The Diocese of Cleveland was well represented on Sept. 7 in Rome for the canonizations of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass with hundreds of other priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals concelebrating.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost and some of his brothers were among those from the diocese to attend the canonization. The bishop and others shared photos from the trip. (See the photo gallery above.)
Father Tom Woost, pastor of St. Brendan Parish and administrator of St. Richard parish, both in North Olmsted; Father Dave Woost, pastor of Divine Word Parish in Kirtland; Father David Bline, spiritual director, Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology; Father Matt Jordan, pastor, St. Michael Parish in Independence; Father David Stavarz, pastor, Holy Family Parish in Parma; and Father Michael Garvin, parochial vicar at St. Charles Parish in Parma were among the diocesan priests attending and concelebrating the canonization liturgy.
In addition, Jon Woost, who is in formation for the permanent diaconate, and his wife Carrie also traveled to Rome for the celebration, as did the eldest Woost brother, Phil. Bishop Woost also saw a familiar face in the crowd, catching up with Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez.
The canonization was meaningful for Father Dave Woost, who wrote in a social media post that he credits St. Pier Giorgio Frassati with curing him of blood cancer nine years ago. “I am one lucky person and grateful to God for my life each day. My prayers to all I know as we continue our pilgrimage in the Eternal City. God is good,” Father Woost wrote.
Bishop Woost shared information from the trip, noting he and his brothers walked through all the Holy Doors (for the Jubilee Year of Hope) of the major Roman basilicas. They also saw Pope Francis’ burial site. “The crowds in Rome were huge,” the bishop said.
On Sept. 6, Bishop Woost said there was a holy hour in preparation for St. Pier Giorgio’s canonization in the Church of St. Lawrence across the Tiber River from the Vatican.
Canonization day was bright, sunny and warm, with temperatures reaching nearly 80 degrees. The group shared photos that included pictures of the crowd, priests vesting, the pope and more. An estimated 80,000-plus people attended the outdoor Mass, which was livestreamed around the world.
The Vatican announced that Oct. 12 will be the feast day for the newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis, while St. Pier Giorgio Frassati’s feast day will be celebrated on July 4.
Click here for more information on the process of canonization. The pope’s pre-Mass remarks and his homily from the canonization liturgy can be read here.