How does a boy from Milan who only lived to the age of 15 become a global “influencer for God” more than a decade after he died? Discover the inspiring story of Carlo Acutis, the first Millennial to be Beatified by the Catholic Church. This tech-savvy teen has shown the world that computer coding and video games are not mutually exclusive with sainthood. Born in the same year as the launch of the World Wide Web, Carlo has been hailed by the pope for providing a witness to holiness in our digital age at a time when Christians are still grappling with how best to live out their faith in the world of laptops, cell phones, and social media. From a young age, Carlo’s enthusiasm for God was contagious. He called the Eucharist “my highway to heaven” and was eager to tell anyone who would listen about the incredible reality of Jesus’ presence in the world, hidden in our neighborhoods under the appearances of bread and wine. Vatican journalist Courtney Mares traveled in the footsteps of Acutis in the Italian cities of Milan and Assisi to write this biography, which weaves storytelling with well-researched reporting to tell the inspiring story of a modern saint. Drawing on the testimonies of the numerous lives changed by Carlo, this book paints a portrait of Carlo as seen through the eyes of his family, friends, teachers, and classmates. The book features a section on seven Eucharistic miracles, bringing you to Catholic pilgrimage sites in Europe that were photographed by Carlo for an exhibition that has traversed the globe. It also includes the story of the medical miracle attributed to Acutis’ intercession, the healing of a young boy in Brazil in 2013. This work documents how a boy who did not seek out any attention for himself while he was alive, has “gone viral” in the years after his death. It is the story of a spiritually rich life lived as an ordinary kid. Filled with testimonies from Millennials and GenZ Catholics, this book shows how Carlo’s story is continuing to inspire generations of young people by showing that we are “called to something greater” than endless scrolling on a smartphone and that it is possible to be a saint today.
