The Diocese of Grand Rapids tweeted a post from EWTN Vatican on Blessed Carlo Acutis as Catholics celebrated his feast day Wednesday.

“An early prodigy of communication and computer language that he used to the fullest to spread the Gospel and the worship of the Eucharist to which he devoted long hours of adoration,” the message said. “Stricken with fulminant leukemia, he died Oct. 12, 2006. #CarloAcutis, pray for us!” 

EWTN, a Catholic news and television organization, tweeted about Carlo, too, explaining the faith he exhibited in his short life.

“TODAY is the feast day of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a Millennial on the path to sainthood,” EWTN tweeted. “In the short 15 years of his life, he touched thousands of people with his testimony of faith and deep devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Blessed Carlo, pray for us!” 

Blessed Carlo lived a life that was dedicated to the sacraments and in particular to the Holy Eucharist. 

Catholic News Agency (CNA) published an article by Francesca Pollio Fenton on the life of Blessed Carlo. Carlo was born in London in 1991. Shortly thereafter his family moved to Milan, Italy. He was diagnosed with leukemia when he was young. Carlo offered his sufferings up for Pope Benedict XVI and the Church, the CNA article says. 

“I offer all the suffering I will have to suffer for the Lord, for the Pope, and the Church,” he is said to have said. Carlo had a special devotion to God and the sacraments, even though his parents weren’t particularly devout. He had a particular appreciation for the Eucharist and traveled to many different sites of Eucharistic miracles. 

Carlo’s faith led his mother to revert back to Catholicism, according to CNA. A priest who lobbied for his canonization, said Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily,” Fenton writes. 

Carlo used his interest in computer programming to spread the word. He created a website for all the Eucharistic miracles around the world. On the website, CNA said he once wrote that “The more often we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven." 

Carlo died on Oct. 12, 2006, and was buried in Assisi. He had requested to be buried there because of his devotion to St. Francis. He was made a “Venerable” in 2018, and was designated a “Blessed” Oct. 10, 2020, by Pope Francis. Carlo’s heart is held in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi as a relic and his body is on display with him wearing jeans and Nike tennis shoes; he wanted to look like a normal teenage boy, according to CNA. 

EWTN has released a documentary on Blessed Carlo’s life. “I am With You” is available to watch on the EWTN website.