April 30, 2025

Youth attend screening of “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” at local theater  

REGIONAL
By Stephen Kiltonic

WEST SPRINGFIELD –  “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality,” a powerful new documentary film on the life and legacy of the soon-to-be first millennial saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis, was shown to local audiences for the first time at Cinemark Theaters in West Springfield. Produced by Castletown Media, the film offers young people, via Acutis, solutions to navigating the challenges of the digital world by blending live action, animation and documentary-style interviews with Blessed Carlo’s family, friends, scholars and tech experts. Also, in the film, a group of North Dakota high school students were followed on a transformative two-week pilgrimage to Italy which included visiting Blessed Carlo’s tomb.

Acutis, a web designer who died of leukemia on 2006 when he was 15, was beatified in 2020. He was scheduled to be canonized on April 27 on the occasion of the Jubilee of Adolescents but the death of Pope Francis led to the Vatican announcing the postponement of the canonization indefinitely. 

On Monday, April 28, Springfield Bishop William D. Byrne offered a Votive Mass at the Dominican Nuns Monastery in West Springfield immediately prior to the showing of the film in celebration of Acutis’ canonization. A group of more than 20 members of the Diocesan Youth Leadership Team, attended the Mass and film, which was sold out.

In his homily, Bishop Byrne, offered three take-aways from Blessed Carlo Acutis’ life, saying Carlo’s message to the youth is that holiness is possible at any age; the Eucharist needs to be at the center of our lives; and that social media should be a tool that you use and that doesn’t use you.

“It’s a powerful, amazing gift, but it’s a gift that’s also a curse if we let it take over our lives. He (Carlo) took the great gift of the internet and made it a powerful tool for evangelization to help other people to be originals; to help other people realize that the Eucharist is our highway to heaven,” the bishop said.

Acutis was a tech wiz and before he died, developed a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles that have occurred throughout history. A travelling Eucharistic miracles exhibit featuring 160 large panels has appeared in various parishes throughout the diocese and more than 10,000 parishes world-wide.   

After the film, members of the youth ministry group spoke about Carlo and his innate ability to connect with and be a role-model for this generation’s youth.

“Being so young, we’re automatically drawn to people like that and him being so like tech-savvy and into stuff on the internet, it draws us in because that’s what we’re used to. That’s what we see and it’s what we feel most comfortable with and being in touch with,” said Melina Lozada from Dean Technical High School in Holyoke.

“I absolutely think he is a saint for our time. I think that it’s easier to gravitate toward someone you can see,” said Katie Corriveau of St. Mary’s High School in Westfield. “A lot of the saints in our past have amazing and beautiful stories, but it’s so hard to relate to because it’s just painting and mosaics and you don’t get to see an actual video of them. You don’t get to see them blinking, playing soccer, hanging out with their friends. I think you miss that sometimes with the older saints.”

“Just the way he lived in total devotion to God through his sacraments especially for today’s youth in the digital life. Carlo Acutis shows us how to deal with this and how to live and be a saint in the midst of all of this,” said Elijah Mathias of Minnechaug Regional High School.

Regarding technology and its potential abuse, Mathis added, “This technology is a great tool for us. It’s a great means to make us holier as long as we don’t indulge in it and we stay in the real life and stay devoted to God.”

Jack Gilbert, also of St. Mary’s High School, said he attempts to maintain limits regarding use of his smart phone and technology and tries to balance church, prayer, homework and sports in his own life.  As for the message of the film? “It is ok to be Catholic in the age we live in because it is definitely a secular world and a lot of people get wrapped up in that they want to please everyone else. But they have to please their own heart and they have to be able to balance both,” said Gilbert.

Tim Moriarty, the co-director and writer of “Roadmap to Reality,” said Blessed Carlo Acutis offers today’s youth an antidote to the ills of our society.

“He’s a sign of great hope and renewal in the church especially for young people who are starving for meaning. You cannot kill that desire for God and I think we’re going to see more and more young people, I think, returning to the richness of the faith and somebody like Carlo is a great guide for that.”       

The film also featured an appearance by Father Chris Alar, the Provincial Superior of the Marian congregation in Stockbridge, who was interviewed.

“Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality,” was released to more than1000 theaters nationwide and will be shown during select times at Cinemark West Springfield until April 30.      

A video version of this story will be featured on upcoming edition of “Real to Reel,” which airs Saturdays at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.