Relics of St. Carlo Acutis Visit Southeastern Correctional Institution
Lancaster, OH – Relics of St. Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, were venerated at the Southeastern Correctional Institution (SCI) on Saturday, February 14, 2026. The visit marked the third stop on a six-day tour of the Columbus diocese, offering a unique spiritual opportunity for incarcerated individuals.
The tour, which began on Friday, February 13, included visits to The Villas at Saint Therese independent living community, Mother Angeline McCrory Manor health care facility and the Columbus Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization parish. The initiative was spearheaded by Dr. Stephen and Mary Ann Jepsen, parishioners at Columbus-Powell St. Peter St. Joan of Arc, who facilitated the relics’ arrival in Columbus.
Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo, assigned from Assisi, Italy, accompanied the relics throughout the tour. During a Mass celebrated Saturday morning in the SCI chapel, approximately 50 inmates participated in the service. Concelebrants included Msgr. Figueiredo, Father Matt Morris, the chaplain at SCI, and Deacon Jeff Hurdley, who ministers at Lancaster Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption.
The reliquaries presented during the Mass contained significant items associated with St. Carlo Acutis: a portion of his pericardium (the tissue surrounding his heart), a lock of his hair, a fragment of the bedsheet he used while suffering from leukemia, and a piece of his favorite t-shirt. Inmates were given the opportunity to venerate these relics.
The visit held particular significance for one inmate, who was baptized and confirmed Catholic by Father Morris the previous week. His journey to faith began a year prior, after watching a documentary about the 2020 beatification of then-Blessed Carlo Acutis. He prayed for the saint’s intercession, specifically for the healing of his step-granddaughter who was battling kidney cancer. Remarkably, by the time St. Carlo was canonized on September 7, 2025, the young girl’s cancer was in remission.
Msgr. Figueiredo encouraged the inmates to emulate St. Carlo’s dedication to faith, emphasizing the saint’s commitment to a life united with Jesus. “He chose that; he chose that in his heart, as you can today,” Msgr. Figueiredo stated.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to minister to those incarcerated, Msgr. Figueiredo remarked, “To be here is a grace, because you can meet Jesus. I’m really happy that you are here today.” He continued, acknowledging the hardships of imprisonment, but emphasizing God’s ability to transform suffering. “When something is taken away from us…God can use it for a greater purpose, really, if we convert it to Him.”
“Why do we bring these relics?” Msgr. Figueiredo asked. “To say that you, too, can be saints.”
