An inspiring story of a young role model

For the Catholic Church there’s a pressing need for role models that will appeal to young people. These role models don’t have to be young but it helps.

I Am With You – A documentary about Carlo Acutis (EWTN, Saturday) gave us one such example. Carlo was beatified last year, mid pandemic, and so, perhaps didn’t get the attention he deserved. He was a young student from Italy who took a particular interest in Eucharistic miracles and used his computer skills to design an exhibition to bring greater awareness of these phenomena. He died in 2006 after being diagnosed with a rapid onset strain of leukaemia.

The documentary painted a picture of a young man who spent much time in Eucharistic adoration and who was also kind, sociable, concerned for the practical needs of the poor and of his own generation. Though he used technology and the internet in particular for his evangelising work he was only too aware of the downsides, everything from pornography to bullying. He sought to be master rather than slave of these powerful means of communication.

The testimonies of those who knew him were touching – especially so when his mother spoke. And it wasn’t that he had been brought up in a particularly religious family – she had only been to Mass for the big sacramental milestones. St Francis and the town of Assisi were a big influence – as one contributor pointed out the saint captured many of the concerns of young people today – peace, love, respect for creation and the poor.

This documentary won’t be the last word on Carlo – if canonisation follows I hope his example will be brought to the world anew. When the programme started I wondered if I was watching the film that was advertised as there was a relatively long lead in that explained Church teaching on the Eucharist and transubstantiation. Eventually they got to Carlo’s story, and that last hour was the best. I found the background music bland and irritating – the testimonies were absorbing enough without flags of significance being flown. I liked the way the film ended with a roundup of quotes from Carlo – “To be always united with Jesus is the plan of my life”, “our goal must be infinite, not finite”, his description of the Eucharist as a “highway to Heaven”. At a time when most of us are deprived of receiving the Eucharist it served as a reminder of why it should be so important to us, so central to our life of faith.

Carlo and St Francis certainly inspire, while St David of Wales was the focus for Songs of Praise (BBC Two, Sunday), which kicked off appropriately with the hymn For All the Saints. The geographical focus was Tintern Abbey. I had heard of the place before when studying the Wordsworth poem inspired by the beautiful location and it was interesting to hear the history of the building and its history as a medieval Cistercian monastery.

Last weekend also saw Wales winning the triple crown and of course both rugby and singing have long been central to Welsh culture. Personable presenter Sean Fletcher spoke to three former rugby internationals for whom religious faith was now an important part of their lives. Emyr Lewis, Garin Jenkins and Bryn Hayward spoke of the mutual support in faith they gave each following their retirement from rugby.

My favourite song was Jesu, Lover of My Soul from the Aberystwyth Arts Centre – this and the other choral performances were filmed before Covid-19 and I have to confess to getting a little emotional to see so many people singing their hearts out together. Oh what we have lost and hopefully will regain, though it might be a while yet…

Earlier Sunday morning The Big Questions (BBC One) asked if religion had let us down during the pandemic. Presenter Nicky Campbell started by declaring that “religious people have done incredible things” – volunteering in hospitals, food banks and the like. Rabbi Jonathan Romain was critical of some UK religious authorities that wouldn’t open for worship even though there could have been social distancing, and also of churches and synagogues that didn’t use online services when they could have done. I don’t think enough credit was given to how creative religious communities became by using technology and online gatherings.

Overall however there was positivity towards the contribution of religion in Covid-19 times and a welcoming of the co-operation between religious and secular groups.