CARLO ACUTIS

Carlo Acutis died of fulminant leukaemia when he was only fifteen, leaving a great void and deep admiration in the memory of all those who knew him for what had been a short, but intensely authentic Christian life. He had not missed a daily mass since receiving his first communion at the age of seven. Either before or after the celebration of the Eucharist, he tried to stand in front of the tabernacle to worship the Lord, who was present in the Blessed Sacrament. Our Lady was his great confidante and he never missed an opportunity to honour her by reciting the rosary daily. Carlo's modernity and relevance combined perfectly with his profoundly Eucharistic life and devotion to the Virgin Mary. This contributed to making him very special boy who was admired and loved by everyone. Carlo was extremely gifted when it came to anything to do with computing. His friends and adults with degrees in computer engineering considered him a genius. Everyone was astonished by his ability to understand the hidden secrets of computing, which are normally only accessible to those who have studied at university. Carlo's interests ranged from computer programming to film editing, to website creation and the newspapers he wrote and laid out, and his volunteer work with the neediest -- children and the elderly. This devoted young man from the Milan diocese , offered his suffering up to the Pope and the Church before he died and was, in short, a mystery.