Acutis sculpture sign of young, vibrant Church

A new statue depicting Blessed Carlo Acutis is a message that conveys to the world that the Catholic Church is not an old institution but a young and vibrant Church with a relevant message for today’s culture, said the statue’s sculptor.

Unveiled Aug. 15 outside the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, where the soon-to-be-saint is buried, the St. Jacob’s, Ont., sculptor Timothy Schmalz said that “the Church is for the youth and it’s a growing Church.”

“I know that Carlo Acutis mentioned that he wanted to be buried in Assisi. I’m sure he would be delighted to know that not only is his tomb there, but now there is a sculpture that celebrates him, cast in bronze, that will be there for more than a thousand years,” Schmalz said.

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The 3.5-metre-tall bronze statue, titled St. Carlo at the Cross, depicts the young teen, who will be canonized Sept. 7 by Pope Leo XIV, kneeling beside Christ crucified. Contrary to more classic depictions of saints, Blessed Acutis holds a laptop in his hand that displays a chalice and paten.

Before his death at age 15 from leukemia in 2006, Blessed Acutis used his knowledge of computers to create an online database of eucharistic miracles around the world.

“I wanted to do a very heroic, large sculpture to show the connection between the Cross with Christ, Carlo Acutis and modern-day technology. So there are three essential elements in there that kind of celebrate the story of this modern saint,” Schmalz explained.

“Oftentimes, when I do a sculpture of a saint, I’m using very historical elements that the saint holds. So I was like, ‘Whoa, here he is holding a laptop! I’m actually doing a sculpture of a saint holding a laptop!’ That was absolutely amazing.” 

Schmalz is known for several works that are displayed outside St. Peter’s Square, including Angels Unawares, a bronze statue depicting a boat carrying migrants and refugees from different eras in history.

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The late Pope Francis admired the artist’s work and, before his death in April, approved the installation of a second statue — titled Be Welcoming — near the showers and medical clinic the Vatican runs for people in need.

Schmalz said the statue was initially set to be unveiled that month in Rome to coincide with the teen’s canonization. However, it was postponed due to the Pope Francis’ death, and the Vatican shipped the statue to its permanent home in Assisi.

Another unique feature of the sculpture is the inclusion of a sling hanging from the side of the teen’s backpack. Schmalz explained that its inclusion was a reference to David and Goliath, a connection he said “was revealed to me throughout the process of the piece.”

“As I was working on this, the David and Goliath story was always with me, about how here’s this young young man that’s in a sense using our modern-day sling — which is our technology — to fight this ‘Goliath’ of mainstream media that oftentimes trivializes spirituality, Christianity and especially Catholicism,” he said.

The new statue’s location in Assisi and its most notable saint, St. Francis, also factored into its design. The depiction of Blessed Acutis kneeling at the foot of the Cross was a “kind of nod to the traditional representation of St. Francis with Jesus.”

“His head is leaning on the Cross, and his hand is wrapped around the Cross. He almost merges as a part of the Cross, and I wanted that emotion to be put there. Yes, he’s on his knees showing his being a very humble person, but I think it’s the reaching of it, the wrapping of the hand, and the gentle leaning of his head on the Cross,” the artist said.

Blessed Acutis “was so much in love with St. Francis,” Schmalz said, adding that he was certain the teen “would appreciate these elements that are put within the sculpture.”

“I wanted to show that intensity and that passion and that devotion, just like St. Francis of Assisi,” he said.

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Schmalz said the modern elements included in the sculpture, as opposed to the more traditional, saintly garbs in other statues of saints, were an important feature that showed that Blessed Carlo Acutis is “a contemporary.”

“No Roman skirts; just jeans, a sweatshirt and a backpack,” he said. “So, I do believe that this saint is here for a reason, and it’s to encourage and act as a role model for young people.”