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Carlo Acutis: The Cyber Apostle becomes a Saint
By Alexander Chen ‘27 Edited by Andrea Palma ‘28 God’s Influencer. The Holy Hacker. The Saint in Sneakers. These are just a few of the nicknames bestowed upon Blessed Carlo Acutis, the soon-to-be first millennial saint in Church history. In many ways, Acutis - who died in 2006 at the age of 15 - was a product of his time. He loved gaming, coding, and, of course, Nutella. And if you visit Acutis’ glass tomb in Assisi, you’ll see that he is dressed in a casual jacket and Nike running shoes, just like any modern teen. But what made Acutis truly special was his devotion to God, which never wavered, not even when facing certain death. It is this strong faith that has made him an inspiration to millions, including myself. Carlo Acutis was born on May 3, 1991 in London to Italian parents. He grew up in Milan, and like most Catholic children, received his first Communion at the age of 7. Acutis developed a fiery passion for God, and attended Mass every day. His fervent devotion to Christ and the Eucharist inspired those closest to him; he even convinced his Brahmin caretaker to become a Christian. When his mind wasn’t on God, Acutis enjoyed playing video games, taking a particular liking to: Super Mario, Halo, and Pokemon. He also became quite adept at programming and website development, even winning a national competition for the latter. Acutis spent nearly 2 ½ years developing Miracoli Eucaristici, a comprehensive website detailing all the world’s Eucharistic miracles, which combined his passion for God and technology. However, soon after the unveiling of Acutis’ website on October 4, 2006, he would receive a terrible prognosis. Just a few days prior, Acutis had been experiencing inflammation in the throat, which he was treated for. By October 8, his condition had worsened and rendered him unable to get out of bed for Church. He went again to the doctor, and this time was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, with his chances of survival quite slim. For the next few days, Acutis went through great suffering, which the doctors could do little to alleviate, and on October 12, 2006, at 6:45pm, Carlo Acutis was dead, aged just 15. But what did Acutis do that earned him the title of Saint? In order to be recognized as a Saint in the Catholic Church, two miracles must be attributed to the intercession of the Blessed. The first miracle attributed to Acutis occurred in 2013, where his intercession healed a Brazilian boy’s congenital malformation. The boy, named Mattheus, had been born with an annular pancreas, which caused him to vomit incessantly and prevented him from digesting food properly. Mattheus’ mother, invited by the parish priest to a prayer service involving a relic of Acutis (a photograph), brought her son in to pray, and upon him touching the photograph of Acutis, Mattheus’ illness went away instantly. Shortly after, Mattheus was consuming copious amounts of food with no symptoms of his old condition. The second miracle attributed to Acutis occurred in 2022, where his intercession healed a Costa Rican woman’s serious head injury. The woman, named Valeria, was a student in Florence, and fell off her bike, experiencing terrible brain trauma. Even after the doctors successfully performed an emergency surgery, they predicted her chances of survival were slim. In response, Valeria’s mother embarked on a pilgrimage to Acutis’ grave in Assisi, praying there for his intercession. On that same day, Valeria regained her ability to breathe without support, and over the coming weeks, made a miraculous full recovery. Both of these miracles were recognized by Pope Francis, in 2020 and 2024, respectively, and upon the recognition of the second miracle began the process of Acutis becoming a Saint, which he will be on April 27 of this year. Although Carlo Acutis died nearly twenty years ago, his impact has only grown in the time since his passing. Acutis’ website, his magnum opus, has been updated and translated into a dozen different languages, allowing him to continue to share his love for the Eucharist, even in death. Ever since Acutis’ beatification, his grave has been visited by upwards of 40,000 people, both young and old, all enamored by the boundless faith displayed within him. The world today, increasingly cruel and godless, can gain a lot by looking to Acutis, whose life was so short yet full of faith, who experienced great pain here on Earth, but now experiences great reward in Heaven.
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As AP Exams are quickly approaching and anxieties are rising; I have compiled a list of resources that have helped me prepare for my past exams on a variety of subjects.
History (World History, U.S. History, Government and Politics): The number one resource I have used is Heimler’s History which is a YouTube channel that has relatively short videos that thoroughly cover important AP vocabulary, events, and concepts. If you want extra FRQ practice or guidance, he has videos that show you the “formula” for practically perfect FRQs. He has a great 30 day review plan if you want to review a little bit at a time before the exam as well. Link to Himler’s History: https://www.youtube.com/@heimlershistory
For APUSH, there’s also the Ultimate Review Packet (URP) channel, which has more in-depth information and great unit recaps.Link to URP: https://www.youtube.com/@APUSHistoryURP
Both also have options to pay about $25 for their full review and recap videos. This might be great if you feel that you do not have a lot of time to review, and you really need to cram. I personally never bought their review packets because the free resources were good enough for me.
Math (Stats, Calc AB/BC): I think the key for these tests is completing practice problems. You can do this by going through old FRQs through a simple Google search or Khan Academy to focus on specific topics.
To review concepts that you may be a little confused on, Organic Chemistry Tutor is the best for calculus. He has plenty of practice problems in his videos, so you’ll get the most out of it if you watch him solve one or two problems, but then pause the video to do the rest by yourself and then check your answers. Link to Organic Chemistry Tutor: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWpbFLzoYGPfuWUMFPSaoA
For statistics, I use Stats Medic to review specific units/topics through old FRQs. It has a list of all the units and links to specific FRQs. Although they don’t include the answers, you can always do a Google search to look for the answers by specifying the year.Link to Stats Medic: https://www.statsmedic.com/free-response-questions
Physics (I or C): Similar to math, completing practice problems, FRQs specifically, is the best way to study. Again, Organic Chemistry tutor is a great tool for reviewing concepts that may seem a bit complicated.
Watching videos of people going through old FRQs is also a great review of all the concepts.
Computer Science: Ajay Gandecha has review videos of all the AP CSA units, as well as practice MCQs and FRQs that he walks through for each respective unit. Link to Ajay Gandecha: https://www.youtube.com/@ajaygandecha
Practicing coding classes and methods on a Java compiler is also a great way to practice for the FRQ section.
In addition to these online resources, buying a Princeton Review or Barron Book can be helpful for full length practice tests that I would recommend completing over spring break.
I know that I did not cover all the AP subjects, simply because I did not take all of them, but I hope this guide was helpful for you. Best of luck studying!
History (World History, U.S. History, Government and Politics): The number one resource I have used is Heimler’s History which is a YouTube channel that has relatively short videos that thoroughly cover important AP vocabulary, events, and concepts. If you want extra FRQ practice or guidance, he has videos that show you the “formula” for practically perfect FRQs. He has a great 30 day review plan if you want to review a little bit at a time before the exam as well. Link to Himler’s History: https://www.youtube.com/@heimlershistory
For APUSH, there’s also the Ultimate Review Packet (URP) channel, which has more in-depth information and great unit recaps.Link to URP: https://www.youtube.com/@APUSHistoryURP
Both also have options to pay about $25 for their full review and recap videos. This might be great if you feel that you do not have a lot of time to review, and you really need to cram. I personally never bought their review packets because the free resources were good enough for me.
Math (Stats, Calc AB/BC): I think the key for these tests is completing practice problems. You can do this by going through old FRQs through a simple Google search or Khan Academy to focus on specific topics.
To review concepts that you may be a little confused on, Organic Chemistry Tutor is the best for calculus. He has plenty of practice problems in his videos, so you’ll get the most out of it if you watch him solve one or two problems, but then pause the video to do the rest by yourself and then check your answers. Link to Organic Chemistry Tutor: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEWpbFLzoYGPfuWUMFPSaoA
For statistics, I use Stats Medic to review specific units/topics through old FRQs. It has a list of all the units and links to specific FRQs. Although they don’t include the answers, you can always do a Google search to look for the answers by specifying the year.Link to Stats Medic: https://www.statsmedic.com/free-response-questions
Physics (I or C): Similar to math, completing practice problems, FRQs specifically, is the best way to study. Again, Organic Chemistry tutor is a great tool for reviewing concepts that may seem a bit complicated.
Watching videos of people going through old FRQs is also a great review of all the concepts.
Computer Science: Ajay Gandecha has review videos of all the AP CSA units, as well as practice MCQs and FRQs that he walks through for each respective unit. Link to Ajay Gandecha: https://www.youtube.com/@ajaygandecha
Practicing coding classes and methods on a Java compiler is also a great way to practice for the FRQ section.
In addition to these online resources, buying a Princeton Review or Barron Book can be helpful for full length practice tests that I would recommend completing over spring break.
I know that I did not cover all the AP subjects, simply because I did not take all of them, but I hope this guide was helpful for you. Best of luck studying!
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Songs of the Summer:
By Claire Molnar ‘26 Edited by Andrea Palma ‘28 Looking for the next song of the summer? Below are eight tunes, new and old, to check out as summer approaches! “Favourite”: Fontaines D.C. Off of Irish post-punk band Fontaines D.C.’s newest album, “Favourite” is a nostalgic anthem that has the perfect amount of lighthearted-edge. A fun guitar riff carries the song as the lyrics snake around concepts like youth and love. “Cool Cat”: Queen A timeless throwback, “Cool Cat” feels like floating on ocean waves in a heavy heat. The bassline keeps everything in motion and creates a relaxing, swaying feeling. This is the perfect tune to go for a drive on the coast and immediately turns any bad mood good. “Grinding Halt”: The Cure The song starts in a unique way with an increase in tempo, mimicking the sound of a speeding train or rolling coin. While the words may be antithetical with the song’s sound, the guitar and bass riffs are playful and amusing for the ear as they go back and forth. “Here’s Where the Story Ends”: The Sundays Acoustic and unplugged, this song is a simple ballad describing the end of a relationship with mutual acceptance. In true The Sunday’s fashion, this song is effortlessly easygoing with gentle vocal runs. “Here Comes Your Man”: The Pixies A twangy and playful opening riff played on an instantly recognizable Rickenbacker guitar makes this song feel like the early, excited days of summer. This song came out in the tail end of the 80s (1989) and the happy tone is a throwback to Beach Boys-era pop rock. “Songbird”: Oasis A deeper cut within the Oasis discography, “Songbird” is a poem describing the initial amazement at a new love. Tambourine, piano, and acoustic guitar make this song perfect for an evening bike ride at the close of summer or the beginning of a warm night spent stargazing. “This Charming Man”: The Smiths Perhaps one of The Smiths’ most recognizable songs (and for good reason), “This Charming Man” is jangly and jovial. It speaks on the superfluous concerns of youth and reminds the listener about what really matters; having a good time. “Someday”: The Strokes “Someday” by The Strokes is the perfect song for summer because it is a nostalgic love letter to the life we have already lived. There is both melancholy and optimism in the song, making it the anthem of early August when summer comes to a close. Hopefully you find these timeless tunes a perfect soundtrack to your spring break and summer days. |
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