On September 7, the Catholic Church canonized Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who died of leukemia in 2006, naming him the first “millennial saint” and the patron saint of the internet, reports Emily Mathee in the student newspaper at Niles North High School in Skokie, Illinois.
Acutis (Catholic Church England and Wales via Flickr Creative Commons)Known for his love of computer coding and video games, Carlo Acutis used his tech skills to build a website documenting Eucharistic miracles before his death. His canonization, presided over by Pope Leo XIV, has sparked conversation around how the Church can connect more deeply with younger generations.
For some students, Acutis’s story shows a new kind of representation.
“When I first heard about Carlo Acutis I was curious on why he was selected as a saint and thought it was the wrong call,” one senior at the school said. “But I think now it’s the right move for the Catholic Church because it adds representation for younger people and leads more people to become interested in Christianity [and] Catholicism.”
At the Academy of the Holy Names in Tampa, Florida, where Acutis is part of the theology curriculum, students and faculty have followed his journey closely.
“His canonization brings light to the importance of worship throughout one’s youth, staying close to the Eucharist, and helping others grow in their faith,” wrote Ava Radovic in that school’s student newspaper.
Director of Mission and Ministry Sister Lisa Perkowski added, “We can take any created thing (i.e., technology, the internet) and use it to build up the Church or benefit the common good — or not. As a young person, Carlo Acutis courageously chose using technology to educate others in the faith.”
Acutis’s path to sainthood has been unusually swift, requiring the Vatican to recognize two miracles attributed to his intercession: the healing of a Brazilian boy born with a digestive defect and the recovery of a Costa Rican girl with severe head trauma. Both families credit their prayers at Acutis’s tomb or in his name with the healings.
For Catholic youth today, Acutis’s sainthood is more than a historical milestone; it’s a reminder that faith can be lived authentically in the digital world. As Sister Perkowski told students, “His trust in God to live his faith so actively set him apart from his peers. His sainthood is so relevant to our students for these reasons; I pray he inspires you all.”
