By CAROLE BRESLIN
The Holy Eucharist, the source, the summit, the center of our Catholic faith, drew Carlo Acutis to love our Lord really and truly present in all the tabernacles of the world. This true Presence has manifested Himself through hundreds of Eucharistic miracles which Carlo documented on a website in his short lifetime.
God specially chooses some children for uncommon holiness, such as Bernadette Soubirous of Lourdes and the children of Fatima. Carlo, though he did not have any visions as did Bernadette and the Fatima children, was one of God’s chosen ones who developed a great love of God even as a toddler.
When Carlo was born on May 3, 1991, his father, Andrea Acutis, and mother, Antonia Salzano, lived in London. In September 1991 they returned to Milan in their native country of Italy. They were not practicing Catholics at the time, so it is a wonder that Carlo, though baptized, grew to have such a deep devotion to Our Lord’s Real Presence and His Blessed Mother Mary. Perhaps the family’s Polish nanny helped Carlo’s devotion blossom.
Even as a preschooler, Carlo begged his mother to stop by the church to see Jesus as they ran errands. Sometimes he would bring fresh flowers to Mary’s altar, placing them at her feet.
His devotion led to many questions addressed to his mother. Antonia became curious and sought to learn more about Catholicism, so she enrolled in theology classes.
Antonia calls Carlo her savior, since his love of God and eagerness to know more not only led her to study her faith, but also brought her back to Mass and the sacraments.
Soon Carlo was praying a daily rosary and making frequent visits to Catholic churches throughout Italy. By the time he was seven years old, he convinced his parents and the priest to let him receive his First Holy Communion, which he did at the Convent of St. Ambrogio ad Nemus in Milan.
From that day Carlo attended daily Mass and prayed the rosary every day. He also took time after Mass for thanksgiving and prayer. In addition, he made frequent visits outside of Mass and received the Sacrament of Reconciliation weekly.
With time spent in prayer and Mass, Carlos still had plenty of time for school and recreation with his friends. He was a gregarious and charming youth, always open to new opportunities to love God by loving his neighbor.
He regularly volunteered to help children and the elderly with uncommon cheerfulness and gentleness. He defended the weak, especially those being bullied. Furthermore, it was not unusual for Carlo to invite a friend to spend the night if that child was suffering from the trauma of his parents getting divorced.
Carlo’s deep piety, purity, and love of God were never viewed as self-righteous. His love of God and man brought joy to those who met him. They felt loved, accepted, and thus, also drawn to Jesus, returning to the faith. He also converted non-Christians such as a young Hindu man who worked for the family.
As Carlo finished his early education in Milan, he continued his studies at the Jesuit school Istituto Leone XIII. In addition, he selected several saints as his patrons or mentors, who were sometimes young like himself and especially devoted to the Holy Eucharist.
These saints included St. Francis of Assisi, Saints Francisco and Jacinta of Fatima, St. Dominic Savio, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Tarcisius, and St. Bernadette Soubirous.
The Acutis family frequently traveled, enabling Carlo to gather much information on Eucharistic miracles. When they took these trips, Carlo’s first priority was to plan daily Mass as he would research where the churches were and at what time Mass would be celebrated each day. He told his friends, “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.”
He also said, “The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this Earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”
With all his extraordinary spiritual gifts, he also enjoyed ordinary pastimes and activities. He was known for his advanced computer skills as he and his friends would play computer games — but for no more than an hour a week. They also would make videos of their adolescent fun, sometimes voicing over the videos Carlo had taken of his beloved dogs.
Soon Carlo purchased a college textbook on computer programming and began developing a website describing the hundreds of Eucharistic miracles around the world. The site contains pictures and descriptions of these miracles throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
His brilliance in this endeavor has again influenced many souls and brought more souls closer to Christ. It is still available on the Internet. (Visit www.carloacutis.com.)
Carlo engaged in other activities as well: playing soccer, riding his bike, visiting the sick and lonely, learning the saxophone, and endeavoring to teach his older relatives the use of computers and the Internet — especially in evangelizing and catechizing.
Then Carlo embarked on his final journey. In 2006 he fell ill. Thinking he had the flu, his parents took him to the hospital for treatment. They were stunned to learn that their vivacious son had terminal leukemia.
Carlo, from a very young age, had focused his hopes and dreams on eternity so the diagnosis caused him little distress. As he had told his mother, “We have always been awaited in Heaven.” And when he was ready to go home, he cheerfully told his mother, “I can die happy, because I haven’t wasted even a minute on things that aren’t pleasing to God.”
Facing premature death, Carlo did not fear but showed great courage, love, and hope. He comforted his mother, telling her, “Mom, don’t be afraid, because with the Incarnation of Jesus, death became life, and there’s no need to escape: In eternal life, something extraordinary awaits us.” He offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI, then reigning.
Another time Carlo explained, “Our goal must be the infinite, not the finite. The infinite is our homeland. Heaven has been waiting for us forever.”
During Carlo’s final days, his doctor asked if he was in pain, to which the youth replied, “There are people who suffer much more than me.” He died on October 12, 2006, leaving his final advice on how to become holy: “You must want it with all your heart.”
Two friends of Carlo, Raffaello Martinelli and Angelo Comastri, helped organize a traveling photo exhibition of Eucharistic miracle sites in his honor. This exhibit has traveled to five continents and dozens of countries.
The cause of canonization was begun on February 15, 2013 with Carlo declared servant of God on May 13, 2013. On July 5, 2018 Pope Francis declared him venerable. Carlo Acutis will be beatified sometime in 2020 at Assisi where he is buried, since a miracle due to his intercession has been approved.
Dear Carlo, you have left a great example of a saintly life dedicated to love of God with your devotion to the Real Presence, your love of your neighbor, and your eager anticipation for death. Heaven awaits! Obtain for us the grace to love God in our neighbor and to joyously approach our death. Amen.
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(Carole Breslin home-schooled her four daughters and served as treasurer of the Michigan Catholic Home Educators for eight years. For over ten years, she was national coordinator for the Marian Catechists, founded by Fr. John A. Hardon, SJ.)
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