Centola, in the Cilento area of the province of Salerno, received an ex corpore relic of Saint Carlo Acutis in October 2026. According to Il Mattino, the parish church and surrounding streets were crowded with faithful from Centola and neighbouring Cilento communities, including Caprioli, Pisciotta, Palinuro, Omignano, Sessa Cilento, Ascea and Vallo della Lucania.
The reception marks a significant moment for the town and for the Diocese of Vallo della Lucania, to which the relic was formally entrusted during a parish celebration.
The 13 October celebration at San Nicola di Bari
The central liturgical event was scheduled for 13 October at 19:00 in the parish church of San Nicola di Bari in Centola. According to the programme announced by the Diocese of Vallo della Lucania and reported by ANSA, Mass was to be presided over by Bishop Vincenzo Calvosa, with the relic formally entrusted to the parish community.
Il Mattino subsequently reported the reception as having taken place, describing a crowded church and streets filled with faithful from across the Cilento. No verified numerical count of attendees was provided in the available sources.
The relic was donated by the Bishop of Assisi. According to the Diocese, it was intended to be kept in a silver reliquary made for the occasion.
A two-day programme of prayer
Local reporting by InfoCilento described a programme spread over 12–13 October. It included prayer at the Piazzetta del Rosario, Eucharistic prayer and the official handover of the relic during the parish celebration.
The programme also drew on other local places associated with the memory of Acutis in Centola. The available sources name the Piazzetta del Rosario and the parish church as points of reference for the celebrations, without providing further topographical detail.
Why Centola
Centola's connection with Carlo Acutis is linked to his family's summer stays and his familiarity with the town and its community, as described by the Diocese and local sources.
That personal link helps explain the scale of local participation reported by Il Mattino and the diocesan description of the relic as a gift for the community of Centola and for the wider Diocese of Vallo della Lucania.
Earlier commemorations in the town
The October 2026 reception followed earlier commemorative initiatives in Centola. A separate InfoCilento report on commemorations in 2025 describes a programme involving an exhibition on Eucharistic miracles, a procession to the Mother Church, contributions from local institutions and activities involving children and young people.
Those earlier events should be distinguished by date from the 2026 arrival of the ex corpore relic. Taken together, they show a continuing local attention to Acutis's memory, centred on parish life, prayer and places associated with him in Centola.
