The parish of Our Lady of Walsingham in Corby has become one of the first in the diocese to establish a shrine dedicated to the Church’s newest saints, Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, canonised by Pope Leo XIV in St Peter’s Square on Sunday 6 September.
The small but prayerful shrine was unveiled to parishioners this week. Alongside candles and images of the two saints, parishioners were invited to take a commemorative prayer card and write their own prayer intentions on the back of postcards. One parishioner, moved by the gesture, gathered the cards and offered the intentions during her daily rosary devotion — a visible sign of the parish’s unity in prayer through the intercession of the two young saints.
The shrine has quickly become a focal point of devotion in the parish, particularly among young people, who find inspiration in the witness of St Carlo Acutis, the “Millennial Apostle of the Eucharist,” and St Pier Giorgio Frassati, often called the “Man of the Beatitudes.”
Parish Priest Fr Christopher Perry, together with Fr Wayne Coughlan who assists in the parish, expressed their joy at seeing the shrine embraced by the community. Both priests, however, are preparing to leave Corby at the end of September to take up new appointments at St Gregory’s Catholic Church in Northampton.
Reflecting on his time in Corby, Fr Christopher said:
“I will miss the parish and parishioners very much. They have been so kind and welcomed us both into the area and it is hard to leave after just two years — it’s a special place.”
The shrine to Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati now stands as a lasting reminder of the parish’s devotion, offering a space where faith, youth, and prayer meet in the heart of Corby.
