register. But all those interviewed seemed awestruck and grateful to find themselves on a very different sort of pilgrimage as they headed for the Eternal City to join the Church in mourning the death of a beloved pope.

When Kevin Banich, principal of Roncalli High School in Indianapolis, heard the news on Monday morning that the canonization was postponed, a small group of faculty, staff and students from the archdiocesan school were scheduled to board a flight to Rome that afternoon.

After making a few calls, he learned that Verso Ministries, the tour company organizing the pilgrimage, planned to go ahead with the trip.

“The pilgrimage organization quickly came to a determination that this was not the pilgrimage that we had signed up for. But this is the pilgrimage that the Good Lord wants right now for our Catholic Church and for our members,” he said.

After consulting with the group, to see if they were all on board, Banich decided to go ahead with it.

“Everybody said, ‘Let’s go, and we’re going to make the best of this and let the Holy Spirit guide the pilgrimage, wherever it may be.’ And that means that they’re getting on the flights right now to head out,” Banich said.

‘Remarkable’ Turn of Events

The group was already scheduled to travel to Assisi, Italy, to see the tomb of Carlo Acutis, and then to spend three days in Rome ahead of the canonization on April 27. Now, they will be in Rome to pay their respects to Pope Francis when his body lies in state in the Vatican. And if the tour company can arrange it, they may even be able to attend his funeral at St. Peter’s on Saturday.

Banich said it’s “remarkable” the way things have worked out.

“This is such an unfortunate loss for the world and our Church as well as, you know, our faith. But on the flip side, you know, for them to be getting on this plane and everything to be working out — they were already planning to go to Assisi for the first part of the week and then be in Rome and the Vatican for the second half of the week. And for that to line up, it’s just truly remarkable,” he said.

The Register caught up with the group from Roncalli High School during a layover at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on their way to Rome.

A member of the contingent, Lily Bauman, 18, from Indianapolis, said it’s no accident that the group will now be in Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral.

“I was honestly very shocked to hear the news this morning because we obviously didn’t have that in our plans. But I think, I don’t know, it’s just what God had planned for us, even though we obviously didn’t have it planned ourselves,” said Bauman.

“I think it’ll be very exciting being there and have lots of added things to the itinerary that we didn’t have on it to begin with,” she said.

Sainthood Is Attainable

Another Rocalli student, Fatima Soberanes, 15, also from Indianapolis, told the Register that she is disappointed not to be able to attend the canonization. She said that Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15 and is known for his devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, is an inspiration to her and many young people.

“I was really looking forward to it because … going to his canonization was like living proof that there still can be modern-day saints. And I feel like we’ve lost hope of that as a country in general, and we’ve lost hope that we can become saints — but he’s proof that we still can reach that goal,” Said Soberanes.

But Soberanes told the Register that she, too, is struck by the timing of the Pope’s death.

“And as for the plans, I’d say, yeah, I’m bummed out, but it was God’s plan all along. It was like it happened for a reason, you know?” she said.

New Yorkers Sabrina Ferrisi and her daughter Victoria, a junior at Seton Hall University, had their bags packed and were ready to head to the airport later that day.

Having learned about Acutis in 2020, Ferrisi went on to write a book about his life, Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven, published by Holy Heroes Publishing and available from EWTN Religious Catalogue.

Devotion to Acutis

“I’ve interviewed his mother four times, his postulator twice, the archbishop of Assisi twice. So I know a lot about Carlo, and I find myself being asked to speak about him all the time,” said Ferrisi, a frequent contributor to the Register.

In the process, she said, “I’ve developed quite a devotion to Carlo.”

When she realized it was too late to cancel their reservations, it didn’t make sense to cancel the trip, which included a stay in Assisi and Rome. While it was disappointing at first, she said she is grateful to be there at such an auspicious time.

“We're still going to enjoy Rome for what it has to offer spiritually and pray for our deceased Pope, and for our cardinal-electors who are going to be arriving in Rome, and for who will be elected, who will be next,” Ferrisi said.

When Father Epeli Qimaqima heard the news that Pope Francis had died, he was standing in St. Peter’s Square with a group of 40 people from his parish in Lincombe, Australia.

He told EWTN News that he didn’t want to say anything to anyone in the group until he was certain that the news was true.

“I personally refused to believe it. I said to our organizer, ‘Let’s not tell the group. If I don’t hear the death knell rung. … We have to wait for that,’” recalled Father Qimaqima.

Just as the group was in the security line, preparing to go through the Holy Door, he said, the bells began to ring.

“The entire square just went in this complete silence. And everyone was walking,” he said. “It was like a procession in silence,” he said. “And the image that was in my mind was that beautiful image of the Holy Father walking up on to the stage during COVID-19 in the lockdown, on his own. And so it was a very powerful experience to actually be in St. Peter’s and experience him all that.”

Providential Change in Plans

Like the other pilgrims who had hoped to be in Rome for Carlo Acutis’ canonization, the group of Australians sees the change in plans as providential.

“No one travels 10,000 miles to come and hear a bell rung or expect such an announcement. But we've just had a gathering, and they all see the hand of God in all this,” Father Qimaqima said.

“They accept the fact that the canonization is being postponed. But they’re acknowledging that they are here on a pivotal level in the history of the Church, that it’s a possibility they might be at a papal funeral Mass,” he said.

For Ferrisi too, even though her plans were upset under such sad circumstances, she feels tremendous gratitude for the timing of the Pope’s death.

“God writes straight with crooked lines. There’s always a blessing and a grace to going to Rome,” she said.

As for Carlo Acutis’ canonization, she plans to attend whenever it’s rescheduled.