“We were told that Carlo’s heart stopped beating at 6:45 a.m. on October 12, the eve of the final apparition in Fatima. We believe that this was no coincidence. We had lost our only son, which caused immense pain, but the hope that he had not disappeared from our lives forever and even that he would be even closer to us than before and that he waited for us in a better life, gave us strength.”
My Son Carlo – Carlo Acutis through the Eyes of his Mother by Antonia Salzano Acutis with Paolo Rodari
As we enter into the Fourth Week of Lent, drawing closer to Holy Week and Easter, I wanted to be sure that readers are aware that (Blessed) Carlo Acutis will be canonized on “Divine Mercy Sunday” at the close of the Jubilee of Adolescents on April 27, 2025.
If you (possibly) have not yet heard of Carlo Acutis or are not familiar with the details of his brief but beautiful life story, I would refer you to an article that I wrote in April of 2021. I also continue to recommend the wonderful (small) book that first “introduced” me to Carlo: Blessed Carlo Acutis: Five Steps to Being a Saint by Msgr. Anthony Figueiredo. You can purchase it at Amazon.
A few months ago, I had the wonderful experience of reading My Son Carlo – Carlo Acutis through the Eyes of his Mother, written by Carlo’s Mother, Antonia Salzano Acutis.
Can you imagine what it would be like to meet the mother of a Saint? Or to read a memoir written by the mother of Saint Francis of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux, or Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)? Carlo’s Mother begins her book by recounting the harrowing days in late September and early October 2006, when her beloved 15-year-old son suddenly fell ill, when what seemed like a common cold or flu became much more serious, leading to his hospitalization on Oct. 7 and his tragic, but peaceful, death on the morning of Oct. 12.
Carlo’s Mother is very honest and humble as she shares the beautiful story of her son’s faith and love for Jesus from his earliest years and how he inspired her. Here is one example of the many ways in which she shares how she learned from her son what it means to be called to love as Jesus loves:
“Carlo was an example for me, not only because of his love for the Lord, but also because of the great generosity and charity he showed toward others, which I am sure was fueled by Jesus himself. It was he who helped me to open myself more and more toward love for others, to understand that the initial intuition I had on a trip to India in 1991 could and must be the path that I would walk my whole life…”
My Son Carlo (pg. 102)
The memoir concludes with a chapter entitled: “The Eucharist is My Highway to Heaven.” That phrase has become most closely associated with Blessed Carlo, possibly his “motto,” and surely, his love for and devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist will be one of the many ways that he will bless and inspire the Church as a canonized Saint. There are many reasons why I recommend both Msgr. Figuieredo’s book and My Son Carlo, but if I had to choose one reason for recommending that anyone learn more about Carlo Acutis, it is because of the way that he “lived the Mass.”
I hope that all of us have had many experiences of attending a beautiful, moving, and prayerful celebration of the Eucharist and, perhaps, an encounter with our “living God,” with Jesus, who comes to us in “Word and Sacrament” at every Mass. As powerful and wonderful as those experiences are and can be, we also hope that those experiences have an impact on the way we live, “outside” the Mass or when we leave the Church (building). In his brief, but incredibly beautiful life, Carlo Acutis “lived the Mass” in extraordinary and inspiring ways.
There are many, many quotes from both books that describe this unique quality in the life of Carlo Acutis. I will leave you with one of my favorites, as Carlo’s mother is speaking about the day of her son’s receiving his First Holy Communion (on June 16, 1998):
“Certainly, union with the Eucharistic Jesus was at the heart of Carlo’s day and from that moment onward. Starting on that day, he went to Mass every day. His relationship with the Body of Christ had become “LIFE.” During Mass, he conversed with him, he spoke to him, he listened to his words, and he took inspiration and energy from his actions His creativity and constructive energy flowed outward from his daily Mass attendance.”
My Son Carlo (pg. 212)
For more information on Blessed Carlo and his upcoming Canonization, you can go to carloacutis.org or the official website of Carlo Acutis.
