Michelle Blanchard Ardillo

Thursday, April 17, 2025

Day 5 of Holy Week Reflections, First Day of the Triduum, Holy Thursday

In February of 2022, I was teaching middle school religion, coming back after my first retirement, at my parish school, St. Jude Regional Catholic School. Our faculty retreat that year was held at the Shrine of St. Anthony which is located in Ellicott City, Maryland. Our retreat speaker was Fr. Richard, a Franciscan priest at the Shrine, and his talk was so inspiring, I inquired that day about taking our 7th graders there for their Confirmation retreat.

When I returned later that school year to the Shrine of St. Anthony with our 7th graders, Fr. Richard was again the retreat speaker. When we entered the Glassroom, a large meeting room with large french doors leading to a veranda flanking one side and ceiling to wall windows flanking the opposite side, there was a large poster of a young man at the front of the room. This is where I first learned of Carlos Acutis, who will be canonized as the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint on Sunday, April 27, 2025.

Fr. Richard began his talk with a quote from Carlos Acutis, “All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies.” He repeated it and let it sink in. “What do you think that means?” he asked the 7th graders. He then went on to talk about conforming to the standards and ideals of others, of trying so hard to be like everyone else that we lose what makes us unique and special. It was a great talk, one that held the attention of the entire class. It really struck home with them to the effect that a few of them asked if they could choose Blessed Carlos Acutis as their patron saint for Confirmation.

Carlos was born in London in 1991 but he was raised in Italy. In 2006 he was diagnosed with leukemia and died from the disease at the age of 15. Yet, in those short 15 years he made an impact on his family and those around him. His parents were not particularly religious but he begged them from a young age to take him to church. He repeatedly asked to be able to make his First Communion much earlier than is normally permitted. His mother, who has stated that she had only been to church only three times in her life, had a deep conversion of faith from her young son’s prayerful life.

Carlos was so devoted to the Eucharist that he created a website to document Eucharistic miracles around the world. Even though he was an avid video gamer, he used his computer skills to leave a legacy of his faith for everyone. He loved soccer and was often seen wearing a soccer jersey. He was buried in sneakers, jeans, and a sports jersey, just as he dressed on a daily basis, and yet, he will become St. Carlos Acutis on April 27, 2025.

I’ve now attended three retreats at the Shrine of St. Anthony, and each time I come away with a sense of peace and joy at having spent the day there. If you live in the DC metropolitan area, think about making a visit there. The grounds are lovely, and the monastery itself has many treasures to view, including a first-class relic of St. Anthony.

On the grounds there is a grotto in the style of Our Lady of Lourdes, along with many places to sit and pray or just be at peace in nature. There is Mass in the chapel at noon each day, with priests hearing confessions for the half hour or so before Mass begins. There is a well-stocked gift shop and library where you can purchase things for future Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation gifts.

I will be forever thankful for Fr. Richard’s introduction to me and my 7th graders about the life of soon-to-be St. Carlos Acutis. Even before I had heard Carlos’s quote, I’d tried to live my life as an original, not a photocopy, but hearing Fr. Richard apply that quote to life in the 21st century, with social media, video games, and so many other things young people have to contend with in their lives today, it was a wake-up call for me as well.

In teaching religion in the 2021-2022 school year, I grew much deeper in my own faith as my own prayer life grew stronger. Attending daily Mass and praying throughout the school day with each religion class helped me to focus on what is truly important in my life, my faith and my family.

Over the course of the nearly twenty years that I taught in Catholic schools, but primarily the one year I taught religion to grades 5-8, the transformation in my own religious life was significant. When I think about the changes I’ve made in my daily life over the years, it reminds me of another quote, “You are who you surround yourself with.” I’m just fine with that.

Blessed Carlos Acutis, pray for us.