Long Island Catholics heading to Rome for a long-awaited canonization will bid farewell to Pope Francis instead

Long Islanders Vincent LeVien and his family were among thousands of devout Catholics traveling to St. Peter’s Square in Rome to celebrate the canonization of a 15-year-old prodigy this week but instead will be bidding farewell to 88-year-old Pope Francis.

The canonization of the first millennial saint Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 in Italy, was scheduled to take place Sunday but has been postponed, according to Vatican News.

Acutis was a computer whiz who devoted his life to the Eucharist and built a website that lists Catholic miracles from around the world. 

According to an official website about Acutis, the teen was known for saying: "Everyone is born original but many die like photocopies."

LeVien, 48, of North Valley Stream, departed Monday afternoon for Rome with his wife and two children, ages 13 and 11, after waking up to the news of Francis’ death. He said he briefly considered canceling the trip but decided it was important to go.

"You have to believe in faith, and divine intervention," LeVien said in a phone interview Monday. "With the Holy Father passing, we'll be there praying for him."

According to Vatican News, the pope's body could be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning so people can pay their final respects. 

"It's a very, you know, special trip. And we are going to see where it takes us," said LeVien, director of external affairs at the Diocese of Brooklyn. 

Acutis was born in London in 1991 to Italian parents. He moved to Milan as a child and later taught himself to code with a computer science textbook, according to The Associated Press. Known as the "patron saint of the internet," he also learned how to create animation and edit videos.

After his death, Acutis was linked to two miracles. He was first beatified by Pope Francis in 2020 in Assisi, after a child in Brazil was believed to have healed from a rare pancreatic disorder through Acutis’ intercession, according to AP. The second miracle involves a Costa Rican student in Italy making a full recovery from major head trauma after her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb, according to AP. 

Acutis' tomb is in Assisi, where he made multiple pilgrimages to, according to Vatican News.

LeVien said he was gifted a first-class relic of blessed Acutis clothes.

"He was teaching people about Catholic faith and about getting involved in faith at a very young age." LeVien said. "He is inspiring." 

The Rev. Michael Duffy, a rector at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre, also had plans to fly out to witness Acutis become an official saint along with what he said are about 300,000 people there for the same reason. Instead, Duffy said they will now be part of the public viewing of the pope's body.

"The timing worked out perfectly. I said to myself, why change? It's still good to be in Rome during Easter for the Jubilee," Duffy said. The Jubilee is celebrated once every 25 years, and this year's theme is hope. 

"I think it's going be a great gift and something that I can make a connection with," he said. 

"At the end of the day, we believe that Carlo Acutis is a saint in heaven," Duffy said. "We just need now to wait a little bit longer for the new pope to declare it to be so for us to have that celebration."