Saint Carlo Acutis
A Saint for the Digital Age
Carlo Acutis is the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. Known as "God's Influencer," he was an Italian teenager and computer programmer who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15. His life shows how an ordinary young person can live a life of extraordinary holiness in the modern world. He used his passion for computers to share his faith, reminding us that we can find God in our everyday lives, hobbies, and friendships. His story offers a new and relatable model of sainthood for a generation growing up online.
In fact, Carlo's use of technology to spread the Gospel was a huge inspiration for this very website.
A Young Faith
Carlo was born in London on May 3, 1991, to Italian parents who were not very religious. The family moved back to Milan, Italy, soon after. From a very young age, Carlo showed a deep and natural faith. While his parents couldn't always answer his questions about God, his devout Polish nanny helped nurture his spiritual curiosity. His faith was not just a phase; it grew stronger with time. He chose to receive his First Communion at age seven and began attending Mass and praying the Rosary every day. His genuine devotion inspired his own family to deepen their faith, with his mother even taking a theology course to better understand the beliefs her son held so dearly.
Everyday Holiness
Carlo showed his love for God through his love for others, especially those in need. He used his allowance to buy food and blankets for homeless people in Milan. He had a special love for St. Francis of Assisi, admiring his humility and care for the poor. He stood up for classmates who were bullied, particularly students with disabilities. He was known for being a joyful and kind friend who helped his peers with their homework. His friendship even inspired his family's Hindu caretaker to convert to Catholicism. Carlo’s life shows that sainthood is found in small, consistent acts of love and kindness.
Detachment from "Cool"
From a well-off family, Carlo could have had the latest clothes and gadgets. Instead, he chose simplicity, often telling his mother he only needed one pair of shoes and that the money saved should go to the poor. He cared more about character than consumerism.
Holiness in Hobbies
Carlo was a typical teenager in many ways. He loved playing video games on his PlayStation and had a sweet tooth, especially for Nutella and ice cream. However, he recognized that even good things could become a distraction from God if not kept in balance. He saw the danger of wasting time or becoming "enslaved" by his passions. To practise the virtue of temperance, he made personal rules for himself, such as limiting his video game time to just one hour per week and giving up sweets as a small sacrifice. This shows how he strived to put God first in all things, turning even his ordinary struggles into acts of love.
"The Eucharist is my highway to heaven."
Carlo believed the Eucharist was the most direct path to God. This belief was the centre of his life, guiding his actions and filling him with a joy that he shared with everyone he met.
The Cyber-Apostle
Carlo had a remarkable, self-taught talent for computer science. He saw the internet not just as a tool for entertainment, but as a powerful way to evangelize and share the beauty of his faith. Starting at age 11, he spent over two years creating a website to catalogue every Church-approved Eucharistic miracle in history. This project, miracolieucaristici.org, became a virtual museum and a professional-level resource. The website was so successful that it was turned into a travelling physical exhibition that has been displayed in thousands of parishes and on university campuses across five continents, continuing his mission long after his death.
A screenshot of Carlo Acutis' website.
Acutis launched the website in 2004 and worked on it for two and a half years, involving his entire family in the project. It was unveiled on October 4, 2006, the Feast of St. Francis, only days before his death.
Final Days & Legacy
In early October 2006, Carlo was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukemia. He faced his illness and intense pain with incredible peace and faith, never complaining. He famously offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church. He told his parents, "I'm happy to die because I've lived my life without wasting even a minute of it doing things that wouldn't have pleased God." He passed away on October 12, 2006.
His tomb is in Assisi, a place he loved. He is buried in his favourite clothes: jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers, a visible reminder of his modern and accessible holiness. Millions of pilgrims, especially young people, have visited his tomb to pray.
"All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies."
This famous quote is a call to embrace the unique person God created you to be. Carlo encourages us to resist the pressure to conform and instead to live an authentic and faith-filled life.
The Path to Sainthood
The First Miracle: Healing in Brazil
The first miracle, which led to Carlo's beatification, involved a young Brazilian boy named Mattheus Vianna. He suffered from a rare birth defect in his pancreas that made it impossible for him to keep down food.
By 2013, Mattheus was dangerously underweight, and his life was at risk. During a prayer service at his local church, a relic of Carlo Acutis was made available. When it was his turn, Mattheus simply touched the relic and prayed, "I wish I could stop vomiting."
The healing was immediate and complete. From that moment on, he was able to eat solid food. Medical exams later confirmed that his pancreas was perfectly healthy and the birth defect had completely vanished. Doctors could not explain the healing medically. This miracle was officially recognized by the Church, and Carlo was declared "Blessed" on October 10, 2020.
The Second Miracle: Recovery in Italy
The second miracle, required for canonization, involved a 21-year-old university student from Costa Rica named Valeria Valverde, who was studying in Florence, Italy.
In July 2022, Valeria had a terrible bicycle accident and suffered a severe brain injury. Doctors had little hope she would survive. Six days after the accident, her mother, Liliana, made a pilgrimage to Assisi and spent the day praying on her knees at the tomb of Blessed Carlo.
That very same day, Valeria began to breathe on her own. The next day, she started to move and speak. Her recovery was incredibly fast. A scan showed the severe injury to her brain had disappeared. She left the hospital just over a week later, contrary to all medical expectations. This healing was recognized as the second miracle, paving the way for Carlo to be declared a saint.
What We Can Learn from Saint Carlo
Saint Carlo Acutis teaches us that holiness is achievable for everyone, right here and now. We don't have to wait for a perfect moment or a special calling to live a life pleasing to God. His story shows us several key lessons:
- Sanctify the Ordinary: Carlo found God in his schoolwork, friendships, and hobbies. He shows us that our daily lives are the primary place where we grow in holiness.
- Use Your Talents for Good: He used his passion for computers to create something that would bring others closer to Christ. Whatever our skills are, we can use them to serve God and our neighbours.
- Centre Your Life on the Eucharist: For Carlo, the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration were not just rituals, but the source of his strength and joy. He reminds us of the profound gift of Jesus' presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
- Be an Original: In a world that pressures us to conform, Carlo's life is a call to be the unique person God created each of us to be, living our faith authentically and without fear.
"When you stand in front of the sun you get a tan... but when you stand in front of Jesus in the Eucharist you become a saint."
Ultimately, Carlo's legacy is a message of hope. He shows that a young person, living in the modern world with all its distractions, can become a great saint by choosing to love God and others in every small action of their day.