Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers - Paperback

by Courtney Mares (Author)

How does a city boy who only lived to the age of fifteen "go viral" more than a decade after he died? Discover the story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church.

Born in 1991, the same year as the launch of the World Wide Web, Carlo has been hailed by the pope as an example of love and holiness in our complex digital age. This tech-savvy Italian teen has shown the world that computer coding and video games are no obstacle to sainthood.

From a young age, Carlo's enthusiasm for Jesus was contagious. His witness brought his own family back to faith and even helped convert his Hindu au pair to Catholicism. Carlo called the Eucharist "my highway to heaven" and was eager to tell everyone about the incredible reality of Christ's true presence in the world. To this end, he used his computer to help design an exhibition dedicated to eucharistic miracles that has traversed the globe.

Vatican journalist Courtney Mares has traveled in the footsteps of Acutis across Italy to tell his story in depth, interviewing many whose lives he helped transform. This book paints a portrait of him as seen through the eyes of his friends, family, teachers, priests, doctors, classmates, and followers.

Features an eight-page color photo insert and an account of the miracles attributed to Acutis' intercession, including one certified by the Vatican. Carlo sought no attention for himself while alive, yet in the years after his death, he has become a global "influencer for God".

Author Biography

Courtney Mares is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents, publishing more than 1,600 articles on the Vatican, the global Catholic Church, and international religious freedom. She is currently a Rome correspondent for Catholic News Agency and EWTN News. You will often find her on pilgrimage in the footsteps of the saints with her husband.