Why are crowds flocking to Carlo Acutis, the teenager soon to become a saint?
The Daily Article
The Denison Forum
4.9 • 576 Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2025
⏱️ 8 minutes
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Summary
Carlo Acutis, the Catholic church’s first millennial saint, will be canonized on April 27 in St. Peter’s Square. Over the last year, a million pilgrims have made their way to his shrine. The teenager is so popular in large part because his story is so accessible. And because his faith was so compelling. In the face of uncertain or devastating news, we look for a power to lean upon greater than ourselves. According to Carlo Acutis, the key is to focus on the Lord rather than our circumstances: “Sadness is looking at ourselves; happiness is looking toward God.”
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | It's Monday, March the 31st, 2025, and this is Denison Forum's Daily Article Podcast. |
| 0:09.3 | I'm Josh Miller, filling in as narrator for today's daily article, written by our co-founder and CEO, Dr. Jim Denison. |
| 0:21.1 | Why are crowds flocking to Carlo Acutus, the teenager soon to become a saint? |
| 0:27.8 | Some years ago, my wife and I visited Assisi, Italy, joining massive crowds who came to see the |
| 0:34.1 | tomb of the town's most famous saint. Now, crowds are pouring into this medieval hilltop town to celebrate another celebrity, |
| 0:43.1 | a teenager named Carlo Acutus. |
| 0:46.0 | The Catholic Church's first millennial saint will be canonized on April 27th in St. Peter Square. |
| 0:53.0 | Carlo was born on May 3, 1991, to a wealthy Italian family. |
| 0:58.5 | He received First Communion at the young age of seven, then began attending daily Mass, |
| 1:04.6 | teaching catechism, and serving the homeless. He also used his computer skills to create an online exhibit of more than 100 |
| 1:13.5 | miracles he hoped would encourage faith in Christ. At the age of 15, he fell ill. Ten days later, |
| 1:21.3 | he died of acute leukemia. His remains were later transferred to an Assisi cemetery as he had asked because of his devotion to St. Francis. |
| 1:31.4 | His body is on view there, wearing jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. |
| 1:37.2 | Over the last year, a million pilgrims made their way to his shrine. |
| 1:41.8 | The teenager is so popular in large part because his story is so accessible, |
| 1:47.0 | and because his faith was so compelling. Carlo urged us to fulfill God's unique purpose for our |
| 1:54.0 | lives. He said, all people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies. His own purpose was clear. To always be close to Jesus, |
| 2:04.9 | that's my life plan. Accordingly, he taught us to seek holiness in all things. He also said, |
| 2:11.6 | the only thing we have to ask God for in prayer is the desire to be holy. When we do, Carlo assured us that we can face death |
| 2:21.1 | and faith. Carlo said, do not be afraid because with the incarnation of Jesus, death becomes life, |
| 2:29.0 | and there's no need to escape. In eternal life, something extraordinary awaits us. The greater our challenges, the more we |
| 2:38.7 | need a power greater than ourselves. A powerful earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday. The death count |
... |
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