Teen Tech Whiz Carlo Acutis to Make History as First Millennial Saint
A Modern Saint for the Digital Age
Carlo Acutis, who died of leukemia at age 15 in 2006, is set to make history as the first millennial saint at a solemn canonization Mass to be held by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square. His rise to near rock star-like fame among young Catholics is unprecedented in recent church history, largely due to the Vatican’s efforts to present a relatable, modern-day role model who used his technological talents to spread the faith.
From London to Sainthood
Born on May 3, 1991, in London to a wealthy Italian family, Acutis moved to Milan shortly after his birth, where he enjoyed a typical, happy childhood marked by his increasing religious devotion. He utilized his computer expertise to create and manage websites for his local parish and later a Vatican-based academy. His most significant contribution was developing an online database of Eucharistic miracles worldwide, available in nearly 20 languages, documenting 196 extraordinary events in church history.
A Saint for Today’s Generation
Acutis led an ordinary life as a typical Milan teenager who attended school, played soccer, and loved animals. Yet he distinguished himself by bringing food to the poor, attending Mass daily, and even inspiring his less-than-devout parents to return to church. He passed away at age 15 in 2006 after being diagnosed with leukemia. Before his death, he offered his suffering for the pope and the Church, expressing his hope to ‘go straight to heaven’.
Legacy and Impact
Despite his young age, Acutis showed remarkable wisdom regarding technology, choosing to limit himself to an hour of video games weekly, believing that human relationships were far more important than virtual ones. As the late Pope Francis noted, ‘Carlo was well aware that communications and social networking could lead to consumerism, yet he knew how to use new communications technology to transmit the Gospel, to communicate values and beauty’.
Acutis was beatified in 2020 after being credited with healing a Brazilian child of a congenital disease. The second miracle involved healing a university student in Florence who had suffered a brain hemorrhage after a bicycle accident. His canonization was formally approved in July 2024, and while initially scheduled for earlier this year, it was postponed following Pope Francis’s death in April. Now, Pope Leo XIV will declare Acutis a saint alongside another popular Italian, Pier Giorgio Frassati.
