A conversation with Saint Carlo Acutis

The Church will canonize Carlo Acutis on April 27, 2025, to celebrate this moment of joy for the church we want to share with you this excerpt from our new book, In Conversation with Saint Carlo Acutis. In this book readers are invited into a spiritual dialogue with the young saint. This excerpt from the first chapter begins at the very start of his journey—from his birth in London to his early years in Milan—offering a glimpse of the faith and joy that would shape his “life plan” to stay always close to Jesus.

From London to Milan | Declaring My Life Plan 

Let’s start at the beginning. You were born in the great city of London. 

Yes, I was born there. The British newspaper The Times announced my birth on May 3, 1991, at one of London’s leading and prestigious maternity clinics, the Portland Hospital. My mother, Antonia Salzano, was Italian-born, grew up in Rome, and came from a family that ran a well-known publishing company, whereas my father, Andrea Acutis, came from Turin. His family ran a large and successful insurance company. My mother and father met in Italy in 1986 but then my father had to go to London, as he was offered a position as a consultant with the Lazard Brothers financial firm. My mother followed him to London with the excuse of improving her English. She enrolled in a master’s program in economics and publishing management. They married in Rome in January 1990, and I arrived in May 1991.

Any memories of London? 

I have no personal memories of London as my parents moved to Milan when I was just a few months old. My mother told me, however, how much she enjoyed shopping in the famous Harrod’s department store. Indeed, she often mentions today a stuffed lamb with white fur that she bought for me in Harrod’s to which I became quite attached as a small child. 

Am I right in thinking, however, you were baptized in London? 

True. Two weeks after my birth, on May 18th, I was baptized Carlo Maria Antonia at the Church of Our Lady of Dolours, on Fulham Road, in Chelsea. Carlo is the Italian for Charles. That was my grandfather’s name (on my father’s side), and he became my godfather. Of course, there are many saints by that name, such as the famous St. Charles Borromeo who was a wonderful Archbishop of Milan, a great reforming bishop who helped the poor, especially during a terrible plague. My grandmother on my mother’s side, Luana, became my godmother. All my grandparents came to London for the Baptism, as well as my great-grandmother, Adriana. My mother bought a special cake in Harrod’s for the occasion. It was in the shape of a lamb and covered with a white glaze and buttercream with liquor and cream on the inside. Of course, I don’t remember any of that!

Most of us don’t remember our Baptism. For many today, however, Baptism seems to be just a naming ceremony, an early ritual that a family likes to celebrate for a new baby. As you grew older you came to understand the importance of your Baptism. 

Saint Pope John Paul II, who was the Pope for most of my life, often said that Baptism is the most important day of our lives. Perhaps we don’t always think of that. People do not realize what an infinite gift it is to receive Baptism. They tend to think of the gifts, the white garment, the special cake. People don’t stop to understand the meaning of Baptism itself. Even if we are only babies, so much happens at Baptism. Baptism eliminates original sin; it is the door that allows us access to salvation. It is the gateway to the other sacraments. Through Baptism, we become members of the new family of the Church. We are brought to share in God’s life. In my view, our time on earth would not be enough to thank Jesus for having given us Baptism. What I also came to understand is that every baptized person is a prophet. What I meant by saying that is that, at Baptism, each one of us is given great potential for our future. It is by living out the faith, and hope, and love poured into us at Baptism, that we can make our lives into something wonderful, really transforming the world around us.

You grew up in Milan. Your mother has said you were a blue-eyed, fair-haired child, who spoke your first word at three months, started talking at five months, and then began writing at age four. What was your childhood like? 

I was always a bit of a talker! Maybe a little too much at times. Though I was shy, I was a lively child. My childhood was a little idyllic. I had good warm parents who were very kind to me. I enjoyed many conversations with my mother. My father was a wise man, a loving father, but a man of fewer words. He soon became the director of Vittoria Insurance. I really liked playing sports, especially soccer. I was a big supporter of AC Milan, though I never actually got to a game! Other sports I participated in were karate, kung fu, tennis, volleyball, skiing, swimming, and athletics. When we’d visit Assisi (my parents bought a house in Assisi in 2001), I would go swimming in the town’s swimming pool and I enjoyed hikes in the local hills. As I got older, I began to realize sport is such a great help in developing friendships. It also helps you develop the willpower to achieve great goals.

You were an only child, so I suppose you had to be creative in your hobbies and sports. 

True. I loved quizzes, flying kites, and watching action films! I used to collect small model cars. And I loved animals. I had two cats, four dogs, and a lot of goldfish! When I got a bit bigger, I started to cook on my own, creating my own new recipes. Music, too, was part of my 15 childhood. At school, they taught us the recorder, but I didn’t like that very much, so I decided to teach myself to play the saxophone. I also enjoyed reading good books. They are like good friends. Things I read in literature, in books, really struck me.

There were religious moments in your early childhood that marked your life. 

One important religious moment occurred when I was five. I was brought to visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Pompeii. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. It’s also a place of impressive charitable initiatives. It’s an amazing place. During the visit that day, even though I was a child, I promised Our Lady that I wanted to give myself to her. I remember that, together with Beata Spercznska, my Polish nanny, we said the Rosary before the image of the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

When you were seven, on June 16, 1998, the day of your First Holy Communion, you wrote in your diary, “My life plan is to be always close to Jesus.” What did you mean by that? 

I got special permission to receive my First Holy Communion at an age that was earlier than is traditional. The priest felt I was ready. It was a big day for me. I realized Jesus was someone really, really special, and I wanted always to be close to him. I can’t really explain it, but I started going to Mass every day after that. Somehow, I got a gift from God that persuaded me it is important 16 to be close to Jesus, and that means to receive him in the Eucharist, live like him, and follow his teachings. I suppose you could say I wanted to play the part Jesus would play in my life situation. What’s amazing is that soon my mother and some of my relations and friends who hadn’t gone to church before, began to come with me. I began to realize I had a mission!