How the mother of millennial Saint Carlo Acutis mesmerized hundreds of London worshipers with an 'electric' speech about how the teenager lived to spread kindness

• Carlo, born in London and died in 2006, will become the first saint of the millennium

A London priest last night told how Carlo Acutis' mother captivated up to 700 worshipers with an “electric” speech about her son's message of love.

Father Dominic Robinson predicted that Carlo, who was born in London and died in 2006 aged 15, would become a “saint for millennials” by attracting a new generation of young believers.

The priest at Farm Street Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, central London, heard Carlo's mother, Antonia Salzano, address his congregation last summer.

He said it was standing room only as she related that he was an ordinary teenager who lived to spread kindness by helping others.

“It was standing room only,” he said. “There were a lot of young people in their 20s and younger.

“The atmosphere was really electric. It really feels like people are being led to faith and spirituality, with a commitment to something really tangible through this young man's life.

“It was millennials, committed Catholics, who also brought their friends because they were really inspired by the life of this millennial young man,” Father Robinson said.

“He was standing for something that was completely against the culture and yet it was very much part of the culture.”

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“As we heard that evening from his mother, he was good at computers, he spent a lot of time online.”

Father Robinson added that the congregation was touched by the fact that Carlo was as vulnerable as they were and that he was born in the town where they lived.

“Carlo was bullied at school I believe, he was born and baptized in central London.

“There’s definitely something about being local – someone you know, someone who grew up in the same place as you, who went to school in the same place.”

But he said that even when the future saint was alive, those around him believed his life would serve a much greater purpose.

“When he got sick, there was this strong feeling that this life wasn't the only thing that mattered. There was a dimension that was beyond.

“He was very attached to the Catholic faith – adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer and worship.

“At the same time, he did a lot of volunteering and working with the homeless. So he put his faith into action. He was kind to others.

“He stood for authenticity and integrity and also looked out for the weak.”

“So there was a sense in which he really knew Jesus as his brother, as his friend, as the one he worshipped.

“Also the one that gives us a model of life, which goes against many of society’s values.”

Father Robinson added: “There is a lot of talk about the decline of Christianity and organized religion.

“But there are green shots and signs of real enthusiasm among young people. They are looking for something that goes against the ethics of wealth creation and careerism.

Nearly 20 years after Carlo's death, Pope Francis recognized a miracle attributed to Carlo – after his death – where the mother of a Costa Rican woman involved in a serious bicycle accident prayed in front of his glass coffin and left a message asking him to withdraw. cured in 2022.

The same day, her daughter started breathing independently and 10 days later she was released from intensive care because the hemorrhage in her brain had completely disappeared.

Pope Francis has now signed a decree that paves the way for Acutis to become a saint, as the Vatican says Carlo also interceded from heaven in 2013 to heal a Brazilian boy suffering from a rare pancreatic disease.

When Carlo died shortly after being diagnosed with leukemia, he told his parents, “I'm happy to die because I lived my life without wasting a single minute doing things that wouldn't have happened.” pleased God.

Carlo died in Monza, Italy, after moving to Milan as a child, but was born in London to his mother Antonia Salzano and father Andrea Acutis.

His mother said her son was dedicated to supporting classmates struggling with life, would stand up for his disabled friends who were being bullied and would bring meals to the city's homeless.

Since his death, Carlo has attracted a worldwide audience and his body was moved to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Assisi, where it currently lies in state.

He was given the nicknames “God's Influencer” and “Patron Saint of the Internet” due to his dedication to promoting the work of Christ online before his death.