A perfect back-to-school saint

A tapestry depicting St. Carlo Acutis hangs from the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica during a canonization Mass at the Vatican Sept. 7, 2025. (CNS photo/Lola Gomez) (Courtesy photo of Lola Gomez)

During the February 2025 school break, a group of students, parents, teachers and priests from the Saratoga Central Catholic community went on a pilgrimage to Italy, during which they visited Siena, Florence, Assisi and Rome. They had the great privilege of attending Mass said by school chaplain Father James Ebert (pastor of St. Clement’s and St. Peter’s churches in Saratoga Springs) at various places during the trip, including in the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in Rome, which is where Pope Francis is buried. They also visited the tomb of then-Blessed Carlo Acutis. The entire trip was, by all accounts, an incredibly moving experience, and came during a time of impending change in the Church.

While the group was in Italy, Pope Francis was in the hospital. The whole world was praying fervently for the Holy Father’s health and healing. Being in the same country as Pope Francis while his life seemed to hang in the balance brought a certain poignancy to the trip. Attending Mass at the very church that was one of Pope Francis’ favorites and where his final resting place would be was an experience this group will never forget.

But it was the visit to then-Blessed Carlo’s tomb, also in a church dedicated to St. Mary Major — this one in Assisi, rather than Rome — that emerged as particularly moving to two students.

Pope Leo officially canonized Carlo Acutis on the first Sunday after school started (Sept. 7). Our new Saint Carlo is inarguably a saint for this generation of young people. He was born in 1991 and died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006; his age and technological prowess have resonated with young people since his beatification in 2020. For SCC senior Philip Tranchina, the “most moving part of the trip was seeing Blessed Carlo because it showed me that anyone has the potential to devote themselves to God, no matter age or time in history.”

He was amazed by the similarity between himself and the saint, saying: “When I think of people who are saints or who are becoming saints, I usually picture people who are centuries old with more simplistic or religious clothes, so it was very cool to see someone about my age wearing jeans and sneakers who will be becoming a saint. It made my religion more real to me.”

Classmate Anna Fitzpatrick agreed, adding, “To me, the most moving part of my trip was visiting Blessed Carlo. That entire day for me was really one of the best and most unforgettable days of my life. I had gone to see Blessed Carlo in the morning with the group and I was shocked at how emotional I was when seeing him because I was not like that during any other part of the trip. I was so moved by him that I ended up going back later that day to be able to have a more personal and lonely experience in his presence.”

Anna also shared that she has “visited his website often, in which he dedicated to talk about the Eucharistic Miracles and approved Marian apparitions of the church” and intends to start reading the book “My Son Carlo: Carlo Acutis Through the Eyes of His Mother.”

The experience of seeing Saint Carlo and learning more about him really made the pilgrimage group feel a connection to him. As Father Ebert put it, “It’s so good for young people to have a role model that was like themselves – just a normal kid. A kid who played video games and was into technology, and who also loved Jesus. Blessed Carlo used his talents to tell others about Jesus — a true millennial saint.” (So millennial, in fact, that he’s been nicknamed “God’s influencer!”)

On April 28, the entire student body of Saratoga Central Catholic, along with teachers and a few parents, attended a showing of the movie about Saint Carlo’s life, “Roadmap to Reality,” at the AMC Theatre in downtown Saratoga Springs. Not only did it help bring even more to life this millennial saint, but it made his life easier to imagine for those who went on the pilgrimage to Italy and saw the places Carlo had been.

The passing of Pope Francis and the subsequent postponement of Carlo’s canonization caused a slight delay of the celebration, but perhaps the timing of the new date — right when the new school year started — was perfect for this saint for the young. It wouldn’t be inappropriate to suggest that Saint Carlo might be a perfect patron for the back-to-school crowd.

As we seek to bring up faith-filled young men and women …

As we try to instill and grow true love for Jesus in our children’s hearts …

As we strive to ensure reverence and devotion for the Eucharist in our young people …

As we struggle to find the proper place for technology in our students’ studies and lives …

Saint Carlo Acutis, pray for us!

Kate Towne Sherwin is a Spanish teacher at Saratoga Central Catholic School.