Beacon of Light, 2023 Italy Pilgrimage in the spirit of Blessed Carlo Acutis

The 2023 "Beacon of Light" pilgrimage follows in the footsteps and spirit of Blessed Carlo Acutis. This unique 12-day experience will take pilgrims on a delightful journey through Italy visiting a number of places associated with the life of Blessed Carlo. Along the way, we will visit small villages, quaint towns and renowned cities each with their own history, story and character. As we travel together, there will be opportunities to pause, reflect, pray (even sing!) as we take in all the splendour and wonder Italy has to offer. This is no ordinary "tour", it's a journey into the beauty of Italy and the enchanting story of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who Pope Francis proclaimed, "A cyber apostle and a digital disciple". We look forward to making this pilgrimage with you!

“To always be close to Jesus, that’s my life plan”. With these few words Carlo Acutis, outlines the distinguishing feature of his brief existence: to live with Jesus, for Jesus, and in Jesus. “I'm happy to die because I've lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't have pleased God”. Carlo also asks the same thing of us - to emulate the Gospel with our life, so that we can be a beacon lighting the way for others.

Blessed Carlo Acutis' Story

Born in London and raised in Milan, Carlo’s wealthy parents were not particularly religious. Upon receiving his first communion at age seven, Carlo became a frequent communicant, making a point of praying before the tabernacle before or after every Mass. In addition to Francis of Assisi, Carlo took several of the younger saints as his models, including Bernadette Soubirous, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, and Dominic Savio.

At school Carlo tried to comfort friends whose parents were undergoing divorce, as well as stepping in to defend disabled students from bullies. After school hours he volunteered his time with the city's homeless and destitute. Considered a computer geek by some, Carlo spent four years creating a website dedicated to cataloguing every reported Eucharistic miracle around the world. He also enjoyed films, comics, soccer, and playing popular video games.

Diagnosed with leukemia, Carlo offered his sufferings to God for the intentions of the sitting pope—Benedict XVI—and the entire Church. His longtime desire to visit as many sites of Eucharistic miracles as possible was cut short by his illness. Carlo died in 2006 and was beatified in 2020. As he had wished, Carlo was buried in Assisi at St. Mary Major’s “Chapel of the Stripping”, where Francis had returned his clothes to his father and began a more radical following of the Gospel.

Carlo Acutis did not strive to become famous but rather to cooperate as generously as possible with God’s grace. That journey brought him many experiences, but they were all united by a burning desire to serve God and others as generously as possible.