17 things every Catholic should know about Carlo Acutis

"I am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minute in those things that do not please God". —Carlo Acutis

As we approach the beatification of Venerable Carlo Acutis on October 10, here are some interesting facts and details to know about this young man who will soon be a saint. An inspiration to many, including young children and adolescents, Carlo died as a boy at the age of 15 after a brief battle with leukemia. May we all fight for holiness and learn from Charles' example!

1. In the short 15 years of his life, Carlo Acutis touched thousands of people with his witness of faith and profound devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist.

2. Born in London but raised in Milan, Carlo was confirmed at the age of 7. There was never a lack of daily mass as recalls his mother, Antonia Acutis: "As a child, especially after first communion, he never missed the daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by a moment of Eucharistic adoration", recalls his mother , Antonia Acutis.

3. Carlo had a great devotion and love for the Madonna. He once said, "The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life."

4. Passionate about technology, Carlo was a gamer and also a computer programmer.

5. Carlo had great concern for his friends who often invited those who were being treated badly or going through difficult situations to his home for support. Some had to do with divorce at home or being bullied due to disabilities.

6. With his love for the Eucharist, Charles had asked his parents to take him on pilgrimage to the places of all known Eucharistic miracles in the world but his illness prevented this from happening.

7. Carlo contracted leukemia as a teenager. He offered his pain for Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church, saying: “I offer all the sufferings that I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope and for the Church”.

8. Charles used his technological skills to build an entire catalog of Eucharistic miracle websites around the world. He started the year old project when he was 11 years old.

9. Carlo wanted to use technology and his website to evangelize. He was inspired by Blessed James Alberione's initiatives to use the media to announce the Gospel.

10. During his battle with leukemia, his doctor asked him if he was in a lot of pain and he replied that "there are people who suffer much more than me".

11. After Carlo's death, a traveling exhibition of the adolescent's Eucharistic miracles began, born from an idea of ​​Acutis. Mons. Raffaello Martinelli and Cardinal Angelo Comastri, then head of the Catechetical Office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, contributed to the organization of the photographic exhibition in his honor. He has now traveled to dozens of countries on five continents.

12. Francesca Consolini, postulator of the archdiocese of Milan, felt that there was reason to open the cause for the beatification of Charles when the request expected five years after his death occurred. Speaking of the young teenager, Consolini said: “His faith, which was unique in such a young person, was pure and certain. He always made him sincere with himself and with others. He showed extraordinary care for others; he was sensitive to the problems and situations of his friends and those who lived close to him and were close to him every day “.

13. The cause of Charles' canonization began in 2013 and he was designated "Venerable" in 2018. He will be called "Blessed" after 10 October.

14. The beatification rite of Carlo Acutis will take place on Saturday 10 October 2020, at 16 pm, in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. The chosen date will be close to an important anniversary in the life of Carlo; his birth in heaven on 00 October 12.

15. In the photos released in preparation for his beatification, Charles's body appeared to have been preserved from the natural process of decay after his death in 2006, and some thought it might be uncorrupted. However, Bishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi clarified that the body of Charles, although intact, "was found in the normal state of transformation typical of the cadaveric condition". Monsignor Sorrentino added that Carlo's body was arranged with dignity to be exposed to public veneration and for a silicone reconstruction of his face.

16. A book containing Eucharistic miracles that he enriched on his website was created, containing nearly 100 miracle reports from 17 different countries, all verified and approved by the Church.

17. Millions of people around the world have followed his path to holiness. By simply typing his name into a search engine, more than 2.500 websites and blogs emerge that describe his life and history.

As we witness his beatification this weekend and see a boy in jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers, we can all remember that we are called to be saints and strive to live like Charles in whatever weather we are allowed. As a young Acutis once said: "The more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a taste of Heaven."