Pope Leo XIV has announced that Carlo Acutis, a teenager known for his faith and tech skills, will become the first Millennial saint on September 7. The news came during the Pope’s first public consistory in June, following his election in May, where he approved eight new saints. Acutis’s canonization, originally set for April by the late Pope Francis, was postponed after Francis’s death on April 21.
Born in London to Italian parents, Acutis spent most of his life in Milan, where his devotion to the Catholic Church shone brightly. He took his first communion at seven and, as a child, gave his money to the poor. As a teen, he prepared hot meals for the homeless, earning the title “God’s influencer” for using technology to spread his faith. His life was cut short at 15 by leukemia in 2006, but his story continues to touch hearts.
The Vatican credits Acutis with two miracles. In one, a Brazilian boy named Matheus Vianna, born with a dangerous condition called annular pancreas, was healed after his mother sought help from a priest blessing Acutis’s body. The priest touched the boy with a piece of Acutis’s clothing, and the family says he never fell ill again. In another case, a Costa Rican woman, Valeria Valverde, recovered from a brain hemorrhage after her mother prayed at Acutis’s tomb, leaving doctors stunned when the injury vanished.
These miracles paved the way for Acutis’s sainthood, a process nearly two decades in the making. His preserved body rests in Italy’s Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, a symbol of his lasting legacy. The delay caused by Pope Francis’s passing paused many Church activities, but Pope Leo’s announcement ensures Acutis’s canonization will proceed alongside that of Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died at 24 after serving the sick.
Acutis’s journey from a tech-loving teen to a saint is a powerful story of faith and generosity. His canonization on September 7 will mark a historic moment, showing how a young person’s kindness can inspire the world, blending modern life with timeless devotion.
