holiness in today’s world. As the Church prepares to officially recognize Carlo as a saint, his by Barbara Isbister
Carlo Acutis - The First Millennial Saint
story resonates deeply, not only because of his remarkable spiritual maturity, but also because of how he embraced the internet as a tool for evangelization.
Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, Antonia Salzano and Andrea Acutis, Carlo was brought up in Milan. He exhibited an unusual devotion to his faith from early childhood, despite the fact that his parents were not particularly devout. Even as a young boy, he showed a deep love for the Eucharist, requesting to receive Holy Communion earlier than usual. After his first Holy Communion, aged seven, he told his mother: ‘To always be united to Jesus: This is my life plan.’ He called the Eucharist: ‘My highway to heaven.’
His devotion grew with him. He made every effort to attend Mass daily, taking his parents with him and inspiring them to return to practising the Catholic faith, prayed the Rosary faithfully, and spent hours in Eucharistic adoration. His devotion to the Eucharist would lead to inspiring a deep conversion for his mother. In addition, his Hindu au pair, Rajesh Mohur converted and was baptised. Carlo taught him to pray the rosary. Rajesh was most impressed by Carlo’s Carlo Acutis - credit Crux/Wikimedia Commons Carlo Acutis was born on 3rd May, 1991, making him a ‘millennial.’ The term is generally attributed to those born between 1981 and 1996. What is far more significant is that he is expected to be the first millennial saint, having been the first millennial to be beatified by the Catholic Church on 10th October, 2020 by Pope Francis and was due to be canonised on 27th April 2025.
History will be made in St. Peter’s Square as the Catholic Church canonises a 15-year-old Italian boy who used his short life to serve God and others in extraordinary ways. His elevation to sainthood will mark an important milestone for the Catholic Church and for young people seeking models of
devotion and love for the poor. Despite being born into a fairly wealthy family, he lived a life of simplicity, regularly giving food and sleeping bags to the homeless, defending bullied classmates, and offering kindness where it was most needed.
What made Carlo especially unique was his intuitive understanding of the internet’s power, and its potential for good. He loved animals, liked video games, Spiderman and Pokémon, but limited his play to less than two hours per week. A self-taught computer programmer, he developed websites and digital projects aimed at spreading the Catholic faith. Most notably, with help from his family, he created a comprehensive online catalogue of Eucharistic miracles from around the world, aiming to revive belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. His project, which he began at the age of 11, was released in 2005 during the Year of the Eucharist proclaimed by Pope John Paul II. It has since been translated into multiple languages and exhibited globally, impacting millions. It was this harmony between modern technology and timeless faith that led many to nickname him ‘God’s influencer.’ Carlo believed that the scientific evidence from Eucharistic miracles would help people to understand that Jesus is
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