Carlo Acutis: Modern Teen Tech Whiz Becomes Catholic Church’s Youngest Saint

Historic Canonisation at Vatican

In a historic ceremony on September 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV declared 15-year-old Carlo Acutis as the first millennial saint during an open-air Mass attended by tens of thousands of people in the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Square.

A Modern Saint for the Digital Age

Acutis has emerged as an ordinary kid who accomplished extraordinary things, a typical Milan teen who went to school, played soccer and loved animals. In recent years, he has achieved near rock star-like fame among young Catholics, largely due to the Vatican’s efforts to present the next generation with a relatable, modern-day role model who used his technological talents.

Despite being precociously skilled with computers before the social media era, mastering college-level programming and coding as a youngster, Acutis maintained a balanced life. He deliberately limited himself to one hour of video games weekly, recognizing that human relationships were more valuable than virtual ones.

Legacy and Impact

His lasting legacy includes creating and managing a website for his local parish and a Vatican-based academy. His most significant contribution was developing an online database of Eucharistic miracles worldwide, available in nearly 20 languages, documenting 196 remarkable events in church history related to the Eucharist.

The Vatican has confirmed two miracles attributed to Carlo’s intercession since his death: the healing of a Brazilian child suffering from a pancreatic malformation and the recovery of a Costa Rican student injured in an accident.

Growing Influence

Since his beatification, Catholic schools from the Australian outback to England have been named after Acutis, alongside numerous ministries and parish initiatives. His sainthood has inspired widespread enthusiasm among Catholics, with Saint Carlo Acutis receiving prayers and requests for miracles from around the world – often through the internet. His tomb is even livestreamed 24/7 via webcam.

As Pope Leo XIV declared during the canonization, both Acutis and fellow saint Pier Giorgio Frassati created “masterpieces” of their lives by dedicating them to God. “The greatest risk in life is to waste it outside of God’s plan,” the Pope stated, adding that these new saints “are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces”.