At the Closing youth Mass of the Jubilee in Tor Vergata, Pope Leo XIV urged young people to friendship with Christ and to transform the world with the light of the Gospel: “Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less.” Jesus, Pope Leo reminds us, is our hope, the One who awakens the desire to change the world through love, prayer and courage like Blessed Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Blessed Carlo Acutis was known among his friends and family as being incredibly humble and kind. He was approachable and friendly – not proud and distant. He wanted to reach people where they were in their journey of faith. With a deep love for God and for others, Carlo had a desire to evangelize to the world.
Pope St. John Paul II called Christians to a new evangelization. When Carlo was only eleven years old he answered this call to the new evangelization by designing a website that included 150 Eucharistic miracles. He completed the website the year before he died.
Since that time, his website has been turned into a traveling exhibition that has been to many countries on five continents. Countless people have been strengthened in their faith due to this website and exhibition. Even as a teenager, Carlo was able to reach the world with the message of Jesus.
Blessed Carlo experiened much suffering at the end of his life. As Carlo was dying of leukemia, a doctor asked him about his pain. He responded, “There are people who suffer much more than me.”
Carlo was beatified in 2020 by Pope Francis, making him the first Millennial to be called “Blessed.” He is set to be canonized on September 7, 2025.
We are encouraging our young children to become more involved in the life of the Church. We invite you to think about being an Altar Server. How about becoming a lector at Mass. If you have received your Confirmation, what about being a Eucharistic Minister. Listen for God’s voice calling you to follow in the
footsteps of Carlo Acutis.
