Carlo & Francesco, Two of Us - A unique experience in Milan and Rome

In the last year of his life, Carlo Acutis was a student at a Jesuit school in Italy: the Leone XIII Institute in Milan. He was a normal student, a teenager who enjoyed spending time with his classmates, volunteering and experimenting with new technologies. Yet he was also a special person. In the months before his untimely death, Carlo left a deep and indelible mark on his school. His faith, so extraordinary for one so young, his contagious joy, his generosity and his natural inclination to include others, whoever they were, made him instantly loved and unforgettable to all who knew him. At Loene XIII, his memory is still alive. His story, his life, his messages and his example are spreading all over Italy and the world, offering a great sign of hope to many. On the occasion of his canonisation, the idea was to bring together young people from Jesuit schools worldwide.

Pope Francis's death has meant that the canonisation of Carlo Acutis has been postponed. However, the group of Year 4 Lower Secondary students planning to travel to Italy decided they would go to Milan anyway, especially to the Leone XIII Institute, and from there headed to Rome to attend the farewell to Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. They were lucky enough to experience a historic and at the same time very emotional event.