“To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan.” – Carlo Acutis
In November 2023, the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops invited me to interview Antonia Salzano, mother of Blessed Carlos Acutis. Days later, I received a relic of him from his mother, and I decided to give it to our parish, especially to our youth and young adults. After the completion of his statue where the relic is located, this Saturday, October 12th, on his feast day at 4 pm Mass, we will welcome and bless his relic (a piece of his hair). This is a special relic, not only because it is a first-class relic but because it was given to me by his mother.
But who was Carlo Acutis? Carlo was born May 3, 1991, in London, though his family moved to Milan shortly after. From a young age, Carlo seemed to have a special love for God, even though his parents weren’t especially devout. His mom said she had been to Mass only for her First Communion, her confirmation, and her wedding, but young Carlo’s unique and unexplained devotion led to her deep conversion. The priest promoting his cause for sainthood noted that Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but he managed to get himself to Mass and convince others to receive Communion daily.”
He had a gift for empathy and was known for defending kids at school who got picked on, especially disabled kids. Carlo loved soccer and video games. He tried to stay disciplined and only played games for an hour a week, even though he really wanted to play much more. He also bought computer programming books and taught himself computer coding and animation. He had a great devotion to Mary and loved to pray the rosary. He went to Mass and confession as often as he could.
He loved the Eucharist and was fascinated by Eucharistic miracles. He asked his parents to take him on pilgrimages to the places of the saints and the sites of Eucharistic miracles. Using his research, he began creating what would eventually become a website to catalog and share the information with others. Carlo was concerned by people growing distant from the Church and the sacraments and desperately wanted to bring them back. On the site, he told people, “The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”
At age 15, Carlo was diagnosed with an untreatable leukemia. He offered up his suffering for others coping with illness and said, “I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and the Church.” Carlo died from his illness on Oct. 12, 2006. He was buried in Assisi at his request because of his love for St. Francis. His cause for canonization began in 2013, and he was designated “Venerable” in 2018. He was designated “Blessed” on October 10, and on July 1, 2024, Pope Francis and the Consistory of Cardinals approved Blessed Carlo Acutis’ cause for sainthood. Blessed Carlo will become the first Generation Y saint born between 1981 and 1996. Not only is this an exciting time for the Church, but also an exciting time for millennials.
His intact body lies in repose in a glass tomb where pilgrims can venerate him. He is displayed in jeans and a pair of Nikes, the casual clothes he preferred in life. Blessed Carlo is a witness to the fact that holiness is achievable for teenagers. For the first time in history, we will see a saint dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweater. This is a great message for us; we can feel holiness not as a distant thing but as something very much within everyone’s reach. God is a God of everyone.
My hope is that many of our youth and young adults can be blessed and accompanied by Blessed Carlo’s relic, which will be permanently located in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel, close to his best Friend, Jesus.
Happy Feast Day!!
May the Lord always give you His peace.
Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish
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