Jonathan Hernandez, 16, was among hundreds of faithful who attended a special talk by Antonia Salzano, the mother of Italian Blessed Carlo Acutis, at St. Anthony of Padua Church in the Bronx.

The presentation, conducted in Spanish and English, took place on the evening of Friday, May 30, during a weekend retreat for youths and young adults in the adjacent Hispanic Catholic Charismatic Center. Blessed Carlo’s canonization, initially scheduled for April 2025, was postponed following the death of Pope Francis and is now pending.

“Her son stayed motivated, learning from everything he could, and not going away from God. I think that’s what stuck with me,” Hernandez, a St. Anthony of Padua parishioner, told The Good Newsroom in explaining the parts of Salzano’s talk that appealed to him the most. “If I keep learning, I could stay closer to God.”

Hernandez said he was also drawn to stories of Blessed Carlo’s use of social media to spread the good news of the Lord. Carlo used social media and other forms of digital communication to spread his Catholic faith, share his love for the Eucharist, and encourage others to live virtuous lives. He created websites to document Eucharistic miracles, taught catechism, and engaged in outreach to the homeless.

During her talk, Salzano related her son’s evangelization efforts to the importance of the sacraments, Eucharistic Adoration, prayer and sacrifice, and adhering to the will of God. She also spoke of the significance of serving the poor, the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and the reality that we are all called to be saints. The talk included a Q&A session during which several women became visibly emotional, saying they cherished the opportunity to be in the presence of the mother of a soon-to-be saint.

“The testimony from Carlo is testimony that can help the young people, because Carlo called attention to the Eucharist, the sacraments, the importance of praying, reading the Bible – and love for others, seeking to help others,” Salzano said.

“From an ordinary life can come extraordinary things. Carlo is a sign of hope, because by looking at Carlo, one can see that sanctity is possible,” she noted. “You can pray, you must pray, pray, pray, and evangelize, evangelize.” She told the faithful that they “can be the light” to the people around them and the people they meet, “always with hope, the virtue of hope…pray, hope and have faith.”

Before exiting the parish, Salzano told The Good Newsroom, “The people have a lot of faith – this is very important. Through Carlo, many people are getting close to the Church, to the sacraments.” She said Carlo’s story helps the children of God see the significance of “sincerity, the faith, the Church, the sacraments, and salvation.”

Salzano’s talk was preceded by a retreat Holy Hour and followed by a Mass celebrated by Father Fredy Patiño, parish administrator and director of the Charismatic Center. During the Salzano talk, a grateful Father Patiño announced that a first-class relic of Blessed Carlo that was in the church for veneration will remain with the parish and the Charismatic Center, a gift from Salzano. This was greeted with loud applause.

“She will remain with us in our hearts,” Father Patiño told the faithful.

“But truly we will see each other in heaven,” Salzano said to the people, who responded with an ‘amen’ and more applause. Blessed Carlo Acutis’ feast day is October 12. He was beatified by Pope Francis on October 10, 2020. When he was only 15, Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia and died on October 12, 2006. He reportedly had said, “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,” according to www.carloacutis.com.