The the news has been rather gloomy of late but this weekend in the life of the Church we have something wonderful to celebrate. Some REAL GOOD NEWS!!!
A 15-year-old will be beatified, his name is Carlo Acutis. He was born in 1991 in London of Italian parents and baptised at Our Lady of Dolour’s, Fulham Road (Servite Church) soon after.
In early infancy the family returned to Milan where he grew up. He stands alongside Saint John Henry Newman, Saint Thomas More and other men and women who have been beatified and Canonised. No two Saints are the same. Carlo is no exception to this: he was quite a computer wizard and with his knowledge of computers he built a website to catalogue every Eucharistic miracle.
He was known for his cheerfulness and his kindness to the sick and the poor. Whilst a normal teenager who loved sports and other outdoor activities he was also not afraid to evangelise his friends and talk about Jesus, especially present in the Eucharist. He died on the 12th October 2006 of leukaemia.
In 2010 Pope Benedict XVI visited Twickenham where he addressed many children and young people and invited them to become the saints of the 21st century. We now have Carlo to inspire us and also to pray for us that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
