McGrath Institute co-sponsors documentary on modern saint
Notre Dame’s McGrath Institute for Church Life (MICL) co-sponsored a new film on Carlo Acutis, produced by Castletown Media and Jim Wahlberg, in association with the National Eucharistic Congress. The movie, titled Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality, will be released April 27–29 and explores the life of the teenage saint who will be canonized later this year.
Acutis died of leukemia in 2005, at the age of 15, in Monza, Italy. The first millennial to be canonized, he was known for his deep spiritual life and especially for his devotion to the Holy Eucharist. Known for his use of technology for the Faith, he created a comprehensive online catalogue of known Eucharistic miracles.
Pope Francis beatified Acutis on October 10, 2020, in Assisi, Italy, where he is now entombed. On May 23, 2024, the Vatican announced that a second miracle had been approved, clearing the path for Acutis’ canonization.
In addition to MICL’s involvement, the film casts several Notre Dame professors as experts in the fields of technology and religion. Brett Robinson, Associate Director for Outreach and Associate Professor of the Practice for MICL, served as associate producer of the film, and he is featured in the movie for his knowledge on technology, culture, and the Church. Robinson told the Rover, “The project is extremely timely as more young people are feeling the effects of digital life—smartphone addiction and anxiety—and looking for an interior peace that only comes from the contemplative life. Carlo is a shining exemplar of how to achieve this in this cultural moment.”
He continued, “Blessed Carlo said that we are all born as originals but many die as photocopies. To live well today requires a recognition that we are more than our digital profiles and that authentic relationship requires being truly present to one another.”
Robinson concluded, “The film should be viewed with friends and family or in schools because it’s a great conversation starter for talking about what ails us in the digital age and how a life of holiness is never out of reach if we are focused on the right things. It might just be an occasion for a powerful conversion of heart and mind.”
To accompany the film, MICL also created an “Official Discussion Guide,” which “can help you take up certain contemplative or prayerful habits that allowed St. Carlo to experience the world as a gift of love from God.”
The resource is divided into four topics—Technology, Creation, Eucharist, and Love Thy Neighbor—each paired with its own question for reflection: “What is my own relationship with various technological devices, and to what degree do these devices enable me to encounter the love of God or my neighbor?”; “How often do I spend time in the created world, looking at everything that God has made?”; “To what degree do I participate in the Eucharist as an act of remembering, devotion to Christ’s presence, and communion with the Lord?”; and “How comfortable am I in recognizing the presence of the hidden Christ in my neighbor?”
Professor of Theology Tim O’Malley is also featured in the film, prompted by his work on the Eucharistic Revival Executive Committee. He also gave a talk on Acutis in MICL’s Fall 2024 series of Saturdays with the Saints.
O’Malley said, “Having watched the film, it’s pretty clear to me that this is a movie that allows us to think about sanctity as an exercise of encountering the real. Get off your phones. Get into nature. Encounter the poor. Meet Christ in the Eucharist.”
“One of the potential addictions of Notre Dame life, especially around religion, is to be tempted by fame. If the right cleric or consecrated religious comes to Notre Dame, then everyone will experience a conversion. It’s the wrong way of thinking about sanctity.”
“Carlo was normal. He was holy because he prayed before the Eucharist, gave attention to God in the created order, and fed and clothed the poor in Milan. He did so intentionally because he wanted to be a saint. I guess the key to a renewal of culture isn’t something too crazy: it’s the normal pursuit of holiness,” O’Malley concluded.
Sofia Carozza, a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, also participated in the film, speaking from her perspective as a developmental neuroscientist. A Notre Dame graduate, Carozza was the valedictorian of the class of 2019 and a Marshall Scholar.
In an article for MICL’s Church-Life Journal titled, “This is Your Brain in a Digital Age,” Carozza argues that “digital devices are exquisitely suited to capturing our attention, fragmenting it and redirecting it toward lower goods for the financial profit of tech developers.” Nevertheless, far from dismissing these devices altogether, she explained that “this technology could be better ordered toward our growth in the life of Christ.”
Describing the upcoming film, Carozza said, “This project demonstrates one powerful way that our technological advances can be ordered toward our growth in the life of Christ.”
Although the canonization ceremony has been delayed following the passing of Pope Francis, the film is still set to be aired in select theaters beginning April 27. More information can be found on the film’s website.
Michael Canady is a junior from Falls Church, Virginia. He is a big fan of young saints, including Carlo Acutis and his own confirmation saint, Jose Sanchez del Rio. He can be reached at mcanady2@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Carlo Acutis Film Resources
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