Italian Teen Carlo Acutis to Become First Millennial Saint

The Catholic Church is set to canonize Carlo Acutis on Sunday, making the Italian teenager the first millennial to be declared a saint. The ceremony, which will take place in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, will see the British-born youth elevated to the same level as venerated figures like Mother Teresa and Francis of Assisi. The canonization, led by Pope Leo XIV, is a landmark event that reflects a new emphasis by the Church on finding models of holiness in the digital age.
Carlo Acutis died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15. Known by many as “God’s influencer,” he was a modern-day digital missionary who used his skills in computer programming to spread his Catholic faith. He is celebrated for having created a website that meticulously documented Eucharistic miracles from around the world, cataloging over 150 instances in nearly 20 languages. The website, which he launched in 2004, became a popular tool for religious instruction in parishes globally and demonstrated how technology could be used as a force for spiritual good.
Acutis’s path to sainthood was formally recognized after two miracles were attributed to him. The first was the healing of a young Brazilian boy with a rare pancreatic disorder in 2013, and the second was the recovery of a woman in Italy who faced life-threatening complications during childbirth. His body, which was found to be incorruptible, was moved to a church in Assisi, Italy, in a pilgrimage that attracted thousands of devotees. His final resting place, where he is entombed in a wax mold of his likeness wearing a tracksuit and jeans, has become a popular devotional site.
The canonization is of particular significance for the Catholic Church as it seeks to connect with younger generations who have become increasingly disengaged from organized religion. Acutis, who enjoyed video games and sports, is seen as an accessible and inspirational figure who lived a modern, ordinary life while also maintaining a deep faith. As Pope Leo XIV prepares to canonize him alongside Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the event is being hailed as a sign of hope for the future of the Church, with Acutis serving as a powerful example of how to live a holy life in a technology-driven world.