Carlo Acutis-The Wait is Over

June 12, 2024

The wait is over! The Catholic Church will canonize Italian teenager Blessed Carlo Acutis as the world’s first “millennial saint.”

Recently, Pope Francis approved a second miracle attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis’ intercession, allowing for his canonization. Countless Catholics, young and old alike, have been anxiously awaiting the date of his canonization. That wait is likely at an end!

“Pope Francis will preside of a consistory on July 1, and at that event with the cardinals, it is expected he will announce the date for the canonization of future saints, including the young Italian, Carlo Acutis.” (Aleteia)

Malvern Retreat House has the nation’s first permanent Carlo Acutis shrine. It also has a permanent exhibit on Eucharistic Miracles. The retreat house is proud to have these attractions.

Many Catholic pilgrims have visited Malvern Retreat House in less than a year. They come to see the memorial to Bl. Carlo and Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Building the shrine and permanent exhibit have been one of the most memorable and powerful experiences of my life,” noted Michael Norton, President at Malvern Retreat House.

By all accounts, Carlo Acutis, who grew up in Assis, Italy, was a regular kid. He went to school, hung out with friends, and played soccer. He was into gaming, then got into computer programming and web design as the internet was exploding.

Carlo was also a young person of deep and abiding faith. He did not hail from a particularly religious family. In fact, his mother notes that before Carlo, she only attended Mass a few times! 

After receiving his First Holy Communion, Carlo began to attend Mass as frequently as possible. He would spend hours in adoration.

His faith inspired conversions in family and friends, including his mother Antonia Acutis’ deep reversion to the faith. The postulator for Carlo’s cause for canonization noted, it was Carlo [as a young boy] “who dragged his family to Mass; not the other way around.” (Catholic News Agency)

Carlo had a deep love for and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. In a special way he was drawn to Eucharistic miracles.

Carlo prompted his family to travel the world so he could experience these miracles firsthand. In his short life, Carlo visited 17 nations where there have been documented cases of Eucharistic miracles. Over a two-year period, Carlo documented 187 Eucharistic miracles and, ultimately, created a website to share his study with the world.

“God is good! We are seeing more and more Catholic youth, young adults and families visit Malvern to pray in the shrine and learn about the Eucharistic miracles which inspired Carlo Acutis,” he added. 

The canonization of Bl. Carlo comes at a critical time for the Catholic Church. Movements like the National Eucharistic Revival are inspiring thousands of Catholics to focus on the True Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. At this moment in time, God has blessed the Church with a saint who connects with Catholic youth and young families as a profound model of dedication to the Eucharist. Malvern has been blessed to share, in some small way, the movement God and the Holy Spirit are inspiring today.