Saints of Our Time · Week 2 · Grades 6–8
Guided Notes: St. Carlo Acutis
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
Ordinary life, deliberate choices
Carlo Acutis was born in London on May 3, blank 1, to Italian parents, and grew up in Milan. His parents were not very religious at that time. Carlo chose faith for himself.
After his First Communion at age seven, he went to Mass every day and prayed the Rosary. He called the blank 2, the Body and Blood of Jesus received at Mass, his “highway to heaven.”
At his blank 3 high school he stood up for kids who were bullied. He helped classmates whose parents were getting divorced. He was friends with the doorman of his building.
Carlo’s life and legacy
Write what happened in each year.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Write your answer |
| 1998 | Write your answer |
| 2002 | Write your answer |
| 2006 | Write your answer |
| 2018 | Write your answer |
| 2020 | Write your answer |
| 2025 | Write your answer |
Check the facts
What makes Carlo’s early faith stand out? Circle one.
- A His school required daily Mass for all students
- B His parents pushed him to pray every single day
- C He was raised by priests in a church in Milan
- D He chose it though his parents were not very religious
Why is that the right answer?
A coder with a mission
Carlo taught himself several computer languages by reading college textbooks. At about age 11 he began a website listing blank 4 miracles from around the world. These are events where the Eucharist showed signs of being real flesh or blood.
His work became a traveling exhibit, shown in blank 5 of churches and schools on every continent.
He liked video games but allowed himself one hour a week, so that games would not control him. He spent his blank 6 on sleeping bags for people living on the streets.
In October blank 7 doctors found a very serious leukemia. Carlo did not complain. He offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church.
Why the rule?
Why did Carlo limit video games to one hour a week? Circle one.
- A He thought video games were sinful
- B He did not want games to control him
- C His school banned games on weekdays
- D He found most games boring to play
Why is that the right answer?
Original or photocopy?
Carlo said, “All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” Sort each online choice. Check one box for each.
| Item | Being an original | Becoming a photocopy |
|---|---|---|
| Posting something you made yourself | ||
| Joining in when a group chat mocks someone | ||
| Defending a classmate who is being teased online | ||
| Editing photos to look like an influencer | ||
| Setting your own limit on gaming time | ||
| Buying something only because it is trending | ||
| Letting an AI tool write your opinion for you | ||
| Using your tech skills to help your parish |
Becoming a saint
What did the Church study before canonizing Carlo? Circle one.
- A His holy life and two miracles
- B His grades and coding skills
- C How many people saw his site
- D A vote by Catholic teenagers
Why is that the right answer?
Talk it over
Carlo used his coding skills to share what he loved most, and he set his own limit on games. If you treated your screen time the way Carlo did, what would you keep, cut or create?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “One thing I would keep is ... because ...”“A limit I could set for myself is ...”“Something I could create or share online is ...”“The hardest part would be ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
“I am the bread of life.”
John 6:35
Lord Jesus, you are truly present in the Eucharist.
Make us originals, free to love you and serve others.
Guide what we watch, play, post and build.
St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Carlo showed that a teenager with a computer can be a saint. His feast day is October 12.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
How could the example of St. Carlo Acutis shape the way I live, online and offline?
Challenge: Choose one of the three virtue practices and do it every day until next week’s saint.