“I like this one!” my 8-year-old daughter said pointing to a picture of a young Carlo Acutis sticking out his tongue. He looked just about her age in that photo. And of course, she’s not the only young person to appreciate this modern day saint. Many children and teens from around the world are looking forward to his canonization this weekend.
A saint like us
“It means a lot that he’s being canonized because he was just a normal kid who also helped the poor and was very holy”, commented Charlie, 14. Nine-year-old Jude likes the iconic photo of Carlo in a red shirt and sunglasses. Dubbed “the sneaker saint” by some, Carlo looks like someone you’d know from church or your local neighborhood.
Jude puts it simply, “I like that he likes a lot of the same things that I do”. Roman, 8, finds it “relatable that he liked the same things I like: video games, Pokemon, and Jesus.”
Roman really likes the photo of a young Carlo Acutis in his Spider Man costume, holding a puppy. Just another boy in a superhero costume–but this one is now in heaven.
As my son Gus, 13, says, “He shows that anyone can be a saint if you love God and try to follow the Commandments. Maybe, someday, you’ll be a saint.”
A saint for the digital age
This past month in Assisi, a statue of Carlo was unveiled near his tomb. The statue shows Carlo, holding a laptop, with an image of the Eucharist on it. Carlo is well known for his digital evangelization, but it is still striking to see a saint depicted with modern technology!
Today’s kids are taking notice. Alexander, 7, likes Carlo Acutis because Carlo liked Pokemon, but also because he made a website on the internet. Young Carlo Acutis made a fairly comprehensive website on Eucharistic miracles around the world that can still be accessed today.
“He had access to a lot of the same kinds of technology that we have and he used all that for the greater glory of God”, 15-year-old Max said. “Just because you're a modern teenager doesn't mean you can't be holy and you don't have to wait until you're an adult to try to be holy. You can be holy now.”
