A British-born boy who died aged 15 has has today been made the first millennial saint in a ceremony by Pope Leo XVI.
Carlo Acutis used his passion for technology to spread his faith and has since had several miracles attributed to him.
Born in London and raised in Milan, the tech whiz learnt coding and harnessed his passion to inspire others and help his parish, including creating award-winning websites.
He died in October 2006 after suddenly falling ill with acute leukemia, having lived an ‘ordinary life which became extraordinary’, his parents said.
Acutis will be canonised today alongside 24-year-old Pier Giorgio Frassati, an activist dedicated to social justice causes.
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From London to Milan
Acutis was born in London in 1991 to non-observant Italian Catholic parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano.
Having moved to Britain in 1988 after Andrea became a corporate finance executive for Lazard Brothers & C. Ltd,the family returned to Milan soon after Acutis’ birth,
The young boy lived a ‘happy’ and ‘normal’ childhood, but gained religious inspiration from his Polish Catholic nanny.
Going pious
Devoting himself to the Church, Acutis insisted on attending mass every day and received a first communion at just seven years old, even though his parents were not highly observant.
He even practised Eucharistic adoration – praying before and after mass.
Acutis’ dedication earned him the nickname from his mother ‘Little Buddha’.
Using tech to preach the faith
Alongside his devotion to the faith, Acutis had a passion for tech and programming.
While still young, he read many high level books on the subject of computer science and became skilled at coding, including java and C++.
After being approached by a priest to create a website for his parish, he won a national competition called Sarai Volontario (You will be a volunteer).
Further harnessing his passion, Acutis embarked on his life-defining project, a website documenting 100 so-called Eucharistic miracles recognised by the church.
The project, in which he involved all his family, took more than two years and was completed on October 4, 2006, days before Acutis’ death.
Acutis’ work was exhibited at the Church of St Borromeo in Rome, although he was unable to attend the event himself as he had been hospitalised.
As well as enjoying regular hobbies including football and video games, Acutis used his spare time to reach out to the homeless and teach catechism at a local parish.
Sadly it would not be long before his life took a tragic turn for the worse.
Fatal illness
Acutis was found to have acute leukemia aged 15 in October 2006 after suddenly falling ill.
He was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed, and tragically died just days later.
According to his wishes, he was buried in Assisi, a hilltop town and pilgrimage destination on a hilltop with ties to St Francis of Assisi.
His tomb now a pilgrimage site
In 2019, his remains were exhumed and entombed in a glass case.
While rumours spread that his body showed no signs of decay when recovered – one of the signs of holiness – the clergy confirmed it was not found entirely intact.
His body has since been repaired to hide signs of decay, including through the construction of a silicon mask over his face and a wax mould placed over his body.
Millions have since visited the site, with some claiming miracles after praying at his tomb.
His glass-fronted case shows him wearing basic clothes, including Nike trainers, jeans and a sweatshirt.
Our Lady of Dolours Church in London, the Roman Catholic parish where Acutis was baptised, has also become a pilgrimage site for the new saint.
A confession booth to the side of the church has been converted into a shrine in his memory, complete with a single strand of his hair.
Miracles and sainthood
Acutis’ achievements during his short life were first made known to the church by friends and family in 2013, after the mandatory five-year waiting period following his death.
Most saints before Pope John Paul II waited decades or even centuries to be recognised, following a ‘cult of sanctity’ grown around them.
Declared ‘venerable’ in 2018, Acutis was then named ‘blessed’ in 2020 after he was attributed to the miraculous recovery of a child in Brazil with pancreatic deformation.
A second miracle was attributed to Acutis last year – the recovery of a Costa Rican student in Italy who developed a major head trauma from a cycling accident.
He was said to have healed after his mother visited and prayed at Acutis’ tomb.
Acutis’ own mother had twins on the anniversary of his passing in 2010, which she attributed to his intercession.
In Acutis, the Church would have no doubt seen a relatable role model for young children in an age of technology.
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