Page 17 - LOTN Advent issue 57

FAITH IN ACTION

Carlo, a saint for the 21st century

didn’t know about Carlo was that as well as his online work in
spreading the faith, he was also giving up a lot of time and his
own money to help the poor and homeless, bringing food and
sleeping bags to people throughout Milan.
Carlo may well become our first millennial saint. He was
arlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 to Italian beatified on 10th October, 2020 and the Vatican just recently
parents and grew up in Milan. From a very early announced that he will be canonised as a saint on April 27,
age, people felt that Carlo was a particularly 2025, during the Jubilee of Teenagers in Rome.
Cspecial boy. Carlo showed a great devotion to Jesus Canonisation is the official term for declaring a person a saint.
in the Eucharist and to Our Lady, even though his parents It requires the verification of a faithful life through an often
didn’t practise their faith. lengthy research process. This includes confirming two miracles.
Growing up, Carlo was lively, popular and cheerful. He Acutis’ first miracle was attributed to a Brazilian child who
wasn’t always the most prepared for class and he often distracted could not eat solid food because of a pancreatic disorder, but
others during boring lessons, but when this was brought to his was inexplicably healed in 2013 after praying to the teenager.
attention by his teachers, he stopped completely. The second involved a Costa Rican student who, after suffering
A bright lad, Carlo finished middle school with distinction. a head injury, awoke from her coma after her mother prayed at
He had a particular gift for kindness. He stood up for those Acutis’ shrine in 2022.
who were picked on by others because they were different. He Carlo Acutis revealed himself to be a great saint, a model for
wanted his friends to live good virtuous lives, and he challenged the 21st century, reminding us that holiness begins now.
the other students in his class to value the gift of modesty. He Many young people have already “adopted” him, and say they
also stood up for the gift of life. Above all, he wanted his friends are inspired by his life, which was punctuated by daily Mass and
to know and love God like he did. Carlo was his own man - he computer coding.
wasn’t bothered by what other people thought about him. Carlo has demonstrated that holiness and even sainthood are
Young Carlo didn’t just talk to his schoolmates only about possible for teenagers and young people today, in the ordinary
prayer. He was a normal teenager, who loved joking and circumstances of everyday life.
laughing, hanging out with his friends, making videos with them;
he loved quizzes, flying kites, watching action films, playing
soccer and being on his PlayStation too. He loved Pokemon Merry Christmas!
and Super Mario. He loved his dogs, cats and even his goldfish.
His friends knew Carlo was always there for them, especially
if they were going through a hard time in their families. Carlo Fertility Care Scotland
also volunteered as a catechist for younger children preparing wishes all readers a
for their confirmation.
Carlo was really talented with computers. He taught himself to joyous holiday season.
design websites and could understand computers as well as college
graduates. He helped to create a website for his school and his
parish, but his big project brought together two of his passions: Our free Natural Family Planning Clinics will
technology and the Eucharist. Carlo wanted to catalogue all the re-open in January online and in-person.
Eucharistic miracles in the world. He began researching and Contact us to gain confidence to achieve
collecting information from all over the world, and travelling to or space pregnancies naturally.
various shrines with his parents when he could to take photos. He
wanted people to know that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist. Email info@fertilitycare.org.uk
The website he started is still on the internet today at http://www. or call 0141 221 0858
miracolieucaristici.org/en/liste/liSthtml.
When Carlo was just 15, he became extremely unwell with a “This is knowledge of her body
very aggressive form of Leukaemia, and he knew he didn’t have that every woman ought to have.”
long to live. He offered up all his pain and suffering “for the Dr Evelyn Billings
Pope and the Church, so as not to undergo Purgatory and enter
heaven directly.” Visit our website: www.fertilitycare.org.uk
Even though he was very ill in hospital, he still thought more Follow us on Facebook & Instagram:
of other people, and nurses noticed that he didn’t want to wake @FertilityCareScotland
his mother when he was in pain: “She is very tired as well, and Join us on X: @Fertility-Scot
she will only worry even more about me.”
Carlo died on 12 October 2006, just one week after being Fertility Care Scotland Ltd is a registered charity with
diagnosed, and was buried in Assisi where he loved to visit. A OSCR (SCO51574) and Companies House (SC721652)
huge crowd of people came to his funeral. What many people

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