Pinoy sculptor of Blessed Carlo Acutis image gets more work

ON WAY TO SAINTHOOD. The first statue of Blessed Carlo Acutis in the country made by sculptor Felman Bagalso of Paete, Laguna. Acutis could be the Catholic church’s first millennial saint following his beatification on Oct. 10, 2020. (PNA Photo)

MANILA – As Blessed Carlo Acutis is one step closer to becoming the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint, his beatification came as a blessing to the Filipino sculptor who made his first statue in the country.

Nenett Bagalso, wife of sculptor Felman Limlengco Bagalso, of Paete, Laguna, said that aside from the first statue, they have been asked to create two more statues.

“There is a priest who asked for two statues, detailed wood sculpture and another one that can be dressed up.

His parish is in Batanes,” she said in an interview on Tuesday.

The sculptor’s wife added that the first statue is three feet in height and is made of baticulin wood.

She said her husband started working on the statue in February, at the time when the news about Acutis’ beatification came out.

“The owner is a seminarian, who is studying in Italy and is from Tarlac. (I think from the) Aquino family,” Bagalso added.

The creation of the image was guided by the Association of the Friends of Carlo Acutis in Italy and Carlos’ mother, Antonia.

On Saturday, the statue of Blessed Carlo Acutis has been blessed, according to the Facebook post of Veronikon Films.

Acutis, an Italian computer geek who died of leukemia at the age of 15, became the first millennial to be beatified on October 10.

He has a great devotion to the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.