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Open-and-go lesson plan for Bl. Carlo Acutis’ feast day

Cover - Miracles of the Eucharist with Carlo Acutis #1
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Theresa Civantos Barber - published on 10/10/24
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Whether homeschooling, at Catholic school or religious education, here is a plan to share with kids this amazing modern-day holy teen.

Ready to share the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis with kids? 

Whether you’re a homeschool parent, a school parent, a catechist, or a Catholic school teacher, you can use this plan to give a quick and memorable lesson to your students about this amazing modern-day holy teen.

Before you begin, you’ll want to do the following:

  • Assemble some coloring supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils, or whatever’s handy)
  • Print a free coloring page of Bl. Carlo (here or here) or activity sheet (or this extensive resource pack)
  • Decide whether you want to watch a video about Bl. Carlo or read aloud his biography (or both!)
  • Set aside a candle and matches for prayer time

1Share who Bl. Carlo was

As a very young saint of modern times, Bl. Carlo is very popular with children and young people. He died when he was only 15, yet his holiness has inspired countless people. It’s so exciting to share his story with children!

Ask, “Have you heard of Bl. Carlo Acutis? What do you know about him?”

You can read aloud his biography from the classic book Saints Around The World by Meg Hunter-Kilmer, or read this short biography aloud

Here are a few key things from that biography to share about him:

  • Bl. Carlo was not raised Catholic. His mom had actually only been to church three times in her life before Carlo began asking her to go with him every day! The priest promoting his cause for sainthood said that Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.” 
  • The rector for the church where his tomb is located said, “For the first time in history we will see a saint dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweater. This is a great message for us; we can feel holiness not as a distant thing but as something very much within everyone’s reach because the Lord is the Lord of everyone.” 
  • Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi said: “Carlo is a boy of our time. A boy of the internet age, and a model of holiness of the digital age… The computer … has become a way of going through the streets of the world, like the first disciples of Jesus, to bring to hearts and homes the announcement of true peace…”

Share with the kids these quotes that Bl. Carlo himself said:

  • “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.”
  • “To always be close to Jesus, that's my life plan.”
  • The first step in being holy? “You have to want it with all your heart.”
  • “The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.”

Finally, show them this website of Eucharistic miracles that Bl. Carlo built before he died. Voyage Comics has also turned Carlo Acutis's investigations into a wonderful ongoing comic book series: Miracles of the Eucharist with Carlo Acutis.

Miracles of the Eucharisti with Carlo Acutis - Voyage Comics

If you’d like to learn more about the saint-to-be, check out these videos about his life.

The Life of Blessed Carlo Acutis from Saints in Seven:

The life of Carlo Acutis, The Apostle of the Eucharist & First Millenial Blessed, from EWTN

2Open the conversation for your kids to share their thoughts

After reading about him or watching a video, briefly talk about his life together. 

If your kids like crafts, you can pass out a coloring page (here or here) or activity sheet about his life and the Eucharistic miracles he documented. 

While they draw or color, open up the conversation. You might ask the following questions:

  • What did you hear?
  • What do you think about Bl. Carlo using the internet to share Jesus with people?
  • If you were to make a website about Jesus, what would you put on it?
  • Why did Bl. Carlo want to go to Mass every day?
  • What are some of your favorite things about Bl. Carlo and his story?
  • Do you have any questions about Bl. Carlo?

3End with a time of prayer together

Finally, close with prayer. You might light a candle at this point to set aside this prayer time as something special and sacred. Together, you can pray this prayer:

O God our Father,
we thank you for giving us Carlo,
a model of life for young people,
and a message of love for all.
You made him fall in love with your son Jesus,
making the Eucharist his “highway to heaven.”
You gave him Mary as a beloved mother,
and you made him, through the Rosary,
a cantor of her tenderness.
Receive his prayer for us.
Look above all upon the poor, whom he loved and assisted.
Grant me too, through his intercession, the grace
that I need (mention your intention).
And make our joy full, raising Carlo among
the saints of your Church,
so that his smile shines again for us
to the glory of your name. Amen.

Finally, ask the kids if they want to share their own prayer or song to Jesus before your time of prayer ends.

Bl. Carlo, pray for us!

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