Antonia Sarzano was not particularly religious until he saw faith through his son. Others can follow his example, she said while touring the United States.
Pope Francis O’Kaz Carlo Acquis became the first millennium saint
Pope Francis approved the Canonization of 15-year-old Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006.
New York – Every mother thinks her son is a saint, but Antonia Sarzano is about to become a real person.
Carlo Acotis was only 15 years old when he died of leukemia almost 20 years ago. But he lived a sacred life that set him apart from the youth, Salzano said on May 29th to the almost complete chapel at Mount St. Vincent’s University in the Bronx.
She hopes that his life can inspire others to develop their faith when religions, including the Catholic Church, are declining among young people.
“Each of you is special,” she told hundreds of congregations, including students. “God loves you infinitely, and truly, you can become the light of the world.”
Acutis is set to be normalized as the first millennial saint by US-born Pope Leo XIV.
An Italian but born in New York, Zarzano is touring America to spread a message to a young audience about her son’s life.
She visited the afternoon of May 29th at Mount St. Vincent and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, the Archdiocese of New York. That is when she wasn’t stuck in the infamous New York City traffic.
The sacredness of Acotis appears in his daily life, and Zarzano spoke to the parishioners of Mount San Vincent with his commitment to attending the masses, studying the Eucharist, and how he treated others.
Zarzano, who continues to study theology to better understand her son, said she simply witnessed this.
“Of course I’m not a saint,” she told USA Today after an afternoon mass.
Acutis passed away in 2006. Since then, people have reported miracles after praying to him, including a Costa Rican woman who was healed from a severe cerebral hemorrhage in 2022, and a Brazilian boy who disappeared in 2013.
In 2020, Pope Francis defeated him and gave him the title “Blessed.” In July 2024, Cardinals University voted to normalize Accutis. He was scheduled to officially become a saint at teenager Jubilee on April 27th, but six days ago Francis’ death led to a postponement. Acutis’ Canonization is expected later this year.
The Rev. William Cain of Mount San Vincent admitted that before Salzano arrived he had a hard time writing Homily for the day.
“What is more holy than a saint?” Cain, the priest of the Jesuits, squealed. “The Mother of the Saint.”
Who was Carlo Acotis?
Initially a woman who was barely religious, Salzano admitted that her son was special.
Born in London in 1991, Acutis began to speak rosary every day at about five years old. At 7 o’clock he received his first communion.
His friends asked him for guidance and support, and he confronted the bully who chose a student with a disability., Catholic press reported.
At home, his mother said that every night would reflect: what did I do today? How did I behave? With classmates, teachers, and parents?
Much of this is known, Sarzano said because he took long notes as a boy. He wanted to win the original battle of sin, she said.
As a computer enthusiast, he created a website about the miracles of the Eucharist. This is the actual body that exemplifies the body of Christ and records the Argentine incident in the 1990s. Or, as he explained, wine turns into blood, like Croatia in 1411.
Acutis loved video games. However, in order to discipline himself, he limited himself up to an hour a week.
Also, every week he went to confession. This cleansed the crimes that generally oppress people, Sarzano said.
From “blessed” to the saint that should come
There were many scores of clergy and amateurs to scream inside the university chapel and take photos and wave with Sarzano.
A young girl wearing a braid and a plaid skirt – a telltale sign of Catholic school attendance – took a hand. Burgundy Polos and Khakis boys also flagged their religious schools genuinely.
Sitting behind the chapel, 25-year-old Claire Faye wore a beige adidas gazelles and carried a tote.
“There are still saints today,” says Faye, originally from Alabama and a recruitment associate for a nonprofit Catholic education organization, sending teachers to Catholic schools across the country.
Salzano spoke on Ascension, a Christian holiday where Jesus Christ is believed to have risen to heaven. “That’s not a coincidence,” pointed out Troy Lasley, 30, of Kentucky, a teaching fellow in the Bronx. “We call it providence.”
Young Americans, including Catholics, describe themselves as a religious voting show. Pope Francis aimed to bring the church to people, especially young people who were unhappy with scandal and abuse. Acutis personified that effort.
“When we see stories of saints, we don’t necessarily see ourselves; young people don’t necessarily see ourselves,” said Susan Burns, president and psychologist at Mount St. Vincent. “The fact that there are millennial saints can tell their stories.”
Looking at the saint’s mother may help people explore their faith. Zarzano said her son was a sign of hope for others.
At the end of her speech, Sarzano presented the university with a relic containing Accutis’ hair. She handed out prayer cards depicting his image to hundreds of participants.
A woman sobbed at Sarzano. She later told USA Today that her daughter lives with a cerebral aneurysm. It seemed like a godly sign to see a woman whose son had helped someone in a similar state. She prayed to Accutis for her daughter.
More people flocked her, so Salzano ran out of the chapel. The car passed through rush hour traffic and spoke at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Beyond Gotham, she told others about her Holy Son.
Eduardo Quebus is based in New York City. Contact him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or by signalling emcuevas.01.
