Antonia Salzano Acutis, mother of the future Holy Carlo Acutis, spoke on Thursday before a multitude of more than 2,500 people in the Cathedral of San Patricio in New York, addressing issues such as the universal call to holiness, the importance of living virtues and sacraments as a means to receive grace.
“We are here to talk about Carlo. As you know, the canonization was postponed. But it was a beautiful surprise because we now have an American Pope!” Antonia said among applause.
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And he continued: “Carlo loved America. And the Italians love Americans for what happened during World War II. We have many cemeteries full of Americans who gave their lives for the Italians, for peace. So I am sure that in the providence of God, this is not accidental.”
Although Carlo Acutis’s canonization was suspended after the death of Pope Francis, his mother said he felt that Carlo was giving another message.
“Okay, the canonization was suspended. But what about your canonization? You too! You look at me surprised. You may forget that God, for each one of us, has a special project. Jesus says: ‘You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world,” he said.
Antonia explained that each person is special in the eyes of God, and said that Carlo used to say that we are all original.
“We will die as photocopies if we do not discover God’s project for us. We all have the seeds of holiness inside,” he said.
The Eucharistic and Marian heart of Carlo
Antonia reported that her son, since the day of his first communion, attended Mass every day and also participated daily in Eucharistic worship before or after the Mass.
“When Carlo was six years old, he began to pray the Rosary every day. He used to say that praying the rosary was like becoming an exorcism to oneself,” he said.
“In Fatima, the Virgin Mary always asked people to pray the Rosary. He said that, through Rosario, we can stop wars. The Rosary is very powerful. I know not everyone can go to Mass every day, but with the rosary we can help many people every day,” he added.
The importance of the Eucharist in spiritual life
“When we have a Eucharistic life, that will heal you. Your life will change,” said Antonia. “The Eucharist, as Carlo said, is a highway to heaven. Why? Because it is the most supernatural in this life.”
“The essence of Jesus is love. That is why, when we see Eucharistic miracles, they are always hosts that have become myocardial flesh; of the heart. It is as if Jesus sent us emojis of hearts from heaven. Jesus is sending us his heart,” he explained.
He commented that people alter a lot when they lose the Internet connection, but do not react the same when they lose connection with God.
“Carlo used to say that we are all mystical, because we all have the Holy Trinity inside from the moment of baptism. The problem is the connection. In what sense? If I do not pray or have moments of silence and reflection during the day, I lose the connection with God,” he said.
“The holiness of Carlo was that, in the midst of his ordinary life, he took small times to pray, to thank God. How many times do we pray? We have to give God a small space,” he added.
Moving moments
During a question and answer session, when asked about Carlo’s death, his mother said that, after the funeral, two of his friends were very affected and cried for weeks. Carlo appeared in dreams both the same night and told them to stop crying because he was very happy in heaven.
In response to questions about the canonization date, Antonia indicated that there is still no established date, but that Vatican officials will meet again on the causes on June 13.
Several attendees shared personal stories of miraculous healing and replied sentences attributed to the intercession of Carlo Acutis. Many thanked their mother for their constant testimony.
The ovation at the end of its presentation lasted several minutes, with a multitude of people raising their phones to take photos before it retired.
“I was impressed that it was her son, at a very early age, who brought her completely to the bosom of the Church. It seemed that she was previously Catholic just named, and it was he (Carlo) who began her life of faith and her work as a catechist,” said Valentina Cook, a Bulgarian resident in Westchester County who attended the talk.
“I liked how Mrs. Acutis spoke and how she made it very easy to understand. She has a very enjoyable way of speaking that allows us to understand very deep concepts – with some smiles and laughs included,” said Isabella Arena, a New York high school student.
“I was positively impressed by the crowd gathered in the Church to listen to the testimony of Carlo’s mother. For me, it is a confirmation of a wave of ‘awakening’ that we are seeing today,” said Maria Baldi, Italian resident in New York.
“There is a huge need for meaning, structure, discipline and purpose. The need is stronger than ever among young people,” he added. “God is really using this young man to light a new faith where he is weak or lost.”
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.
Sabrina Ferresi
Sabrina Arena Ferrisi is a writer based in New York who has worked as a journalist covering the Catholic Church for various American Catholic media, including the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor and Catholic World Report.