Carlo Acutis: The Millennial Saint
A momentous event is set to take place at the Vatican on 27 April as part of the Jubilee of Teenagers in Rome. Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who passed away from leukaemia at the age of 15 in 2006, will be canonised.
Known as “God’s influencer,” Acutis garnered this title for creating a website dedicated to Eucharistic miracles and using his computer skills to spread the faith. He is set to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint.
Originally born in London on 3 May 1991, Acutis grew up in Milan, Italy. He sadly passed away in a hospital in Monza on 12 October 2006.
In accordance with his final wishes, his body was transferred to Assisi, a hilltop town in central Italy, showcasing his deep devotion to St. Francis.
Over the past year, over one million pilgrims have made their way to Assisi to pay their respects to Acutis. His body, dressed in casual attire of jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers, is displayed behind protective glass in the Sanctuary of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major.
Acutis was beatified by Pope Francis on 10 October 2020 after a miracle was attributed to him. A Brazilian child diagnosed with a congenital disease was miraculously cured after prayers were made for Acutis’ intercession.
Following this beatification, Acutis became the Catholic Church’s first “blessed” millennial. A second miracle attributed to Acutis occurred in 2024, leading to his canonisation. A 21-year-old university student from Costa Rica made a full recovery after sustaining a severe head injury in a bicycle accident in Florence in 2022, thanks to the intercession of Acutis.
Italian authorities recently launched an investigation into the illicit online sale of alleged relics of Blessed Carlo Acutis after a formal complaint was filed by the bishop of Assisi.
The Mass and canonisation of Blessed Carlo Acutis is scheduled to take place in St. Peter’s Square on 27 April, Divine Mercy Sunday, at 10:30, as part of the Vatican’s Jubilee Year calendar of events.
Photo credit: Adrian Tusar / Shutterstock.com
