Għaxra Oħra Żgħar imma Kbar
16 October, 2025
On the occasion of the canonisation of the young Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Society of Christian Doctrine (SDC), through Preca Publications, has published Robert Aloisio’s book Għaxra Oħra Żgħar imma Kbar (Another Ten Young but Great Ones). This is the sequel to a book Aloisio published five years ago, Għaxra Żgħar imma Kbar (Ten Young but Great Ones). Both books deal with the lives of young people, many of them contemporary, who bore witness, through their words and actions, to their faith in Christ. The book is ideal for all adolescents and for those who accompany them, as it clearly shows that it is indeed possible to live well even today, in the 21st century.
Acutis and Frassati were young saints. Today, many might ask: can one really be a saint nowadays? And what are the children and young saints of the twenty-first century like? Yes, there are holy children and young people—and they are certainly not boring! They are joyful, creative, fascinating… cool! Boys and girls, young women and men, who speak to us through the goodness of their lives.
This book aims to be a modest expression of gratitude to these young brothers and sisters of ours, ten youths from different countries and cultures. Yet the saints are not there merely to be admired, but to be imitated.
Apart from Pier Giorgio Frassati, the book also presents six other young people whose holiness has been officially recognised by the Church, among them: Isidore Bakanja, a 22-year-old African youth who was killed by his Belgian employer and declared Blessed in 1994; Marcel Callo, a young French worker killed by the Nazis and declared Blessed in 1987; Anuarite Nengapeta, a 25-year-old African nun martyred during a civil war and declared Blessed in 1985; and Laura Vicuña, a 13-year-old Chilean girl declared Blessed in 1988.
Together with these, Aloisio includes three other well-known young saints: St Aloysius Gonzaga, St Maria Goretti, and St Thérèse of the Child Jesus. These young saints teach us a faith born of trust, like that of a child in their father, at a time when people have grown doubtful and suspicious of everything. They teach us enthusiasm, simplicity, freshness. They teach us not to be complicated. They teach us humility and trust in others. For children read hearts, not words. Above all, they teach us to believe. For they were all children and young people who truly believed. They were young in age but great in faith, ten others young but GREAT ONES!
At the end of the book, there is also a short interview with Antonia, the mother of Carlo Acutis, and a series of quotations from the writings and sayings of these young saints.
Robert Aloisio is a member of the Society of Christian Doctrine and author of several books, including Il-Papiet Kbar ta’ Żmienna (The Great Popes of Our Time) and Għoxrin Ġgant tas-Seklu Għoxrin (Twenty Giants of the Twentieth Century).
The book Għaxra Oħra Żgħar imma Kbar is available from Librerija Preca.
