UPDATE: Sabrina Ferrisi’s NEW book about Blessed Carlo Acutis is NOW available! You can order Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven on our website HERE

While writing her book, Holy Heroes author Sabrina Ferrisi had the opportunity to interview Antonia Acutis, Carlo’s mother, many times.

While you can read her research in our NEW Blessed Carlo Acutis: The Amazing Discovery of a Teenager in Heaven book, here is a short excerpt of Sabrina’s interview with Carlo’s mother.

Sabrina Ferrisi: How did Carlo share his faith?

Antonia Acutis: When he was eleven, Carlo became a catechist. He was so prepared that he knew more than most of the adult catechists. He had an amazing memory. He would read the bible and remember entire passages by heart. He had the capacity to learn that was above and beyond what other people could. For Carlo, it was very easy to do. He would read the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church which was published under Pope John Paul II, and books on the faith every day.

If Carlo had not had this experience of being a catechist, he would not have had this intuition to create these exhibits on Eucharistic Miracles. He felt the need to do this to re-activate the faith in people. Carlo wanted to convince people that heaven exists, angels exist, the Virgin Mary exists, demons exist. He wanted people to understand that we were created for something more because today there is a lack of faith which is incredible. People live on the horizontal plane, but they forget about living for the vertical plane.

Sabrina: How did Carlo feel about the way the Eucharist is perceived today?

Antonia: Carlo would see kilometer-long lines for concert tickets or sports games, but in front of the Blessed Sacrament there is no one. We have Jesus in his Body and Blood. He would say, “How is it possible that churches are empty? If people understood that Jesus is present in the midst of us, there would be such long lines that you wouldn’t be able to get in.” Carlo lived this reality with great sadness. When Pope John Paul II passed away, a pope Carlo really loved, there were incredibly long lines – 2 million people in Rome – but he saw empty churches. This was something that was against all logic for Carlo.

Carlo had incredible faith. He said, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” Carlo really understood this. Communion is an encounter with Jesus. It is not symbolic. Carlo would say that from the astronomical and geological point of view, the Earth is still the same as it was more than 2000 years ago when Jesus came in the flesh, but from the supernatural point of view, the Earth is not the same because the Holy Trinity has made its home here. The Earth has been super-naturalized because of Jesus.

During Carlo’s entire life, he tried to leave a message that God is really in the midst of us. This should give us peace. Because of this, we can already have a foretaste of heaven here on Earth. Our goal should be the infinite, not the finite. Our life is a gift because we have the opportunity every day to sanctify ourselves, every minute. Life should not be wasted on things that God doesn’t want. God calls us to infinity.

Carlo would say that we need to realize the project that God has for us from eternity.

Sabrina: What worried Carlo?

Antonia: Carlo was aware of the idolatries that exist today – things that become kinds of gods: like soccer, success, career, so many things. These things don’t count when we die. When we die, it won’t matter how much money we have, how many medals we have. We will be judged by how much we loved God and how much we loved our neighbors. Carlo knew this.

He was very devoted to Fatima. He had received many signs from the children of Fatima. Carlo was very struck by the fact that at Fatima, our Lady said that many souls are lost to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them.  Carlo prayed for souls in purgatory and for people he felt were most at risk. He prayed a lot. He always felt guilty that he should be sacrificing more for sinners. Carlo would say no to sweets, films, and video games – and offer these sacrifices up.

He knew that people were at risk of going to hell. Carlo would meditate on this. He would say, “Mom, can you imagine what this means: forever, forever, forever in hell?” These were the conversations we would have. He knew perfectly well that we risk everything during life here on Earth. He said, “What is the point of winning a thousand battles if we do not win against our own corrupt passions?” He knew that we have to battle ourselves to get better – to become that which God wants for us – to acquire those heroic virtues. The problem is that there are many obstacles nowadays: many temptations to sin. Then there are social media networks that advance wrong ideals.

Sabrina: How did the veneration of Carlo begin?

Antonia: Carlo’s reputation as a saint began during his lifetime. The first two miracles occurred at his funeral: a woman with cancer who prayed to Carlo during his funeral was healed, another woman was 45 years old and could not have children. She prayed to Carlo during the funeral and became pregnant the month after. There are many miracles… hundreds.

Only one was chosen for the beatification: a boy from Brazil who was born with an abnormal pancreas, He always vomited and was fed by IV. The doctors said that he should be operated on, but the surgery carried a very high risk of death. This priest in Brazil – Fr. Marcelo – was very devoted to Carlo – and he made a public novena to Carlo in the same parish where this boy lived. On the third day of the novena, the boy told his parents that he wanted to eat. He ate solid foods at home and didn’t feel bad. When he went to see the doctors, they found that his pancreas was perfectly formed. This is considered a miracle of the second degree – when an organ is instantaneously healed. The doctors were dumbfounded.

We already have other miracles, which we hope will bring Carlo to the canonization.

Sabrina: Have you seen a specific impact that Carlo has had on teenagers? Do you have stories of young people who have returned to the faith because of him?

Antonia: We have many. There are groups of teens dedicated to Carlo who do Eucharistic adoration, who go to mass and pray the rosary. We have had many conversions. There have been many spiritual healings. People who came back to the faith – even priests, nuns, and seminarians who had lost their faith and came back because of Carlo. Many laypeople were converted by Carlo. These for me are important. Through Carlo’s intercession and example, God has been pouring out many graces.

Even the exhibits, many people have come back to the Faith through them.  What has happened around the world cannot be explained humanly speaking – the spread of Carlo’s fame. We have groups in India, Vietnam, the US, Latin America, Europe. How is this possible? It is only God’s grace that can account for this.

I hope this interview with Antonia Acutis helped you gain more insight into Blessed Carlo Acutis! Sabrina has compiled her reseach on Blessed Carlo into a NEW book!

Extensively researched and incorporating details from official Church documents and personal interviews with Blessed Carlo’s mother, you’ll learn:

• What miracles astounded him so much that he created a website to share them with the world?
• What simple habits did he incorporate into his life, plus the weaknesses he struggled with?
• What did he call his “kit” for becoming a saint, which fits the lives of modern children and teens?
• What was the miracle–7 years to the day of his death–which led to the beatification?
• What still remains before the Church can recognize him as “Saint Carlo Acutis”?

You can also listen to the Glory Story of Blessed Carlo (written by Sabrina with input from Antonia!).

Plus, you can also get Blessed Carlo Prayer Cards and Blessed Carlo coloring books to hand out at your parish. With steep bulk discounts, this is a perfect way you can inspire children with the story of Blessed Carlo to grow in their devotion to the Blessed Sacrament!

Blessed Carlo Acutis, pray for us!