As I mentioned in my homily last week, our new chapel will be the “Saint Carlo Acutis Chapel.” Blessed Carlo will be canonized next Sunday, September 7 by Pope Leo, and as we prepare to embrace him as an additional parish patron, here’s a brief biography of this first millennial saint. I’m indebted to “Catholic Answers” for their concise history of Carlo.
Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London, to Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano. From a young age, Carlo displayed a profound love for God and the Church that inspired his parents. “Before Carlo’s birth, I was really caught up in the culture of our time,” his mother says. “I was a prisoner of everything that is relative and limited.” But “Carlo showed me how to live in my century while turning toward eternity.” His family later moved to Milan, Italy, where Carlo’s passion for computer programming blossomed alongside his deepening faith.
Carlo’s life was characterized by a remarkable integration of faith and reason. Despite his young age, he exhibited an exceptional intellect and a keen interest in understanding the mysteries of technology and Catholicism. He spent many hours honing his skills as a computer programmer while remaining committed to prayer and devotion. At the age of seven, Carlo began participating in daily Mass and developed a deep love for the Eucharist. “My secret is to contact Jesus every day,” he said. He also prayed the rosary often, demonstrating his profound devotion to Jesus’ Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. He often said that “the Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.”
One of Carlo’s most significant contributions to the Church was the creation of both a portable exhibition and a related website cataloging Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He was able to catalog 187 Eucharistic miracles during a period of two-and-a-half years. Through his expertise in computer programming, Carlo sought to share the profound reality of the Real Presence with others, inviting them to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist. According to the new Saint, “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven…When we face the sun, we get a tan… but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints.”
Despite his untimely death at the age of fifteen from leukemia in October 2006, Carlo’s legacy endures as a testament to the power of holiness in the digital age. His impact on the Church and the world continues to inspire countless individuals, particularly young people and computer programmers. Carlo’s example challenges young Catholics to use their talents for the glory of God and the spread of the Gospel. His integration of faith and technology serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for technology to be a force for good in the world. Furthermore, spreading the message of Christ’s love and mercy.
Through his exemplary life and actions, soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis challenges all of us to examine our own lives and strive for holiness in all that we do. May his legacy continue to inspire us to live lives of virtue, devotion, and service to others, as we seek to follow Christ faithfully in the footsteps of this modern-day saint. “Sadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards God,” Carlo would say. “The only thing we have to ask God for, in prayer, is the desire to be holy.”
Saint Carlo, pray for us!
