The Catholic Church has declared its first millennial saint, and the moment arrived with a local connection in Northwest Florida.
Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15, was canonized last weekend in Rome by Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. Acutis is known worldwide for creating the first digital archive of what Catholics call Eucharistic miracles: events the Church teaches reveal the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine consecrated during Mass.
At the Basilica of St. Michael the Archangel in downtown Pensacola, visitors marked the same day with the opening of a Vatican exhibit showcasing Acutis's life's work. Panels filled the hall, recounting numerous accounts of bread that appeared to transform into heart tissue, and blood of type AB preserved intact for centuries.
For 14-year-old Aaden Hartwell, it struck close to home. He's almost the same age as Acutis was when he died.
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"He was young, and he had a heart for Jesus," Hartwell said. "He just looks like a normal kid, but he dedicated pretty much his whole life to God. And it's really interesting because you don't really realize how much stuff (Eucharistic miracles) happens until it's actually put on display."
Monsignor Stephen Bosso, rector of the basilica, said the Eucharist lies at the heart of Catholic teaching.
"We have to understand it's a divine mystery … even we struggle with that ourselves of understanding and appreciating and loving it," Bosso said.
Bosso said Acutis' story especially connects with teenagers.
"He did all of this by computer," Bosso continued. "A lot of young people can relate to that. His appeal is going to be on the level of people's own age, and the idea that he used his gifts and talents, and to maybe challenge them to do the same thing."
Peg and Bill White, both parishioners, helped bring the exhibit to Pensacola. For Peg, Acutis' achievements still seem extraordinary.
"When they read these panels that this younger-than-15-year-old … everything you see on those panels, he did," White said. "He wrote it. He took the pictures or found the paintings. He did the format. The guy was a genius for that age. I just can't believe."
The Whites' fascination with Eucharistic miracles began during a trip to Italy.
"Now there are 152 Vatican-approved (miracles) that date back before 750 AD, and all of them are absolutely incredible," White continued. "Especially interesting are the ones that have been scientifically investigated. Lanciano before 750 AD. ... it's incredible. It's the one we saw. I had no idea. We went to Lanciano, and we were so blown away. With my own eyes, I could tell you that's dried blood. And I thought, 750 AD and still intact."
Visitors to the exhibit reflected on what the teenager's example means today. Kelly Rogers, a new Catholic who brought her 7-year-old daughter, said Acutis showed that holiness is possible at any age.
"He used his everyday life, his love of computers and his friends, his kindness to everyone as a path to God," Rogers said. "So for teenagers, he shows that you don't have to wait until you're grown to make a difference in the world and in heaven."
The display gave visitors a chance to connect with their faith in a tangible way. On the same day Acutis was declared a saint in Rome, people in Pensacola saw the collection of miracles he gathered. For many, it was a special moment to see how a boy's faith and work have touched people far beyond his home.
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