Pope Francis made a special personal call last week. It was to share his condolences to the mother of Luca Re Sartù—the 24-year-old Italian who tragically passed away after returning home from World Youth Day.
On the night of his return from Lisbon, he was taken to the hospital for a bacterial infection. There, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died just two days later.
A funeral was held in his hometown of Marnate, Italy, a city of less than 8,000 people near Milan.
The city of Marnate proclaimed August 18 as a day of mourning for the life of Luca Re Sartù. Flags were flown at half-staff for the profound impact that Luca had on his community.
AT