Saint Carlo Acutis

Carlo was born in 1991 in London and grew up in Milan, Italy. From childhood he showed a faith that surprised his own family: he asked to receive First Communion at age 7, and from then on never missed a day of Mass. He called the Eucharist 'my highway to heaven'.

He was a completely normal kid: he loved video games, soccer, and computers. He used his programming talent to build an online exhibition about the Eucharistic miracles of the world, which has since traveled to thousands of parishes.

In 2006 he fell ill with an aggressive leukemia. He accepted it with astonishing serenity: 'I offer all this suffering to the Lord, for the Pope and for the Church.' He died at 15. He was beatified in 2020 and canonized in 2025, becoming the first millennial saint.

Carlo proves that holiness is possible today — in jeans, sneakers, and in front of a computer. He performed no spectacular miracles in life: he did ordinary things with extraordinary love, stood up for bullied classmates, and led others to the faith. His motto still challenges young people: 'All of us are born originals, but many die as photocopies.'

• John 6:51 — 'I am the living bread which came down from heaven': the Eucharist, the center of Carlo's life.

• Saint John Paul II
• Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
• The Blessed Virgin Mary