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Pensacola basilica hosts exhibit honoring millennial saint's work

Alexis Macho (left), Aaden Hartwell (middle), and Riley Hartwell (right) visit the Carlo Acutis exhibit.
Christina Andrews, WUWF Public Media
Alexis Macho (left), Aaden Hartwell (middle), and Riley Hartwell (right) visit the Carlo Acutis exhibit.

The Catholic Church has declared its first millennial saint, and the moment arrived with a local connection in Northwest Florida.

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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.

READ MORE: A teen nicknamed 'God's influencer' has become the first millennial saint

“He was young, and he had a heart for Jesus," Hartwell said. "He just looks like a normal kid. He is 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.

Kaylee Pisacreta holds her baby daughter beside panels on the Eucharistic miracle of Amsterdam at the exhibit in Pensacola.
Kaylee Pisacreta holds her baby daughter beside panels on the Eucharistic miracle of Amsterdam at the exhibit in Pensacola.

Bosso said Acutis’ story especially connects with teenagers.

“He did all of this by computer," Bosso continued. "In other words, he was like one of his little computer geeks. 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 A.D., and all of them are absolutely incredible," White continued. "Especially interesting are the ones that have been scientifically investigated. Lanciano before 750 A.D. ... 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 A.D. and still intact."

Display panels showing the miracle in Lanciano, Italy
Christina Andrews, WUWF Public Media
Display panels showing the miracle in Lanciano, Italy

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 exhibit in Pensacola gave visitors a chance to connect with their faith in a tangible way. On the same day Carlo Acutis was declared a saint in Rome, people here saw the collection of miracles he gathered. For many, it was a special moment to see how a young boy’s faith and work have touched people far beyond his home, reaching all the way to their own town.

Christina’s career as a broadcaster spans over two decades and stretches across Alabama, California, Mississippi and Florida. Having earned a Master’s Degree in English while rising at 3 am to host a morning radio show, she now happily calls Pensacola and WUWF home. She’s an active member of St. Michael’s Basilica on North Palafox Street and visits the beach as often as possible. She’s also an associate producer in her husband, Jimmy’s, film production companies, Vanilla Palm Films and Fish Amen Films.