2 meters high, statue of Carlo Acutis, the 'saint of the internet', is installed in a square in the interior of SP

'Internet saint': 2-meter-high statue of Carlo Acutis is installed in Pompeii Less than a year ago, Carlo Acutis was canonized by the Catholic Church and became known as the first saint of the millennial generation. Young, passionate about technology, the boy raised in Italy used the internet to spread faith and Eucharistic miracles. He died at the age of 15, a victim of leukemia. But Carlo’s story didn’t just stop in Italy. In Brazil, devotion to the young saint also reached Pompeia (SP), a city about 30 kilometers from Marília, where an image approximately two meters high was installed in the square of the Paróquia Nossa Senhora do Rosário. The statue, according to the community, is considered the largest image of Carlo Acutis in Brazil. ? Join the g1 Bauru e Marília channel on WhatsApp The idea was born from a group of young people from the parish. For Guilherme Bonfim, coordinator of the group and one of the project's creators, the intention was to transform Carlo into a reference for those who are beginning to walk in faith. A 2 meter high statue of Carlo Acutis was installed in the square in front of the church in Pompeia Robson do Carmo/ TV TEM READ ALSO University pastor in the interior of SP receives strands of hair from Carlo Acutis 1st parish dedicated to the internet saint is in SP and keeps a fragment of his skin Find out who the young Carlo Acutis is, known as the 'patron saint of the internet' "Our intention is really to make Carlo a reference for young people. That's how The desire to place a statue there came about,” he says. The project began to be thought about last year and the production process, carried out by a company in Londrina, lasted around eight months. The image that shows Carlo, with a backpack on his back and jeans was inaugurated during the parish's Youth Week, at the beginning of August. "The image remained inside the church during every day of the youth week, on the last day, we went together with all the faithful who were participating, in a procession, and placed it there. And what I have seen a lot are people who have stopped to see the image, in the traffic here, cars pass very slowly. And we see people making the sign of the cross". "There are people who send kisses, say goodbye. There was a family, this week, who stopped their car here in the parking lot and took their son there to say a prayer, because he was devout", he says in an interview with g1. The image was intentionally placed facing the highway that connects several cities. "Carlo himself said that the highway to heaven is the Eucharist, that's why he is facing the highway. The cars passing by are heading to Marília, to Oriente, to São Paulo. They are going to their 'highway', they have a destination." "And this makes us reflect: what is our destiny? Which road do we have to take to get to heaven, our path of holiness? And Carlo has already said: prayer, charity, our Lord and the Eucharist", he concludes. The place became a point of prayer and devotion to the internet saint in Pompeia Robson do Carmo/ TV TEM Devotion that began before canonization But the Pompeii community's relationship with Carlo Acutis began before he became a saint. Guilherme and Father Antônio Padula, responsible for the parish, traveled to Italy in 2025 to closely follow the canonization of the young Italian. The ceremony, which was scheduled for April of that year, ended up being postponed after the death of Pope Francis. Even so, the journey did not end there. They headed to Assisi, Italy, where they visited Carlo's tomb. From there, they began sharing photos and videos with young people in the parish. "We went to Italy to participate in the canonization, but Pope Francis died and the canonization was postponed. Even so, we went to Assisi and visited his tomb. We made a lot of stories and sent videos to the people here. That's how we created a whole charisma around Carlo", said Guilherme. The canonization took place months later, in September 2025. But, in Pompeii, devotion had already taken root. "Even before he was canonized, we continued praying to him. Every Youth Week we talk a lot about him. And that year we thought: what can we do differently? And we made the statue. Our region was a pioneer. And from then on we saw other cities also starting to have fervor, to have devotion to Carlo.", he explains. Relics Church in Pompeii also has relics of Carlo Acutis on display Robson do Carmo/ TV TEM In the church, between the image of Carlo Acutis and the Blessed Sacrament, faith takes shape. Protected by glass, the reliquaries attract the attention of those who visit the parish. Among the relics are strands of Carlo's hair and fragments of the coffin in which he was buried. Next to it, a petal of a white flower that fell on Carlo's tomb was also preserved. According to Guilherme, it has remained intact for around two years, without having withered. For Catholic believers, relics are objects linked to the history of the saints. They can be body parts, objects that belonged to them or items that had contact with other relics. Carlo's hair was given by the saint's mother, who now lives in Italy, after a conversation with Father Fábio, responsible for spreading the story of Carlo Actuis in Brazil and around the world. "Father Fábio lived with Carlo's family in Italy, participated in the beatification and canonization process. We invited him to come here and he accepted immediately. When he came, he brought us the relics", says Guilherme. Brazil in the canonization process In addition to the devotion of many young Brazilians, one of the miracles attributed to Carlo's intercession and recognized by the Church in the canonization process took place in Brazil. A boy, now 15 years old, resident of Campo Grande (MS) was cured of a rare and serious condition, with no medical explanation in October 2013, when he was just 3 years old, after he touched a reliquary