Italian Teen Becomes First Millennial Saint

(Rome, 8th) Pope Leo XIV of the Roman Catholic Church presided over the canonization ceremony at St. Peter's Square on Sunday (September 7), announcing two youth role models, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, as saints. Among them, Acutis is the first “millennial” saint.
Acutis was known as 'God’s Influencer' for his efforts to spread the Catholic faith through the internet. Acutis’ parents are Italian; he was born in London in 1991 and grew up in Milan in northern Italy.
Acutis attended Mass every day and was known for his kindness toward bullied children and the homeless. He loved computer games and taught himself programming, which he used to document miracles and other Catholic-related content online. In 2006, he passed away from leukemia at the age of 15.
According to Vatican certification, Acutis performed two miracles after his death, which is a necessary step for canonization. Acutis’ mother said his sainthood shows that "we are all called to be saints... everyone is special."
A 17-year-old believer who attended the canonization ceremony said: "Acutis is my role model because he combined daily life—school, football, and a passion for IT and computers—with steadfast faith."
Frassati, who is also Italian, loved mountain climbing and was a member of Italy’s Catholic youth movement, often helping the poor. In 1925, he died of polio at the age of 24.

This was the first canonization ceremony presided over by Leo XIV. The ceremony was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to the death of the previous pope, Francis.
In his sermon on Sunday, Leo XIV urged believers to emulate Frassati and Acutis: “Do not let this life slip by in vain, but direct it upwards, making it a masterpiece.”