As the anniversary of the death of St. Francisco Marto on April 4 approaches, one cannot help but recall his great love for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and his desire to receive Holy Communion. Having lived just ten years, he only received Holy Communion twice – the first from the Angel of Peace in 1916; the second from the local priest who brought him viaticum at his deathbed.
Another young saint of the Eucharist soon to be canonized on April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday, is Carlo Acutis. Carlo was interested in the lives of Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto, and was influenced by the Eucharistic prayers taught to them by the Angel of Peace. Unlike the Marto children, Carlo came from wealthy Italian parents who were not religious. Yet, he received the Sacraments and attended Catholic schools. From the time of his First Communion at age 7, Carlo became a frequent communicant and attended Eucharistic Adoration. His zeal for the faith converted his mother and many of his friends and acquaintances.
Like Francisco, he was a bit of an outlier in how he handled his peers on the playground. His disposition was to shrug off the bullies who took advantage of him: “Jesus would not be happy if I lost my temper,” he told one of his nannies. Francisco exasperated Lucia when he shrugged off injustices against him. “What does it matter?” he would ask.
Carlo lived in the world but was not of it. A typical teen of the new millennium, he was drawn to PlayStation and the popular computer games Halo and Mario. Yet he limited himself to one hour a day, preferring to spend his time seeking more than what the world had to offer. He was influenced by Steve Jobs, founder and CEO of Apple, whose words resonated with him, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living the life of someone else.” Carlo applied this wisdom by rejecting a life of conformity to the whims of the modern day being true to himself and his purpose: “All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies,” he said.
“[Carlo Acutis] saw that many young people, wanting to be different, really end up being like everyone else, running after whatever the powerful set before them with the mechanisms of consumerism and distraction. In this way they do not bring forth the gifts the Lord has given them; they do not offer the world those unique personal talents that God has given to each of them. As a result, Carlo said, ‘Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies.’ Don’t let that happen to you! (Pope Francis apostolic exhortation Christus Vivit 106).
He embraced the world of information technology and modern tools of communication, but also saw the dangers they posed, especially in opening doors to pornography. He counseled his fellow students and the young First Communion and Confirmation students he accompanied at his parish on how to use these tools wisely.
Carlo used his computer skills to develop websites for his parish and school. As a firm believer in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, he created a virtual museum and website devoted to all the known Eucharistic Miracles: https://www.miracolieucaristici.org. After his death in 2006, a traveling exhibit of the miracles was created and has displayed at more than 10,000 churches and other locations worldwide. The exhibit, which includes the Angel of Peace apparitions to the Fatima children, was also on display at the canonization of Francisco and Jacinta Marto on May 13, 2017.
Carlo’s Death and Cause of Canonization
On Oct. 1, 2006, at age 15, Carlo was diagnosed with an acute Leukemia that claimed his life just 11 days later on Oct. 12. He resigned himself to his fate, like Francisco and Jacinta, and kept his eyes on heaven, telling his mother, “Mom, don’t be afraid. Since Jesus became a man, death has become the passage towards life, and we don’t need to flee it. Let us prepare ourselves to experience something extraordinary in the eternal life.”
Droves of people, many of them strangers who were touched by Carlo’s kindness and generosity and young people who had abandoned the faith, came to his parent’s home for four days after his death to pay their respects. Similar uninterrupted crowds paid respect to Jacinta’s body for four days after her death, touched by her monumental love for God. Carlo offered his final sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the Catholic Church; Jacinta offered multiple prayers and sacrifices for the Holy Father – the “bishop in white” whom she never knew.
Carlo’s cause of canonization moved forward on May 13, 2013, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, when he was named “Servant of God. He was declared Venerable on July 5, 2018.
The Fatima children and Carlo lived a century apart, yet their lives seemed to intersect. They were known for their detachment from this world, their love and adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist and resignation to God’s will in their illnesses and death. “Happiness is to looking towards God,” Carlos said. “Sadness is looking towards yourself.” Francisco looked forward to death so he could console Jesus in heaven. Jacinta endured longer suffering on earth so others could get to heaven.
These young saints are great models for the youth of our day. Pray to them for the conversion of those in your life who are away from the Faith.
Barb Ernster is the National Coordinator/Communications Manager/Editor for the World Apostolate of Fatima USA.
