Saint Carlo Acutis Exemplifies the Spirit of Good Shepherd
Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial Saint, will be canonized on September 7. We highlighted Bl. Carlo a few years ago as a young person from the Communion of Saints who exemplifies the spirit of Good Shepherd Parish.
He was born in London, England and raised in Milan, Italy. He displayed a talent for computer programming and deep love for the Christ in the Eucharist.
He loved sports (particularly soccer), playing video games, graphic novels, and volunteering with those in need outside of his school hours. The shining example of soon-to-be Saint Carlo Acutis beams down on the 30+ year history of our workcamp program at Good Shepherd. Our youth have been donating weeks of their precious summers to help others in need at our workcamps. Whether it’s locally for Matthew 25 or travelling across the country for Catholic Heart, Bl. Carlo lights a path for the many young Good Shepherd workcampers who willingly give up their time to serve others now and in the future.
Carlo’s particular devotion to the Eucharist was inspired by St. Francis of Assisi. With his tech-savvy skills, young Carlo spent four years creating a website that catalogued Eucharistic miracles from around the world. The purpose of his site was to increase awareness and appreciation for the Eucharist while also celebrating the worldwide Church. His hope for this project was to inspire those who visited the site to deepen their faith and develop a stronger relationship with Jesus. Just as Bl. Carlo was tech-savvy, Good Shepherd has been on the forefront of the archdiocese to bring technology into our worship space and out to our parishioners in the ability to livestream the Mass. Deacon Sandy Sites has brought, for years, the tech skills from his professional career to integrate technology into his homilies. Bl. Carlo has been as much of an inspiration for our parish as he will be for the future of our Church.
Tragically, in 2006 when Carlo was just 15, his life was cut short when he succumbed to leukemia. Despite this, his story, and website, live on as a example of youthful holiness. Recognizing his extraordinary sanctity, the Church beatified Carlo on October 10, 2020.
Carlo’s beatification has gone on to spark a renewed interest in the Eucharist among some young people today. His story also serves as a reminder that holiness is attainable even amid modern challenges and that today’s tools, like computers and the internet, can also be an avenue through which someone can serve the Kingdom of God. Blessed Carlo, pray for us!
On December 4-7, Good Shepherd will be hosting “The Eucharistic Miracles of the World” International Exhibit. It is a self-guided tour of 158 Eucharistic miracles collected from 22 countries, prayerfully gathered by Saint Carlo Acutis. All verified and approved by the Catholic Church, this is an amazing opportunity to delve deeper into your faith and witness the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We are grateful to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for making this available, and we are excited to bring it to Good Shepherd and further celebrate Saint Carlo Acutis and the inspiration he is to our parish.
This story has been created with the assistance of an article from LPi.