Meet the “Millennial Saint” – Blessed Carlo Acutis to be canonized

Carlo Acutis was born to a simple Italian family in London on May 3, 1991. At 3 months old, the Acutis family moved back to Milan, and there Carlo grew up. From an early age, Carlo had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and recited the rosary daily. He made his first Communion at 7 years old, and tried to receive Communion daily and attend weekly confession. 

Carlo was notably a friend to everyone. Whether it was teaching Catechism classes for children, standing up for his peers with disabilities who were being bullied at school, or inviting his friends who were struggling through their parents’ divorces to come over to his house, Carlo had a heart driven to compassionate others. He made a “kit for becoming Saints” for the children he taught Catechism to, with step-by-step instructions:

1. You have to want it with all your heart and if you still don’t want it you have to ask the Lord insistently. 
2. Try to go to Holy Mass every day and take Holy Communion.
3. Remember to recite the Holy Rosary every day.
4. Read a passage of Holy Scripture every day.
5. If you can, do a few moments of Eucharistic Adoration in front of the Tabernacle where Jesus is actually present so you will see how your level of holiness will prodigiously increase.
6. If you can, confess even venial sins every week.
7. Often make resolutions and little sacrifices to the Lord and Our Lady to help others.
8. Continuously ask for help from your Guardian Angel who must become your best friend. 

In an interview, Carlo’s mother emphasized that Carlo was just a normal kid, with the exception that he had an absolutely unique friendship with Jesus. At seven years old, he told her, “To always be united with Jesus, this is my life plan.” Another thing not so unusual for a teenager is that Carlo had a great love of sports, but also video games and the internet. 

In early October of 2006, only a year into high school, Carlo fell ill with what originally appeared to just be the flu. After a week, his condition became grave and he was taken to a hospital in Milan, where he was diagnosed with M3 acute leukemia. Carlo requested and received the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion, and then the next day he fell into a coma from a brain hemorrhage. While he desired to be an organ donor, his request was rejected because the leukemia had compromised his organs. A day later, on Thursday, October 12, 2006, Carlo died at 15 years old. He requested to be buried in Assisi, and in 2019 his body was exhumed and found intact – not incorrupt, for he was decaying, only very slowly. Carlo’s remains were moved to the Shrine of the Renunciation at the Church of St. Mary Major in Assisi, and his body is visible to pilgrims there. He may be the first saint to be buried in Nike sneakers, jeans, and athletic jacket! 

Carlo had a great passion and zeal for the Eucharist. He wanted nothing more than to spend time with the Blessed Sacrament and share it with others. One of his most famous quotes is “Everyone is born original, but many die like photocopies.” To prevent “dying a photocopy,” Carlo drew strength from the Sacraments. One of his greatest achievements that has lasted well beyond his death was actually developing a website that cataloged Eucharistic miracles from around the world. He began this project when he was only 11 years old. Today, the research that he compiled has become an international traveling exhibition. The website is still up and running today, and viewers and select specific countries or mystics that experienced these miracles. To learn more about his mission of Eucharistic revival and the miracles he researched, visit his website at http://www.miracolieucaristici.org/

Pope Francis has now officially recognized the miracle attributed to Blessed Carlo Acutis, needed for his canonization. A young girl attending university in Florence had fallen from her bike in July of 2022 and suffered a severe head trauma, requiring surgery to remove the right occipital bone to reduce the pressure on her brain, and the doctors informed her mother that her chances of survival were low. Her mother immediately prayed to Blessed Carlo Acutis and made a pilgrimage to his tomb in Assisi. The same day her mother started the pilgrimage, the girl began to breathe spontaneously. By September, she made a full recovery and made another pilgrimage to Assisi to thank Carlo for his intercession.

Be on the lookout for his canonization date in 2025!