On May 8, 2021 the ECYD Abel Rangel, LC, Mrs. Orghe Ruiz and Mrs. Gaby Calderon, organized a meeting for the adolescents of the ECYD of these two cities with Mrs. Antonia Salzano, mother of Blessed Carlo Acutis.
This meeting arose from the recent beatification of Carlo on October 10 in the city of Assisi, Italy.
Abel had the opportunity to personally contact Mrs. Antonia who, despite multiple commitments, wanted to take the time to share her testimony about her son Carlo.
The event, carried out through the Zoom platform, was also broadcast live on the Saltillo ECYD YouTube, and the pages of Catholic.net & Zenit, reaching an audience of more than 500 people, mostly teenagers between the ages of 10 and 14 from the ECYD.
After an introduction, a greeting and a brief introduction about Carlo's life, Mrs. Antonia answered with great kindness the questions asked by the children of the different stages of the ECYD.
Some questions were about the life of the Blessed, his daily life and his deep devotion to the Eucharist.
Paula Diaz, a girl from the first stage of the Saltillo ECYD, asked her if he had done some pranks and if he was also a cheerful child, to which Mrs. Antonia replied that Carlo was a normal child who once had to be called to attention at school for talking and that he also liked to eat a lot, but all this was an opportunity to improve and grow in virtue.
Marcelo, a member of Forzza de Monclova, asked him about his friends and his relationship with them. Carlo's mother commented that he always surrounded himself with good friends, although he was open to everyone and above all he defended the weakest. His friends loved and respected him very much because they saw in him a coherence and authenticity of life. At one point he commented that Carlo liked to play very much PlayStation, but that he organized his time to do it only one hour a week.
From some answers it was very clear that:
“The Eucharist was the center of Carlo's life: he went to Mass and Adoration every day.”.
This is Carlo's greatest legacy.
“He was also a young man who did apostolate through the websites he created, a young man who helped the most needy”.”.
Said the mother. She added:
“The key to holiness is to try to live all the virtues, especially charity.”.
Charity is the queen virtue of the ECYD.
At one point Antonia wanted to comment that Carlo knew several parents. Legionaries of Christ through the exhibition of the Eucharistic miracles in the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum.
After enthusiastically answering all the children's questions one by one, Antonia called on all children, youth and adults to live holiness.
As a surprise, the children dedicated the mañanitas to her as a gift from them and their son Carlo.
Abel expressed his joy at seeing Mrs. Antonia answering the children's questions with such simplicity, kindness and depth:
“He said things that touched the children's hearts and that edified all of us.”.
In summary, the meeting was a great gift from God and Blessed Carlo Acutis for all the ECYD adolescents from all over the world, especially from Saltillo and Monclova.
