New York family in Rome for Carlo Acutis renews faith at papal funeral

Vincent LeVien, his wife, Bridget, and their children, Sophia and Vincent Junior, were traveling to Rome for the canonization of Carlo Acutis, but found themselves instead remembering the late Pope, who they tell Vatican News, left a lasting imprint on the lives of countless people.

Apr 29, 2025

By Deborah Castellano Lubov
When a family from New York was set to travel to Rome for the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis on 27 April, they found themselves in a very different scenario.

New Yorker Vincent LeVien, who serves on the board of the Pave the Way Foundation, described the experience in an interview with Vatican News, sharing that despite the change of plans, they felt blessed to be present amid this significant moment in history, for a Pope they loved and knew.

LeVien has been Director of External Affairs for DeSales Media Group and the Diocese of Brooklyn for over a decade, and was part of the team responsible for local logistical arrangements for Pope Francis' visit to New York.

Vincent, his wife, Bridget, and their children, Sophia Rose and Vincent LeVien Jr., had learned of the Pope's passing the day before their scheduled departure, but, convinced they were meant to still be present, albeit in a very different way than foreseen, arrived in Rome on Tuesday.

They paid their respects and attended the funeral for the late Holy Father, but still traveled to Assisi to pray before the tomb of Blessed Carlo.

"We woke up after a nice Easter, like the world woke up, on Monday morning," he remembered, adding, "I got up and my phone was buzzing because my plan was to leave Monday afternoon, but was getting calls of breaking news."  "And you always get that feeling, 'Should you still go?' Should you cancel the trip?'

"But me and my wife, the first thing we said," he revealed, "was 'absolutely not.' It's divine intervention. It's providence and we have to go."

Pope Francis' visit to New York
Vincent had the honor, back in 2015, to meet Pope Francis when he came to New York and was part of the team tasked with organizing and facilitating the Pope's movements throughout the city. He recalled being there throughout the Holy Father's visits to Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Ground Zero, the United Nations, a school in Harlem, and Madison Square Garden.

He recalled, "I was blessed because of Gary Krupp and Pave the Way Foundation meeting him a number of times in audiences and the personal relationship of one-on-one conversations with him. And he would always say, 'Pray for me.'"

LeVien highlights how he was always struck "by the way he would look into your eyes."  With "that communication," "that eye contact," and that "humility," he added, "you felt that you knew him personally."

He marveled at how "personally engaged" Pope Francis was with all people, noting that for the sick, the most needy and marginalized, "he was always there to help them."

Outpouring of love for Pope Francis
"I will always remember that everybody was important to him," he observed, saying, whether it was "someone of prominence or somebody of non-prominence."

"He treated the homeless person and the person that had nothing or was sick," he noted, the same as "kings and presidents."

Pope Francis "has inspired countless people," he said.

"The outpouring of love and support," he reflected, "is just very inspiring. I think we're witnessing a part of history."

LeVien was invited for the canonization of Carlo Acutis, after having had the honor in 2022 of taking the Blessed Carlo relic around throughout New York City.

"It was very unique," he recalled, that it arrived in New York City. "Every school that we went to, every church that we went to, there was silence, in the churches and schools. There was not one kid speaking, and you could hear a pin drop," he recalled.

'Carlo touches people, and all walks of life'
"Carlo," he suggested, "touches people and all walks of life... from children to millennials to adults." 

LeVien explained how he personally helped the massive Eucharistic Procession beginning in St. Patrick's Cathedral throughout Midtown Manhattan. "We had the blessed Carlo Acutis as part of that procession," he said, reflecting on how "it inspired so many people."

Concluding, Vincent said, "My daughter, Sophia, is 13 and going into high school, and my son, Vincent Jr., is 11, and I wanted them to witness and experience everything."--Vatican News