By LouAnn Edwards
I grew up in Beaverton, Oregon about a mile away from the Nike World Headquarters. It kind of made us feel famous, like we actually had a part in the Olympics. Throughout the years everyone in town would hear about the latest star-studded athlete who would sport the shoes with the famous “swoosh” while vying for the next gold medal. I wonder if Phil Knight has any idea his latest model is about to become a saint!
Blessed Carlo Acutis, called “The saint who wore Nikes”, was born in 1991 and is the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church. He grew up in Milan, Italy where he lived until he lost his battle with leukemia at the age of 15.
At the age of seven, Carlo began going to daily mass and developed a deep love for the Eucharist. “My secret is to contact Jesus every day,” he said. He also prayed the rosary, often saying “The Virgin Mary is the only woman in my life.” Carlo displayed a love for God and the Church that greatly inspired his parents. “Before Carlo’s birth, I was really caught up in the culture of our time,” his mother says. But Carlo showed me how to live in my century while turning toward eternity.”
Carlo’s passion for computer programming blossomed alongside his deepening faith. One of Carlo’s most significant contributions to the Church was the creation of both a portable exhibition and a related website cataloging Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He was able to catalog 187 Eucharistic miracles during a period of two and a half years. Through his expertise in computer programming, Carlo sought to share the profound reality of the Real Presence with others. “The Eucharist is the highway to heaven,” Carlo often said. The exhibition has gone on to be displayed at thousands of parishes on five continents. His spiritual director has attested that Carlo was personally convinced that the scientific evidence from Eucharistic miracles would help people to realize that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist and they would come back to Mass. Carlo also loved playing video games. His mother recalls that he liked Nintendo GameBoy and GameCube, as well as PlayStation and Xbox. He also liked Spider-Man and Pokemon. He had conversations with his gaming buddies about the importance of going to Mass and confession.
Before he died, Carlo told his mother “I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the Pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven.” His beatification took place in October 2020, and the recent recognition of a second miracle attributed to him marks the final phase towards his sainthood. Carlo Acutis will be canonized on April 25-27, 2025. His canonization will occur during the Church’s Jubilee of Teenagers. His canonization Mass is expected to take place on Sunday, April 27th at 10:30 a.m. local time in St. Peter’s Square. Carlo’s tomb is in Assisi’s Sanctuary at the spot where a young St. Francis of Assisi is said to have cast off his rich clothes in favor of a poor habit. Visitors to Assisi can see Blessed Carlo Acutis dressed in jeans and tennis shoes through a viewing glass on his tomb. The words of this young saint will forever bless this world. “When we face the sun we get a tan…but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints.” Whether Beaverton or Nike enjoys fame, one thing is certain now…a teenager who loved Jesus won the gold. Saint Carlo Acutis, pray for us!
