October 9, 2006, marked a turning point in the life of Carlo Acutis, a teenager of just 15 years old who was on the brink of death.

In the midst of his suffering and weakness, Carlo experienced an encounter that would transform his story and that of many others.

The Virgin Mary appeared to him, conveying three promises that would change not only his destiny but also the way faith and eternity are perceived.

The first two promises seemed almost impossible to believe, while the third, according to Carlo, contained such a profound message that he insisted his mother keep it with the utmost care, thus revealing a mystery about heaven that would shake humanity’s understanding of resurrection and eternal life.

What happened in the final hours of his life was extraordinary and, for those who knew him, incomprehensible from any logical perspective.

To understand the magnitude of these promises, it is necessary to know Carlo in his everyday life.

He was not a child who performed public miracles or claimed to have visions.

His life unfolded in an ordinary way in Milan, where he dressed in jeans and sneakers.

He enjoyed video games and spent long hours in front of the computer, editing videos and creating digital content.

However, there was something different about him, a subtle spark that began to appear when he was just three years old.

It wasn’t flashy or obvious.

It was a quiet, discreet difference, almost invisible to others.

Although his parents weren’t particularly religious or practiced intensely, Carlo developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary.

After receiving his First Communion, it became a daily habit to attend Mass not just weekly, but every day, showing a profound commitment that no one in his family expected.

His grandparents hadn’t taught him this, his father didn’t set a good example, and yet Carlo found profound meaning in his spiritual routine.

He would get up early to go to church.

He treated the Eucharist as the most important appointment of his day.

Beyond his relationship with faith, Carlo cultivated an extraordinary bond with his mother.

He talked to her constantly, sharing his thoughts and reflections as they walked to school, worked on the computer, or even as he rested in bed at night.

He prayed the rosary daily with precision and constancy and spoke to his mother simply, directly, and confidently, as if his voice were a bridge between the human and the divine.

In late September 2006, Carlo began experiencing worrying symptoms: persistent headaches and fatigue.

When the symptoms worsened rapidly, his parents took him to the doctor.

Tests confirmed the worst news: acute leukemia, an aggressive type of blood cancer that progressed at a rapid pace.

Within days, Carlo was admitted to San Gerardo Hospital in Monza, where a competent medical team, aware of the seriousness of the case, began planning a treatment while mentally preparing his parents for the inevitable.

What was remarkable about Carlo was not just his illness, but the way he faced it.

There was no despair or complaining.

His calmness was unnerving.

When a priest visited him, Carlo made an unusual request: to offer his suffering for the Pope and the Church, not to heal himself, but for others.

His serenity was so profound that those around him, even the doctors and nurses, noticed that his attitude toward pain and death was unlike that of any other teenager.

During his final days, his mother began to notice even more extraordinary changes.

Carlo would close his eyes as if resting, but his face revealed something different.

Sometimes he would smile, not with the grimace of pain, but with an expression of peace and serenity, as if he saw something invisible to others.

At other times, he seemed to listen intently, leaning toward a sound inaudible to those around him.

His mother, sitting beside him, would hold his hand and simply observe, understanding that her son was connected to something greater than the physical world.

Even the nurses remarked that Carlo seemed to have visitors that no one else did.

He could sense it.

The climax of this story came on October 9, 2006, when Carlo, with a weak but firm voice, told his mother that the Virgin Mary was there beside him and had given him three promises.

The first was the most tangible.

She assured him that the website he had created to document Eucharistic miracles would not disappear, but that his work would have a global impact, reaching millions of people and transforming lives.

This project, which Carlo had developed with dedication, compiled more than 137 documented miracles with images and historical evidence, an effort that seemed small compared to the magnitude of his goal.

However, Mary promised him that his dedication would not be in vain and that his work would outlive him, leading others to find Christ through the Eucharist.

That first promise was enough to fill Carlo and his mother with hope.

Their fear that his work would be forgotten vanished , replaced by the certainty that his legacy would reach entire generations.

Through this promise, Carlo’s faith acquired new meaning.

Even in his final days, his life would continue to positively influence the world, demonstrating that holiness can manifest itself in the everyday life of an ordinary teenager.

During Carlo Acutis’s last days, his mother witnessed something that defied all human logic.

Her son faced death with a profound and astonishing peace.

As the cancer progressed rapidly, Carlo continued to pray, maintaining his daily routine of the rosary, even from his hospital bed.

His movements and demeanor were not those of a desperate young man, but of someone who seemed to be waiting for something or someone, a moment that transcended the earthly realm.

The leukemia progressed quickly, far beyond what the doctors had predicted, and in less than a week it became clear that his days were numbered.

It was no longer a matter of weeks, but of days.

Despite the evident physical decline, his mind remained lucid and serene.

And it was in this state of clarity that extraordinary phenomena began to manifest.

The doctors and nurses also noticed that Carlo acted differently from any other patient they had ever seen.

One nurse remarked that he seemed to have visitors no one else could see.

This behavior, instead of unsettling those around him, added an aura of mystery and devotion to his presence, confirming the extraordinary nature of his final days.

The culmination came on October 10, 2006.

Just two days before Carlo passed away, after revealing the first promise of the Virgin Mary, he continued to whisper to his mother about what was yet to come.

With a serenity and clarity that seemed superhuman, he reminded her that there were two more promises to come, and that these were just as significant as the first.

Antonia, his mother, listened with a heavy heart, aware that every word from her son was a mixture of profound faith and absolute certainty.

Carlo, still weak and confined by illness, expressed something she would never forget.

He no longer felt fear for his work or for his death.

The task that had occupied so many hours in front of the computer, compiling Eucharistic miracles, no longer seemed in vain.

His work, which had been his passion and his mission, now gave him a strange sense of freedom and satisfaction.

Just a few hours after this conversation, the medical team re-entered the room.

The physical pain was still there.

However, Carlos seemed different, as if an inner lightness had lifted him above the suffering.

He persisted in offering every part of his pain for others, for the Pope, for the Church, for the saints, and for all those who might receive some good from his sacrifice.

But despite all his offering and devotion, he kept insisting on something.

There were still two more promises, mysterious and full of meaning, that Mary had entrusted to him and that he could not yet fully share.

Antonia, holding her son’s hand, wondered with anguish and hope what all this could mean.

What more could God offer a young man in his final days? Finally, on the morning of October 12, 2006, at around 6:45 a.

m.

, Carlo Acutis passed away.

His mother was Antonia stood beside him, holding his hand until the very last moment.

As she later recounted, Carlo seemed at peace, as if contemplating something beautiful, something that transcended the visible and the earthly.

In his final moments, his face reflected the tranquility of someone who understands that his life, though brief, had a higher purpose.

Carlo asked to be buried in Como, near San Francisco, a place that reflected his admiration and respect for religious tradition.

His wishes were respected and honored, and for a brief moment it seemed that his story had come to an end: a 15-year-old boy dying too soon, whose legacy might seem ephemeral to the world.

However, Maria’s first promise, the one that assured that his work would not disappear with his death, was beginning to manifest itself silently, yet powerfully.

During the following months, Antonia began to notice something extraordinary: Carlo’s work.

The website he had built with such care and dedication was not remaining static or forgotten on the internet.

Each passing day seemed to take on a life of its own, sparking interest and attracting the attention of people who had never heard of it.

Driven by curiosity and faith, Antonia shared the site with church officials, showing them the project her son had created.

Little by little, surprising changes began to unfold.

The exhibition started in small churches in Italy and then expanded to other European countries.

Later, it crossed continents, reaching the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

What had been a project by a teenager in Milan became a global phenomenon.

Hundreds of thousands of people attended in person, and millions more could access it online.

The exhibition didn’t just display historical facts; it changed lives.

Letters, emails, and testimonials began pouring in from people who, thanks to Carlo’s work, were returning to Mass, rediscovering the sacraments , and in some cases, rekindling their faith after years of indifference.

Atheists and skeptics, too, began to ask themselves questions about spirituality and faith, inspired by the youth and authenticity of the project’s creator.

That a teenager could have compiled and organized such a vast amount of information, and done so with such precision and passion, deeply touched those who knew him through his work.

The exhibition was translated into dozens of languages ​​and presented in cathedrals, small parishes, schools, and conferences worldwide.

What Carlo had feared would be lost online became one of the most visited and admired exhibitions in the world, thus fulfilling the first promise Mary had made to him.

His work, his passion, and his dedication did not end with his death, but reached millions of people, inspiring faith, devotion, and reflection.

In just a few years, Carlo Acutis’s project became a bridge between faith and new generations, demonstrating that holiness and devotion could manifest themselves even in a modern, digital, and technological world.

The Virgin’s first promise had been fulfilled in a tangible and profound way, showing that an ordinary young man with an extraordinary heart could leave an eternal legacy.

Antonia watched everything unfold before her eyes with a mixture of awe and sorrow.

Her son’s work, the one he had dedicated so many hours to in front of the computer, was beginning to expand on its own, exactly as María had promised.

However, amidst this admiration, Antonia couldn’t forget that two more promises remained, two mysteries that Carlos had revealed to her in the hospital room and that now, with the first promise confirmed by events, carried a new weight in her mind.

She anxiously wondered if María had kept her word regarding the website and the traveling exhibition.

What could the second promise mean? This one, at first glance, seemed even more difficult to grasp than the first.

It had nothing to do with the website or the exhibition now traveling the world.

The second promise concerned Carlo himself, what he would become, and the impact of his life on the younger generation.

Contemporaries.

Going back to that October 10, 2006, after Carlo told his mother about the web and its future reach, she continued speaking in that voice weakened by illness, but with a clarity that left no room for doubt.

“The second promise,” the Virgin assured Carlo.

It was destined to transform his ordinary life in Milan into a beacon for young people throughout the world.

I don’t know.

It wasn’t about spectacular feats or dramatic gestures, but about the power of his everyday example.

A teenager who led a normal life, but was absolutely faithful to the Lord, living with sincerity, humility, and devotion.

Mary explained that his story would serve to answer a question that many young people have asked themselves for centuries: Is it possible to live in the modern world, surrounded by technology, social networks, video games , and all contemporary distractions, and still achieve holiness? The answer, the Virgin assured him, would be yes, and Carlo would be living proof of it.

His existence would show that holiness was not reserved for monks in monasteries, ascetics of the past, or mystics withdrawn from the world, but could be achieved even in the everyday life of a teenager today.

Antonia listened attentively as Carlos whispered Maria’s words, and her heart swelled with a mixture of pride and awe.

The Virgin also revealed something very specific to her: God’s timing for Carlos would be quicker than expected, and the Church would act swiftly to recognize his holiness.

“They will call you blessed,” Maria had told him, words that, though laden with mystery, foreshadowed a future that seemed unattainable.

However, Carlo, with his characteristic serenity, added that he couldn’t think about it at that moment, hinting that the third promise, the most important of all, was still reserved.

This final promise had to remain secret until the world was ready to fully understand it, and the world would soon begin to move in surprising ways.

In 2013, just seven years after Carlo’s death, the Archdiocese of Milan made an extraordinary decision.

It officially opened the process of beatification.

This was the first step toward sainthood, and its speed was astonishing compared to other cases.

Many canonizations begin at least five years after the candidate’s death and in many cases can take decades or even centuries.

The fact that Carlo’s case was opened so quickly was already an unusual sign, but it only marked the beginning of what was to come.

The investigation into his life progressed at an unprecedented pace.

Precedents were gathered, testimonies were verified, documents were checked, and his life was examined under the strict standards the Church requires for potential saints.

Researchers observed his daily behavior, his habits, his devotion, and verified what Maria had promised.

Carlo had not led an extraordinary life through spectacular gestures or visible miracles, but through his daily faithfulness and love for God, lived with simplicity and authenticity.

His example began to resonate among young people around the world.

Through his digital work and the traveling exhibition that began touring churches, schools, and cathedrals, teenagers and young adults found a tangible model of holiness in modern life.

Antonia could see how her son, through his simplicity and faithfulness, was becoming a role model for an entire generation.

One of the miracles verified through his intercession occurred in Brazil, where a boy named Mateus was born with a serious congenital malformation called annular pancreas, a defect that surrounds the small intestine and causes serious complications with feeding and digestion.

The little boy could not He couldn’t eat normally and was constantly sick.

His parents did everything they could to try to improve his condition.

But the doctors said that only high-risk surgery could save him.

And even then, the odds for such a young child were uncertain.

In the midst of their despair, Mateus’s parents learned the story of Carlo Acutis.

They had heard about the teenager passionate about Eucharist, who had died young, and they felt a deep connection to him.

In an act of faith, they began to invoke his intercession.

They obtained a relic of Carlo, a piece of his clothing, and placed it on their son’s body while praying fervently.

What happened next defied any medical explanation.

Mateus began to improve remarkably .

His ability to feed returned to normal.

The symptoms disappeared, and when examined by specialists, the annular pancreas had completely disappeared.

The boy was completely healthy.

A medical committee examined his case and concluded that there was no scientific explanation for the cure.

The Vatican, after a thorough investigation, confirmed that it was an authentic miracle, fulfilling all the criteria: immediate, complete, lasting, and medically inexplicable.

This miracle became a tangible testimony to Carlo’s intercession and the fulfillment of the promises Mary had made to him.

On October 10, 2020, he was officially beatified in Assisi in an event that brought together thousands of people at the in-person ceremony and millions more who followed it through online broadcasts.

The ceremony, in keeping with Carlo’s passion for technology, became one of the most-watched public rites in the digital age, a symbol of how his life and legacy could transcend borders and reach millions through the technology he loved so much.

Many teenagers who had abandoned or ignored the faith were inspired by his story.

They thought, “If he could live like this and maintain his devotion, maybe I can too.

” Thus, Carlo became the patron saint of the digital generation, a saint who connects with young people through social media, exhibitions, and modern media , demonstrating that holiness can be relevant and accessible in contemporary life.

His example proved that it is not necessary to turn away from culture or renounce technology to live in communion with God.

And that a simple life, lived with faithfulness and love, can be a direct path to heaven.

With the first and second promises fulfilled, the third promise remained, the deepest and most significant.

For years, his mother had kept this a secret, hinting that its full meaning would only be revealed when the world was ready to understand it.

This final promise involved not only Carlo’s sanctity but also how his spiritual legacy would continue to impact humanity from heaven, connecting the divine with the daily lives of millions and ensuring that his intercessions would be especially effective.

Journalists and pilgrims constantly approached his mother, Antonia, with the same recurring question: “What else did Carlo tell you?” She knew this was coming.

Antonia, always serene, would smile enigmatically, hinting that something remained hidden.

She always mentioned that Carlo had received a third promise from the Virgin Mary, but that it wasn’t yet time to reveal it completely.

I waited until the first two promises became evident.

Because only then could the world truly understand the third.

For years, I hinted at its content in interviews, claiming that the Virgin had entrusted her with something related to the mission Carlo would continue from heaven, but I always stopped short of giving precise details.

In 2023, however, the situation changed.

Carlo’s cause for canonization had progressed , and a second miracle was being investigated by the Vatican.

This time, the healing occurred in Costa Rica.

A woman who had suffered a severe head injury inexplicably recovered after Carlo’s prayer and intercession.

With solid medical evidence and reliable witnesses, the Vatican investigators were optimistic about the case, and Antonia decided that the time had come to reveal what Mary had actually promised her son in the hospital room shortly before his death.

What made this third promise unique was not simply that it concerned Carlo’s future, but that it addressed the very nature of death.

The connection between heaven and earth and how the intercession of the saints influences people’s lives.

The third promise explained that Carlo, although he would die at the age of 15, would not lose his mission.

His death would not be a tragedy or an interruption of his purpose.

It would be a transition to heaven, from where he would have more power than ever to help people on earth.

His prayer and intercession would be heard by thousands and eventually millions.

The Virgin promised that she would personally accompany Carlo from heaven, ensuring that all the prayers that reached him were understood and answered .

Carlo would become a special instrument of Mary, not because he was holier than others, but because his youth, his closeness to people, and his modern way of living the faith would make him accessible to those who felt alienated from traditional saints.

Carlo’s approachability and simplicity would allow many young people to find inspiration and comfort in him, something that no saint of past generations could offer with the same naturalness.

Mary also promised him something that deeply moved Carlo as he lay in his hospital bed: that in the first year after his death, his intercession would save more souls than many saints of past centuries had, compared to his entire century of spiritual work from heaven.

Death would not be the end of his mission, but the beginning of the true work.

Carlo would become a beacon of hope for those seeking God, and his life would continue to impact the world in tangible ways thanks to heavenly intercession and the power of prayer he himself had cultivated.

In this way, the Virgin assured Carlo that dying young did not mean a loss, but an opportunity to fulfill a greater purpose.

Thus, Mary’s three promises were fulfilled in an extraordinary way.

Carlo Acutis, the 15-year-old who wore jeans and sneakers, became a figure invoked by millions, showing that holiness can flourish even in modern life and that the power of faith transcends death itself.