A Catholic diocese in northern Myanmar has inaugurated the country’s first statue of St Carlo Acutis, offering a sign of hope to young people amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty. Source: UCA News.
Hundreds of Catholics attended the inauguration ceremony at the Cathedral of St Columbanus in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, Vatican news agency Fides reported on Wednesday.
Myitkyina Bishop John Mung-ngawn La Sam presided over the event, which also marked the 53-year-old prelate’s 10th anniversary of priestly ordination and his first anniversary as bishop.
Fr John Aung Htoi, a priest of the Myitkyina Diocese, said the installation of the statue aims to help young people learn “how to bear witness to the faith in their lives.”
He said St Carlo’s example shows that young people in Myanmar “can live out their faith through the responsible use of the internet and social media”.
St Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) was known for his devotion to the Eucharist and for using digital media to promote Catholic devotion. He died of leukemia at the age of 15.
Often referred to as “God’s Influencer,” Acutis created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions from around the world. He was beatified in 2020 and canonised by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on September 7, 2025.
Fr Htoi said St Carlo offered a powerful model for young people in Myanmar, who face immense challenges as they come of age in a country torn apart by civil war.
“Young people face many social and moral threats, including drugs, violence, family breakdown, crime and the misuse of social media in a context lacking legal protections,” Fr Htoi said. “As a result, many are frightened and seek points of reference such as the teachings of the Church.”
Myanmar has been beset by civil war since the military overthrew the elected government in February 2021. Ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces have resisted the junta, which is believed to control only about half of the country’s territory.
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Myanmar Diocese unveils first St Carlo Acutis statue amid conflict (UCA News)
