"I think his life, and the harmony he achieved, can be of help to many on the path to holiness," said Antonia Salzano, the mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis, in an interview with Italian news agency SIR in February of last year. The young blessed was beatified on October 10, 2020, in Assisi.
The story of the miracle
Blessed Carlo’s mother described the miracle that made the beatification possible.
"The miracle concerns the deformed pancreas of a child whose life was consequently in danger. After prayers to Carlo, the pancreas returned to normal without surgery, which would have been very risky for the little boy’s survival."
Prayers of intercession
It’s no coincidence that Carlo’s reputation for holiness spread quickly. "Ever since he died, people have turned to him with confidence. A woman who came to the funeral had a tumor and immediately prayed to him and was cured; another 44-year-old woman was unable to have children, but she prayed to Carlo and after a month she became pregnant."
"Immediately,” Antonia continues, “the people who had met him entrusted themselves to him, and then his fame of holiness spread: young people began to form prayer groups, to imitate him; catechists brought up his story as a testimony. All this has given me serenity: Carlo has borne fruit for so many people, he has helped so many souls to come closer to God. Many have reported to us miracles, special graces and conversions."
An exemplary life
His mother Antonia explains that the family already had the impression that their son was different from other kids his age. "When he was alive, we already had realized that Carlo was a special boy: his luminosity, his goodness, and his prayer life were outside the norm."
Carlo, at the same time, "had a life like many of his peers; he shared passions common to other young people, such as the internet, playing ball, and other hobbies. He liked to be with his friends, and he was a very nice boy, but he did everything with great balance and hope and everything in the light and presence of God, indeed always putting God at the center of his days with the Holy Mass, the Holy Rosary, and Eucharistic adoration before or after Mass. He was very faithful to these appointments.”
