Carlo Acutis

Beatified: October 10, 2020

Born: May 3, 1991

Died: October 12, 2006

“I can die happy, because I haven’t wasted even a minute on things that aren’t pleasing to God.” These wise words came from a teenager of the millennial generation.

As a young child in Italy, Carlo surprised his parents by his love for Jesus and the Eucharist. Carlo went to Mass every day from the day he received his first Communion. He wanted to receive the Eucharist as often as possible. He also deeply loved Mary and prayed the Rosary every day. Carlo’s prayers and faithfulness led his mother to start practicing her faith.

Carlo stands out among the blessed of the Church because he had a special gift for computer programming. He taught himself computer skills that other programmers learn as adults. With these skills, Carlo decided to create a website. The website is a catalog of Eucharistic miracles around the world. Carlo wanted more people to know and adore Christ, and he believed that his website was one way to draw people to Jesus.

Carlo found joy in video games and computers, but he did not want to be a “slave” to them. He only allowed himself to play video games for one hour a week, and he used the internet for good. The rest of the time he cared for people around him, including the homeless, and he also played sports, learned music, and created videos.

When he was fifteen years old, Carlo learned that he had leukemia. He bravely faced his suffering, offering it for the pope and the Church. Carlo died just days later. He is buried in Assisi, because he wanted to be near Saint Francis.

In 2018, Pope Francis declared Carlo “Venerable.” A year later, the Church recognized a miracle through Carlo’s intercession after a seriously ill boy in Brazil was healed. Pope Francis named Carlo “Blessed” on October 10, 2020.

 

SHARE THIS:

RELATED

Comments are closed.