Blessed Carlo Acutis inspired the son of a Hindu Brahmin priest to be baptized Catholic through the young boy's joyful witness to Jesus' presence in the Eucharist and his love for the poor.
In an interview, Rajesh Mohur recounted his spiritual journey and how he came to know Acutis, the young computer whiz who became the first millennial beatified by the Catholic Church and the patron of the upcoming World Youth Days.
Mohur grew up on a small island in the Indian Ocean off the African coast, about 1300 kilometers east of Madagascar. Like most inhabitants of Mauritius, Mohur was Hindu. He grew up speaking Creole and studying Sanskrit, the ancient language used in Hindu scriptures.
The Mohur family belonged to the priestly Brahmin caste, the highest of the four castes in Hindu society. Mohur's father was a Hindu priest who presided over the Hindu association of Mauritius.
Mohur recalls:
"My father taught me from the beginning all the prayers… and the Indian scriptures."
At the age of 16, Mohur's father sent him to India to continue his studies in Gujarat, the city where Mahatma Gandhi was born. During his time in India, Mohur became even more immersed in Hindu culture and religious practices.
"I visited so many temples. I met so many gurus at the meditation center, and I met swamis," said Mohur.
I witnessed all these places. It was peaceful, you know. It was nice. But your life doesn't change. I was searching for a living God.
"My journey has always been to find something that… by myself, deep down, I could not accomplish."
After being accepted into a university in Rajasthan, Mohur ended up staying in India, where he earned a bachelor's degree in physics. He planned to enroll in a master's program in England when he learned of his father's death. With his family facing financial difficulties, he felt compelled to return to Mauritius to help.
After his father's death, Mohur intensified his devotion to Hindu prayers. He prayed every day, often with a feeling of anger and bitterness. "I always prayed: Why am I in such a situation?" he says.
At the time, it was difficult to find work in Mauritius. Mohur had heard that Italy was not as strict as other countries regarding work visas at the time, and so he immigrated there to find work in the mid-1980s. After living and working in Italy for more than ten years, Mohur was hired by the Acutis family in December 1995 to care for Carlo.
"I met Carlo, such a small child," recalls Mohur.
His first impression of Acutis, with his brown, curly hair, was that he looked like the little cherubs seen in paintings and sculptures in Milan. On his second day working for the family, Mohur remembers little Carlo approaching him with a big smile and a gift – a piece of chewing gum.
On rainy days, Acutis would sometimes watch video cassettes of cartoons based on the Bible and the lives of the saints with Mohur, who watched with some interest because he had not been much exposed to Catholicism.
After Acutis made his First Communion at age 7, Mohur would accompany him to the church on the corner for Mass or to pray on the way to school.
Mohur observed the change in young Acutis's behavior when he entered a church. While Acutis prayed before the tabernacle, Mohur would sit quietly in the back and observe the boy praying with seriousness.
"His behavior changed when he entered the church, with all due respect. He knew there was something different where Jesus lives. … That touched my heart … when I saw Carlo's behavior," he said.
Acutis was eager to talk to Mohur about the things he loved: heaven, the Mass, and Jesus' presence in the Eucharist. He explained everything with "such gentleness," says Mohur.
"He always spoke about the Eucharist, about Jesus, about how he suffered for us… sacrificed his life for us," said Mohur. "Carlo told me that, wherever you go, you can find Jesus in flesh, bone, and blood [in the tabernacle]."
Mohur also observed the Acutis family's attentiveness and concern for others. He recounts that young Carlo once gathered his toys, including some nice Christmas gifts from his grandparents and parents, and asked Mohur to accompany him to the park to sell his toys and give the money to the poor.
He collected the money and there were poor people in front of the church. They were sleeping on the ground in winter. It was very cold. … He said they were suffering, you know. They needed help, recounts Mohur.
When I saw Carlo's actions, from such a small child, I converted.
Acutis helped Mohur learn to pray the Rosary and invited him to recite it with him and his parents.
"He had gotten into the habit of reciting the Holy Rosary every night before going to bed," recalls Mohur.
Acutis explained to Mohur that a person can pray the Rosary without being baptized, but only practicing Catholics can receive the Holy Eucharist. Acutis explained that the Eucharist is the culmination of charity and that virtues are acquired through a sacramental life.
"He knew the Catechism of the Catholic Church almost by heart and explained it so brilliantly that he managed to make me understand the importance of the sacraments," said Mohur.
"So, slowly, slowly… he spoke to me about the importance of baptism and many other things," he added. All these experiences changed my life. And I was able to see the living God.
Four years after first meeting Acutis, Mohur was baptized. He was in his thirties at the time and, as an adult entering the Catholic Church, he received all the Catholic sacraments of initiation at once: baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation during a Mass celebrated in Acutis's parish in 1999.
The Acutis family then held a party for Mohur and his friends, sharing treats and snacks in their apartment. Mohur let Carlo choose the place for dinner. He recounts that Carlo suggested: "Let's go to the Chinese restaurant today because it's a special day."
Mohur replied jokingly: "It's special for me, but it's even more special for you because you love Chinese food." Joking aside, Acutis later told his parents: "There are many people who do not realize the infinite gift that baptism is."
After his baptism and First Communion, Mohur joined Acutis in attending daily Mass, but as a full participant in Communion rather than as an observer.
A few years later, when Mohur's mother came from Mauritius to visit her son in Milan, Acutis invited Mohur's mother to come with them to Mass; she later said she didn't understand anything. Besides being unfamiliar with the Catholic faith, Mohur's mother did not speak Italian, so Acutis conversed with her in English.
He would sit in the kitchen with Mohur's mother and talk to her in English about Jesus and the Catholic faith. He told her the story of the Virgin Mary's apparition in Lourdes, France, in such a convincing way that she wanted to visit the pilgrimage site. With the help of the Acutis family, Mohur's mother stayed in Lourdes for a week.
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Upon her return to Mauritius, she asked to be baptized. After her baptism, Mohur's mother visited the sick in Mauritius and prayed with them, using a little holy water from Lourdes.
That was Carlo's magic, says Mohur. He could convert me and convert my mother too.
This article was originally published in English by Catholic World Report (Article Link). It is republished and translated with the author's permission.