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A book on the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis, written by his own mother, has been translated and released in English. In the work, My Son Carlo: Carlo Acutis Through the Eyes of His Mother, Antonia Salzano Acutis shares the intimate, private moments of her son’s life, including his final days, in vivid detail before he died from leukemia at the age of 15.
Although Carlo Acutis only died in 2006, he has quickly become a favorite among the faithful as the first millennial saint. His cause for sainthood has spurred Catholic devotion around the world, leading to his beatification, in 2020. Known as something of a “computer geek” during his life, he has become especially popular with young people and computer programmers, for both of whom he is considered a patron.
The new book, originally released in Italian in October 2022, reflects on Carlo’s life from the perspective of his mother. In her own words, Antonia shares stories and memories as a mother who lost her son too early, but was forever shaped by his remarkable life. In a press release, Antonia wrote:
“This was his secret: that he had a constant, intimate relationship with Jesus. He wanted everyone he encountered to have this kind of relationship as he did. He did not consider it to be something just for him. He was convinced that this relationship was accessible to all.”
In 2022, Antonia gave an exclusive interview to Aleteia, with Aline Iaschine, in which she spoke about the book, her son, and his path to sainthood. Below is an excerpt from the interview, which can be read in full here:
In your book, The Secret of My Son Carlo Acutis, you say that you had the intuition that your son would leave the earth prematurely. Had the Lord prepared you for this trial?
Yes, I had this inner feeling in front of the relic of the veil of the Virgin Mary, in your beautiful cathedral of Chartres. It’s a special place with a great spirituality because it’s a place where people have been praying for centuries. Even Carlo, who was so close to Jesus – he didn’t realize it, but he told us things that came true afterwards. For example, since he was a child, he used to say that he would always stay young and that he would die because of a vein in his brain that would break (this is what happened due to his leukemia).
He also said that when he weighed 70 kg (154 pounds, Ed.), he would die. And that’s what happened. When the leukemia started, he came to the hospital and said, “Mom, I’m not going to make it out of here alive, I want you to know that, but I’m going to send you lots of signs.” He was very serene, always with a smile; he never complained. If someone asked him, “Are you suffering?” he would answer, “There are people who suffer more than I do.” He gave an example of holiness in death. I understood that I couldn’t complain, that it was the supreme will of God: Carlo was ready and ripe for Heaven. He was a boy of perfect and upright life, of extraordinary purity, generosity, goodness … We’ve never had the slightest doubt that he’s already in Heaven.
And today we celebrate...