Carlo Acutis, the Italian teenager informally known as “God’s influencer,” will be declared the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint at a canonization Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, led by Pope Leo XIV.
Acutis died in 2006 at the age of 15 from acute promyelocytic leukemia in Milan. Despite his short life, the Church has attributed two miracles to him, leading to his sainthood.
His mother, Antonia Salzano, said her son was deeply faithful but lived life as a normal teenager. “He was a normal kid, he was a normal person, but he opened the door of his heart to God,” she told NBC News.
Born in London in 1991 while his father was working as a merchant banker, Acutis grew up in Milan. His mother recalled that even as a child, he showed generosity and a sense of responsibility toward others.
“If I wanted to buy, for example, two pairs of shoes, he used to say, ‘No, one is sufficient because there are people who are starving who don’t have anything to eat. So we don’t have to waste money. Let’s help other people,” she explained.
In 2020, Pope Francis approved the first miracle attributed to Acutis: the healing of a seven-year-old Brazilian boy with a rare pancreatic disorder after contact with one of Acutis’ t-shirts. Last year, a second miracle was recognized when a Costa Rican student recovered from severe head trauma after her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb.
Acutis, who taught himself computer programming, created a website cataloging more than 100 Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church. He regularly attended Mass and taught catechism at his parish.
“He wanted to help people to discover their faith, to discover God, the love of God. And all his life was spent for this. Even if he lived a normal life, like young boys of his age,” his mother said.
Acutis fell ill suddenly in 2006 and died within 10 days due to his condition. Reflecting on his suffering and her own, Salzano said, “If we leave suffering, offering to God, we can be in a certain way a little savior, like Jesus, we can help other people with our prayers.”
Sunday’s ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica will mark the first canonization presided over by Pope Leo XIV.
Acutis died in 2006 at the age of 15 from acute promyelocytic leukemia in Milan. Despite his short life, the Church has attributed two miracles to him, leading to his sainthood.
His mother, Antonia Salzano, said her son was deeply faithful but lived life as a normal teenager. “He was a normal kid, he was a normal person, but he opened the door of his heart to God,” she told NBC News.
Born in London in 1991 while his father was working as a merchant banker, Acutis grew up in Milan. His mother recalled that even as a child, he showed generosity and a sense of responsibility toward others.
“If I wanted to buy, for example, two pairs of shoes, he used to say, ‘No, one is sufficient because there are people who are starving who don’t have anything to eat. So we don’t have to waste money. Let’s help other people,” she explained.
In 2020, Pope Francis approved the first miracle attributed to Acutis: the healing of a seven-year-old Brazilian boy with a rare pancreatic disorder after contact with one of Acutis’ t-shirts. Last year, a second miracle was recognized when a Costa Rican student recovered from severe head trauma after her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb.
Acutis, who taught himself computer programming, created a website cataloging more than 100 Eucharistic miracles recognized by the Church. He regularly attended Mass and taught catechism at his parish.
“He wanted to help people to discover their faith, to discover God, the love of God. And all his life was spent for this. Even if he lived a normal life, like young boys of his age,” his mother said.
Acutis fell ill suddenly in 2006 and died within 10 days due to his condition. Reflecting on his suffering and her own, Salzano said, “If we leave suffering, offering to God, we can be in a certain way a little savior, like Jesus, we can help other people with our prayers.”
Sunday’s ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica will mark the first canonization presided over by Pope Leo XIV.
