Nelson Morales

Miracles do happen: a testimony of faith and the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis

A quiet Saint Peter's Basilica a day before the canonization of Italian teen Carlo Acutis, whose image graced the entrance

Article (news)

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<p>Carlo Acutis, a teenage boy who died of Leukemia at 15 years old in 2006, was recognized by the Catholic Church as fit for sainthood because of a couple of inexplicable miracles attributed to his intercession after his death, as well as his use of the internet to spread his faith. Devout Catholics flocked to the Vatican to witness his canonization last September 7. To be sure, more than a few witnessed small miracles of their own recently, perhaps because he interceded for them as well. Here&#x27;s one such story.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1757834883514Image.jpg" style="width:500px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>A Testimony for St. Carlo Acutis</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In May 2025, my daughter, Sophia, and I each applied for a visa to Italy. Sophia, who is a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, had been accepted to a Semester-abroad program at the Istituto Lorenzo di Medici in Florence. Our planned flight to Italy was still in mid-August; however, Sophia had received a grant for a field study in Indonesia for the month of July.</p><p>Because it is a Jubilee year, the Italian Embassy in Manila (and around the world) had been swamped with applications for pilgrims. It was taking them longer than usual to process applications, and we were told that Sophia&#x27;s student visa may take as long as 90 days or three months to process.</p><p>At that point, I was hoping to receive our visas before Sophia had to leave for Indonesia (just five weeks after we submitted our applications). She had already received her grant and used part of it to book her flights to and from Indonesia and her accommodations. The situation triggered anxiety and a dire need for a miracle.</p><p>My mother—who has proven to be an effective prayer warrior—told me, &quot;I am praying to all the Italian saints that Sophia receives her Italian student visa before she has to leave for Indonesia.&quot; She also mentioned that there is an Italian, who died young from leukemia, who was supposed to be canonized in April; but because of Pope Francis&#x27;s death, he was to be canonized at a later date. His name, she said, was Carlo Acutis. I immediately looked for articles about him and for a prayer to ask for his intercession.</p><p>Five weeks had passed; we had not received our visas, but Sophia needed to leave for Indonesia to fulfill her grant. We explained the situation to the Italian Embassy and they graciously &quot;lent&quot; us our passports, with the stipulation that we will be resubmitting them to the embassy by the end of July when Sophia returns to Manila. But that posed a problem: student visas take three months to process, and we only had an additional two weeks from the time Sophia arrives to the time we were scheduled to leave for Italy. &quot;Blessed Carlo Acutis, please help us,&quot; I prayed. </p><p>A month passed and it was time for us to return our passports to the Italian Embassy. Sophia and I were resigned to the probability that we would have to move our flights to Italy and that she may be late for classes. Still, we kept on praying.</p><p>If your intentions are God&#x27;s will, prayer never fails. We received our visas after just one week of resubmitting our passports. We had an entire week before our flight to confirm with the University that Sophia would make it to the program on time (some of her peers had not received their student visas two weeks into the program), secure our accommodations, and prepare for our trip.</p><p>We may not have been healed of physical sickness, but St. Carlo Acutis relieved us of much anxiety. and for that, we are forever grateful to him.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/7/pope-officially-declares-italian-teen-carlo-acutis-a-saint-1653">Pope declares &#x27;God&#x27;s influencer&#x27; first millennial saint</a></div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABg_fRUAvGjWnf5G"></script></div><div><strong>The Canonization</strong></div><p>Sophia&#x27;s receiving her Italian student visa gave us a feeling of much gratitude for and an obligation to support St. Carlo Acutis. Now in Florence, we were being drawn to the Vatican for his canonization. But September 7, 2025 was the day before my flight from Florence to Manila. Was it prudent to make the trip to Rome?</p><p>With the encouragement of our friends, Sophia and I packed for an overnight stay and headed to the Vatican. We woke up bright and early that Sunday to get ready. Equipped with two bottles of water and an umbrella, we headed for Saint Peter&#x27;s Square. A block from our bed and breakfast, we met a crowd that was walking, if not running, with purpose. Sophia looked at me as she linked her arm in mine and said, &quot;Mother...<em>kapit-bisig tayo</em>!&quot; She then started speed-walking into the crowd, catapulting us forward like characters in Super Mario. Ten minutes later, we reached the approach to the center of St. Peter&#x27;s Square—and the sight was absolutely breathtaking!</p><div><br/></div><p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABg_fqwIOEZ-q9KX"></script>The thought of sharing the same cause of professing faith, showing gratitude to our Lord, and support for St. Carlo Acutis—with the thousands of people in front of me—brought tears to my eyes. And as I was soaking it all in, a voice by my side announced, &quot;Mother, I am so gagged! This beats the BTS concert!&quot;</p><p>Gagged as we were, we had to settle down as the ceremony was about to start. We found a relatively uncrowded, airy spot near a jumbotron and stood side by side under our Miniso umbrella. We stood there from beginning to end, for three hours straight, listening intently to words we may not have understood...but definitely felt.</p><p>This was not my first time at St. Peter&#x27;s Square for such an occasion. In 1992, I attended the Beatification of now St. Jose Maria Escriva. I have only a few memories of that day, one of which was that it was very solemn.</p><p>The Canonization of St. Carlo Acutis, however, had a different vibe: one of excitement and hope. These feelings culminated in roars of elation when he was proclaimed a saint; exclamation from a crowd that seemed to be composed of mostly young people.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/6/5-things-to-know-about-carlo-acutis-1019">A saint in tracksuit and sneakers: 5 things to know about Carlo Acutis</a></div><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz8gWM8iRADsJr&amp;cid=ABg_gEXemXmU0sUM"></script></div><p>The late Pope Francis encouraged the youth: </p><p>&quot;Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not fear trying new things and making mistakes, for that is how we learn and grow. Do not allow your youth to be wasted on apathy or fear. Embrace life, be bold in your choices, and seek to make a positive difference in the world.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><p>This statement aligns with the life that St. Carlo Acutis lived, using his knowledge in technology to spread God&#x27;s word, particularly the importance and power of the Eucharist. Doing this without fear of judgement from his peers, he is a true inspiration to the young and the young at heart; and we feel extremely blessed and grateful to have witnessed his being proclaimed a saint in God&#x27;s glory.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ABOUT THE AUTHOR</strong></div><div><em>Monica Ozaeta is, first and foremost, a mom to her 21-year-old daughter Sophia and her 4-year-old Shih Tzu Stella. She is also a businesswoman who attributes her physical health to yoga and her mental health to prayer.  </em></div><div><strong> </strong></div><div><strong>RELATED CONTENT</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kEIGRoiXseE??si=Suf1sKcluxHdP0o9&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/250zJehPwkQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mjCu91BI6bo?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Devout Catholics recently flocked to the Vatican to witness the canonization of Carlo Acutis, a teenage boy who used the internet to spread his faith. To be sure, more than a few witnessed small miracles of their own recently, perhaps because the new saint interceded for them as well. </p>

Devout Catholics recently flocked to the Vatican to witness the canonization of Carlo Acutis, a teenage boy who used the internet to spread his faith. To be sure, more than a few witnessed small miracles of their own recently, perhaps because the new saint interceded for them as well.

Miracles do happen: a testimony of faith and the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Lifestyle

Miracles do happen: a testimony of faith and the canonization of Saint Carlo Acutis

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

Monica Ozaeta

Published Sep 14, 2025 04:12 PM PHT

Read More:

ABSlifestyle

Canonization

Carlo Acutis

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.