Blessed Carlo Acutis, Evangelizer for Our Times

It is amazing that Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian millennial, has received so much attention over the past year. Amazing, yes. Surprising, no. Not if you know about his life. Since his beatification on October 12, 2020, his story has been inspiring people of all ages. The narrative of his short time on earth reads like the life of a medieval saint and, at the same time, like a young man enrolled in any of our local high schools.
           
Born of well to do Italian parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, in London, Carlo was baptized in the Church of Our Lady of Dolours in Chelsea, England on May 3, 1991. His mother admitted that the day of his baptism was only the third time she had been in a Catholic church in her life. Carlo’s parents did not practice their Catholic Faith and were not particularly spiritual individuals. When Carlo was four years old, his maternal grandfather died. By then they had moved back to Italy. After his grandfather’s death, Carlo dreamt of him. His nona (grandfather) asked for his prayers in this dream, which caused Carlo to begin to ask some questions about his Faith. His Polish nanny began to answer his religious queries with delight. This started him on a wonderful journey that led him to the Heart of Jesus.
           
When he turned seven, Carlo asked to receive his First Holy Communion. His parents took him to instructions and then arranged for his first encounter with the Eucharistic Jesus at the Convent of Sant’Ambrogio ad Nemus. From that time, he began to attend Mass frequently, even daily. He always prayed in preparation before Mass and then spent time in church after Mass praying in thanksgiving.
           
Carlo’s relationship with Christ grew with each reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in Holy Communion. His spiritual life deepened and became more and more fruitful as he made daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament after school.
           
His friends regarded Carlo as a “computer geek” because of his skill in programming, gaming and navigating the internet. Enrolled in the Jesuit Instituto Leone XIII high school, he enjoyed films, comic editing and playing video games. He was an avid soccer fan.
           
Carlo’s Catholic faith, however, defined the way he lived his life. He was always concerned for others. He expressed special care for his friends whose parents had divorced. He invited them home to offer them support. He defended his peers with disabilities when they were bullied. Outside of his studies, he did volunteer work with the homeless and the poor.
           
He was a real evangelizer, teaching his peers and anyone he met about the Catholic Faith. He encouraged everyone he met to attend Mass. He faithfully prayed for others and with them. He had a great devotion to Our Lady and her rosary, teaching others to pray it.
           
From the age of eleven, Carlo used his computer skills to create a website centered on Eucharistic miracles through the centuries. His website Eucharistic Miracles of the World was completed in 2005.
           
Carlo loved to go to Assisi on pilgrimage because of his love for St. Francis. He began to ask his parents to take him on pilgrimages to various sites of Eucharistic miracles. These longed-for trips never happened because Carlo was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. A short time after this serious diagnosis, he died on October 12, 2006 and was buried in Assisi, according to his wishes.
           
We may ask the question, “Why is Blessed Carlo an example for evangelizers?” We might be led to believe that it was because of his computer skills. It is true that they certainly served him well in creating his web page documenting and teaching about Eucharistic miracles. We might say that it is because of his being attractive to young people who are interested in video games and sports. There is no doubt that young people today can look to him as someone who shared some of their own interests.
           
However, I believe there is a deeper dimension to Blessed Carlo’s life that makes him a model evangelizer for our times. This dimension was his ability to develop loving personal relationships in his life.
           
First, Blessed Carlo had a tremendously intimate relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He used to say, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” Also, he said, “Try to go to Mass every day and receive Holy Communion,” and “The Eucharist is truly the Heart of Jesus.”  In fact, he fell in love with Jesus really present in the Holy Eucharist and longed to spend time with Him every day. Concerning Eucharistic Adoration, Blessed Carlo said, “By being before the Eucharist, we become holy.”
           
The second intimate relationship that Blessed Carlo had in his life was with the Blessed Virgin Mary. “The Virgin Mother is the only woman in my life… I never fail to keep the most gracious appointment of the day—the recitation of the Holy Rosary.” These extraordinary relationships with Jesus and Mary paved the way for him and his mission in life.
           
Blessed Carlo could establish meaningful personal relationships as an evangelizer and a servant of his brothers and sisters in need only because first he grew in holiness as a result of his deep, loving relationships with the Eucharistic Lord and His Holy Mother. This was the secret that made Blessed Carlo a saint, an effective evangelizer, and servant of others.
           
We should remember this when we are searching for the perfect program or the newest system to organize and save the Church. What we really need we already have—Jesus substantially present in the Holy Eucharist and the loving care and intercession of the Mother of God and our Mother!  If we want to be effective witnesses to the Gospel and faithful servants of others, we should follow Blessed Carlo’s example.  We should strive to grow in love of Jesus and His Mother.

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

Most Reverend William J. Waltersheid
Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh