Who was Carlo Acutis, the Italian teen set to become the first millennial saint?
Source: X
Carlo Acutis, a British-born Italian teenager who died in 2006, will officially become the Catholic Church's first millennial saint on September 7, according to a Vatican announcement.
The canonization will be led by Pope Leo XIV, the Church's first American pontiff, and marks his first saint-making ceremony. The event is expected to draw many young Catholics especially who have come to see Carlo as a relatable spiritual guide in the digital age.
Along with Carlo, the Pope will also canonize Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at the age of 24 in 1925. Frassati was an avid mountaineer and Third Order Dominican known for his charitable outreach.
But behind the titles and ceremonies, who exactly was Carlo Acutis?
Born on May 3, 1991, in London to Italian parents, Carlo moved to Milan as a child. He was described by teachers and friends as generous, tech-savvy, and spiritually wise beyond his years. While his peers were caught up in video games, Carlo also found time to volunteer with the homeless, tutor younger students, and assist immigrants and the elderly.
At age 11, he began documenting Eucharistic miracles—events believed by the Church to involve the real presence of Jesus in the consecrated host—creating a website that would later become a worldwide exhibition translated into multiple languages.
His efforts earned him the nickname 'God's influencer.'
As a teenager, he used his computer-coding skills to create a website that catalogued Eucharistic miracles from around the world. His digital exhibition—featuring over 100 documented cases—has since traveled to thousands of parishes across five continents, earning him the nickname 'God's influencer.'
'He could have been just another kid obsessed with computers,' his mother, Antonia Salzano, told CNN, 'but instead he used that passion to talk about God and inspire others.'
Carlo is also remembered for his profound quotes, including: 'All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.'
Source: X
Tragic turn of events
Acutis' life took a tragic turn in October 2006, when he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. He died within days, at just 15 years old. Yet he faced death with calm faith. He reportedly told his parents, 'I'm happy to die because I've lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't please God.'
Initially buried in Monza, Carlo's body was later moved to Assisi, the home of St. Francis, where it now lies on display in a glass tomb. Pilgrims, especially teenagers, regularly visit to pray and reflect.
Carlo was beatified in 2020, after the Vatican recognized the healing of a Brazilian boy with a rare birth defect as his first miracle. A second miracle, involving the recovery of a Costa Rican girl from brain trauma, was approved in 2024, clearing the path to sainthood.
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