Miracles Around the World

The inspiration came from my Confirmation saint, Blessed Carlo Acutis, a teenage tech enthusiast and the first millennial on the path to sainthood. Carlo used his love for computers to create a website that documented Eucharistic miracles across the world. 

I wanted to make a game that reflected the global nature of Catholicism and encouraged both curiosity and prayer. I spent time researching devotions and miracles from all over the world, being intentional about including countries not always associated with Catholic traditions, like those in Africa and Asia. My goal was to make every player feel represented and invited into reflection.

The gameplay is simple: users click on a country and a description of a Catholic miracle or local devotion appears. After reading, they’re asked whether they’d like to read a short prayer, which I wrote myself to match the tone and cultural context of each story. These prayers are short, accessible, and personal.

Some of the featured miracles include the Eucharistic miracle of Lanciano in Italy, where the host turned to human heart tissue; Our Lady of Guadalupe’s apparition in Mexico, where Mary’s image remains preserved on a tilma nearly 500 years later; and Lourdes in France, where a spring of healing water emerged after a Marian apparition. I also included Vietnam’s story of Our Lady of La Vang, who appeared to persecuted Catholics hiding in the jungle.

Many of the devotions I included are Marian, which felt fitting. The Virgin Mary plays a central role in Catholic spirituality, and writing prayers to her felt natural and personal. Each prayer is shaped around the country’s unique miracle or tradition—whether it’s asking for healing, comfort, courage, or peace.

Though it’s not the most complex game I’ve built, it’s the most spiritually important to me. Creating it deepened both my programming skills and my faith, showing me that code doesn’t have to be secular.