Hajja Salesjana

Blessed Carlo Acutis’ Tips on Living Well Saint-to-be offers lessons on loving Jesus and caring for family and friends. by Amy Smith (National Catholic Register) Register contributor and author Sabrina Ferrisi, a mother of five, was on EWTN’s At Home With Jim and Joy over the summer to discuss the beautiful witness of Blessed Carlo Acutis, including her book about the saint-to- be whose feast day is Oct. 12. “He was a millennial, and so people can relate to him,” Ferrisi explained on the EWTN program. “He lived in our times. He had a laptop, a computer. He was a computer programmer. He had a flip phone … he had a PlayStation, wore jeans and sneakers and did the things we do — and so he’s very relatable and a very fun kid.” She added of the beloved “super computer geek” who died of leukemia at 15 on Oct. 12, 2006: “He was living with one foot on earth and one foot in heaven — on one hand, a super- normal kid who had a lot of friends; he played soccer … but he was also very religious.” “Everyone loved him,” Ferrisi underscored, recounting that he even brought friends to the faith. Love Jesus — and encourage others to love Him too The young daily communicant brought his parents back to the faith, too, Ferrisi explained. “They followed him — very, very beautiful.” “Carlo, at a very young age, was extremely aware of the presence of God in his life.” He would visit Jesus at every church he passed, and “he would put flowers in front of the statues of Mary and Jesus,” the journalist added. “He just had this extraordinary grace and perception and desire for the Lord,” she explained, adding that his cousin said, “He was just like any other kid except for his faith, which was so big it just burst forth from him and it affected all of us.” On summer vacation with cousins in Assisi, he would plan his day as: “Okay, guys, we’re going to go to Mass, and then walk the dogs, and fly the kites … and then we’re going to pray the Rosary.” 32 Jannar-Marzu 2025 hajja