Blog Topic: The story of the Servant of God, Carlo Acutis

My Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ. Dear Friends – Today is a time for something I hope interesting – I dedicate this article to all our children and youth and the Parents. This is the story of the Servant of God, Carlo Acutis sounds as if it could be written by one of the authors of classical hagiography.

Body of “computer geek” on way to Canonisation is found in-corrupt

Carlo Acutis loved the Eucharist and used his tech skills to catalogue all the Eucharistic miracles of the world. The vice-postulator of the canonisation cause of Venerable Carlo Acutis announced Wednesday that the youth’s body has been found to be in-corrupt. Carlo died of leukaemia at age 15 in 2006.

The vice postulator, Father Marcelo Tenorio, shared the news on social media. He revealed that he’d seen the pictures but that he couldn’t share them. The priest said that the news had been communicated to him by Carlo’s mother: “Dear ones, I received today from the mother of Carlo Acutis the wonderful news that the body of the venerable youth, who died giving his life for Pope Benedict XVI, is INTACT.” He also announced that the body would be taken to the Capuchin monastery in Assisi, and eventually taken to the old church of St. Mary Major in Assisi.

One of Carlo’s most significant computer ventures was cataloguing all the Eucharistic miracles of the world. He started the project when he was 11 years old and wrote at the time, “The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of Heaven.” He then asked his parents to start taking him to all the places of the Eucharistic miracles, and two and half years later the project was completed.Father Tenorio’s original Facebook post was later taken down and a subsequent post said that the announcement was meant to be personal, and shouldn’t be considered an official declaration of the miracle. The discovery was made during the exhumation of Carlo’s body that is part of the recognition of his remains by the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, in the development of the canonisation cause.

Carlo Acutis is the patron of our First Communion Children this year – with the children and their parents we pray for his canonisation.

The Story of Carlo Acutis

 

Carlo attained early maturity, he realised his happiness in the Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Every day, he received Holy Communion and every week he went to confession, to confess even venial sins, considering them a weight on his soul. In public view he repeatedly testified unwavering confidence in the truths that he confessed. At the age at which boys tend towards trivial global stories, he read the works of purgatory and prayers offered for the souls of those suffering there. Although he came from a wealthy family, he never exalted himself above others and there was no equal to him in the care of the poorest. If he ever felt anger, it was only when his parents bought him another new suit, instead of giving the money to the needy. From an early age he showed special devotion to Mary, advising everyone to recite the rosary every day. At age 15, he suddenly fell ill. All his suffering was offered for the Church and the Holy Father and just three days later he gave up his spirit to God.

The story of the Servant of God, Carlo Acutis sounds as if it could be written by one of the authors of classical hagiography.  On November 24, 2016, Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan officially ended the diocesan phase of the beatification process of Carlo. This means that the case will go to Rome, and the young Italian youth may be declared Blessed. To the hagiography can be added that Carlo, seeing the creation as a reflection of God’s love for man, admired the beauty of nature. He expressed this as placed on YouTube recording of the yacht tours, where dolphins swam keel:

Born in 1991 in London. His parents are Italian, but they lived for a time in London because of work. Mother Antonia, the daughter of an intellectual unbeliever, was not a very devout Catholic. She said: ‘I was only at Mass on my First communion, confirmation and marriage ‘. Carlo’s father Andrea, son of a Polish mother, appeared in the church often, but he worked a lot, so he did not have too much time for his son. Why, then, did Carlo turn to God? – His mother said – ‘It is a mystery. As young as 3 or 4 years old he was so talented, intelligent and asking such deep questions that she felt the desire to deepen her own faith. I can say that Carlo was my little saviour, because thanks to him I became closer to God.’ He probably would have said that his mother simply looked in a different direction than before – one day the young Carlo said: ‘Conversion is nothing but a lifting of the eye upward. Just a little eye movement.’

The ‘Acutis’ family moved from London to Milan. It is there that Carlo went to school, including high school where he studied the classics. He loved to play football, but did not do very well, probably because of being overweight. He fared much better with computer science – His mother said he was a computer buff, a genius.

As a child Carlo played with a computer. As a teenager, he equalled senior students in this subject, although he did not go on any computer courses. He taught himself entirely all the programmes from books. He programmed and created websites. His work is hyperlinked to the official website of the Vatican website: miracolieucaristici.org There we can find materials about the miracles of the Eucharist, worldwide. This website is available in 16 languages (even Arabic and Swahili). This fifteen-year-old boy created a website, which is now visited by 100,000 people a month.

Carlo wanted people to really understand that the Eucharist is not only a symbol, but the real presence of God among us.

Carlo received his First Holy Communion at seven years old, that is, two years earlier than others. To do this, he passed the test conducted by Archbishop Pasquale Macchi, the former secretary of Pope Paul VI. Later Carlo received the Eucharist every day. After Mass he stayed still for a moment in the to adore the Blessed Sacrament. One day he was asked why he was doing this, and he quoted Pope Benedict XVI – ‘God must be adored on our knees and in silence’. Carlo called the Eucharist the highway to heaven, and referring to the Eucharistic prayer, he said: ‘The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we become like Jesus and already on this earth, we have a foretaste of paradise’. Carlo was also very devoted to Mary. He entrusted to her his purity – he said that the Mother of God is the only woman in his life. He joked that the prayer of the rosary is the most romantic encounter, which he experienced.

He also had a strong devotion to St. Francis of Assisi. Carlo loved nature (in the house he had 4 dogs and 2 cats), but above all he cared about the poor. He worked as a volunteer in a soup kitchen for the poor. He also gave away his pocket money as alms. His mother said: ‘Ideas of St. Francis today are heavily instrumentalised by the media and watered down. Carlo loved him greatly and was inspired by him’.

This young boy read ‘The Treaty of Purgatory’ of St. Catherine of Genoa and prayed for the souls suffering in purgatory. He was blessed with his colleagues. His contemporaries did not regard him as a religious bigot and a madman. He was sociable and liked. Despite the many activities he also learned to play the saxophone and participated in youth oratory.

When he was 15 years old he went for a medical check-up. It turned out that he was suffering from acute leukaemia. He was hospitalised. When the doctor asked him if he suffered, Carlo said that many people suffer more. His pain he offered for the Church and the pope. He died three days after the first diagnosis, but he was prepared for it. On YouTube we can find the recording, which announces what will happen: ‘I gained 60 kg and I am destined to die. I’m dying’. – He says and claps his hands. He is smiling, but not as if in a joke, although he did joke.  ‘Carlo foretells his death, because he sees it as a transition. He praised God and he really loved Jesus; this is not just words. If someone really loves Jesus, he is not afraid of death. Fear can only be for one who does not love Him or does not know Him’- underlines his mum Antonia Acutis. The mother of the Servant of God, after his death, found that recording on his computer. The film was made in August 2006, and Carlo learned about his illness in October. According to his wishes, he was buried in Assisi, the city of St. Francis.

After his death, many people felt the need to write down their memories of him, and others have announced that they will ask for his intercession in prayer. It was not hard to prove that the boy died in the odour of sanctity. During his funeral the church was filled with people, including Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus (while Carlo was still alive a Hindu named Rajesh, belonging to the Brahmins, which is the highest caste in his community, was baptised because he was moved by his testimony of faith). This boy was mourned also by a lot of poor people, whom he once helped.

Shortly afterwards, the first book tells us about his life, and later a documentary film, cartoon and radio program. In Milan, the association ‘Friends of Carlo Acutis’ was created. On the Internet is also a page dedicated to Carlo: www.carloacutis.com Among the pictures posted there with celebrations and holiday trips it is difficult to find any ‘selfies’. Apparently, the future servant of God lived the words that he uttered: ‘Grief is a sight returned to himself, happiness is a sight directed towards God’.

The recording on the computer was not the last sign from Carlo to his mother. Four years after his death, Antonia was pregnant. She previously had health problems, the reasons for which the boy did not live to see his siblings. Twins were conceived when Antonia was 43 years old. When she was pregnant, her doctor calculated the date of ‘twins’ birth on October 11, the anniversary of the death of Carlo.

 With love and prayers and asking for yours, Fr. Marcin