When people think of saints, they think of holy men and women dressed in white robes who carry the cross or Bible and frequent the Church. It's an image that people have maintained for beloved saints such as Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio, and Therese, among others.
But in this modern age, images of saints have shifted and the Venerable Carlo Acutis is one such example. Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. The Italian teenager was known for his computer skills and his love of the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist which he described as his "highway to heaven."
The computer genius is on his way to sainthood as Pope Francis declared him to be Venerable on July 5, 2018. Pope Francis later approved a miracle attributed to him, which enabled him to be beatified. Beatification is one step away from sainthood. After beatification, the teenager would be called Blessed Carlo Acutis.
His tomb has been opened for public veneration from Oct. 1 to 17, while his beatification will be held on Oct. 10. The rector of the Sanctuary of Spoilation in Assisi, where Acutis' tomb is located, told the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) that his body was discovered to be "fully integral" although "not intact."
"For the first time in history, we will see a saint dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a sweater," said Fr. Carlos Acácio Gonçalves Ferreira. "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."
While his peers spent their spare time playing games and hanging out with friends, Acutis utilized his by drawing closer to God. He attended daily Mass and prayed the rosary everyday. He also went to confession weekly.
Prior to his death, Acutis used his computer savvy to spread the Word of God. He was skilled in computer programming, film editing, and creating websites, so he researched about Eucharistic miracles then created a website where other people can read about it.
Archbishop Domencio Sorrentino of Assisi, spokeswoman for Acutis' beatification, said at a mass at the opening of the tomb that he was "a boy of our time."
"A boy of the Internet age, and a model of holiness of the digital age, as Pope Francis presented him in his letter to young people around the world. 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, that which quenches the thirst for the infinite that inhabits the human heart," she said.
For someone so young, Acutis was wise beyond his years. He knew that nothing in this life is permanent, so he strove to live his earthly life in a way that would make God happy. "Our goal must be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinity is our homeland. We are always expected in Heaven," he said.
"To be always united with Jesus, this is my plan of life," he added. "I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even a minute of it on anything unpleasing to God."