Saint Carlo Acutis
Carlo had a deep love for Jesus even as a preschooler. His curiosity caused his mother Antonia to take theology classes, return to Mass, and dive deeper into her own faith. Carlo asked permission to make First Communion earlier. After which he became a daily communicant. At age 11 he began to study Eucharistic miracles and shared the stories to encourage people to attend mass. He said “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven… The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus.” At age 15 he was diagnosed with acute and untreatable leukemia. Within three days he died in 2006. His first rule to be holy was “You have to want it with all your heart.” (Hunter-Kilmer, 2021). He was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025. The feast day for Saint Carlo Acutis is October 12. (Kremer, 2025)
Photo from canonization mass on September 7, 2025.