Saint Carlo Acutis

An Italian teenager who died in 2006 at the age of fifteen is a true revelation. At first glance, he was a normal boy for his time – cheerful and outgoing, who loved going on trips, playing the saxophone, had his beloved dogs, and a great passion and talent for IT. But he was drawn even more to matters of God. He insisted on receiving his First Holy Communion at the age of seven and attended Mass daily from then on. “The Eucharist is my motorway to heaven,” he later declared, and it is clear he understood its profound meaning. He knew the Gospels almost by heart. He used his savings to care for a number of homeless people and immigrants. He naturally became a missionary in his community, winning over many of his peers and adults to God, including several Hindu friends.

When his mother is asked where his deep faith came from, Mrs. Antonia openly admits: “It certainly wasn't thanks to us, his parents, you can publish that… It was Carlo who saved us. We were illiterate in the faith.”

Carlo Acutis was beatified in record time, as early as 2020, and in the spring of 2024, Pope Francis signed the decree for his canonisation, which is announced for the Jubilee Year of 2025.