On Sept. 7, the canonization Mass of St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis drew more than 80,000 people to St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. In the crowd were four of the five Dawson siblings, parishioners of St. Louis Bertrand Church.
The siblings — Bernard, age 21; Mary Beth, 19; Henry, 17; and Joseph, 15 — made a four-day pilgrimage to Vatican City for the occasion. Their youngest brother, Samuel, age 8, remained at home with their parents, Bart and Elizabeth.
Originally, two of the five Dawson siblings — Mary Beth and Henry — were set to attend St. Carlo Acutis’ canonization, first scheduled for April 21, when it was postponed due to the death of the late Pope Francis on April 21.
But when it was announced that Sts. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati would be canonized together, the pieces fell into place for four of the siblings to make the trip.
On the morning of the canonization, the siblings began waiting in line at security at 4:30 a.m. to ensure they would get seats for the Mass, which began at 10 a.m.
Participating in the Mass, surrounded by “young Catholics from all around the world” was “unforgettable,” said Henry, a senior at Immaculata Classical Academy.
“Carlo was a kid just like me who did normal kid things, while maintaining Christ as the center of his life. He is who I aspire to be as a Catholic man.”
— Henry Dawson
His oldest brother, Bernard, agreed. “It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before,” he said.
Attending Mass with pilgrims from around the world was a “powerful reminder of the universality of the (Catholic) Church,” he added.
The canonization Mass was also an opportunity for two of the high-school-aged siblings, Henry and Joseph, to watch their confirmation saints get canonized.
The two newly canonized saints — born in the 20th and 21st centuries — give hope to young Catholics, Henry said.
“Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati have made sainthood cool,” he said.
Henry first learned about St. Carlo Acutis from his mother, he said in a recent interview.
When he received confirmation as an eighth-grader, he decided to choose him for his patron saint because of his relatability, he said.
“Carlo was a kid just like me who did normal kid things, while maintaining Christ as the center of his life,” Henry said. “He is who I aspire to be as a Catholic man.”
Earlier this year, Joseph, a ninth-grader at Immaculata, picked St. Pier Giorgio Frassati for his confirmation saint, he said.
Joseph chose him because he “always sought to live by the truths of the faith” and “loved God and helped his friends to love God, too,” he said.
After the Mass, the siblings captured the attention of Pope Leo XIV, who gave them a “thumbs-up” from the pope-mobile as they waved an American flag, Henry said.
Coming home from the canonization, Henry said he’s felt “more motivated” to be holy. “If Carlo could do it, so can I,” he said.
The pilgrimage was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the siblings, Mary Beth noted.
“We have never done something like this together. A family vacation is one thing, but a trip centered around our shared love for the (Catholic) Church is something so much deeper,” said Mary Beth. “I am so grateful that I have a family that is striving for sainthood together.”
