Saints Gone Wild: Carlo Acutis, the First Millennial Saint

Dee da da doo da leee doot. (Duck Hunt Theme)

On September 7, 2025, Carlo Acutis was canonized as a saint by Pope Leo from the St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in Rome. As a revert to the Catholic faith, watching the canonization of a 15-year-old from Italy stopped me in my tracks. My first reaction? “What’s so special about some teenager with a laptop?” Turns out, this wasn’t just a kid—this was a soul on fire, whose mission to share the beauty of the Eucharist reached across generations, and even helped lead me back to the Church.

A Kid from Milan with a Mission

Carlo was born in London in 1991, but his family soon moved back to their home in Milan. His parents were baptized in the Church but were pretty much “cultural Catholics” (you know, check the boxes at Christmas and Easter, not much more). And yet, from a young age, Carlo was drawn to God in a way that baffled those that knew him. Friends and family called him mentor even as a boy. His faith wasn’t “lip service”; it was authentic—and contagious.

The Eucharist: Carlo’s Superpower

Like many cradle Catholics, I spent years zoning out during Mass. The Eucharist was just… part of the routine. It wasn’t until adulthood that I really grasped the Real Presence. But Carlo got it as a child. He had this laser-sharp awareness that Jesus Christ was truly, fully present in the Blessed Sacrament. And instead of keeping that treasure to himself, he wanted to show the world.

So, he did what any saint-in-training with a knack for coding would do—he built a multilingual, Vatican-approved site documenting Eucharistic miracles…. In the early 2000s….. As a preteen (FLASHBACK: When I was a preteen, my biggest project was finding the remote control after school, lost in the sofa… stressful stuff.) His site is still live, still beautifully designed, and still leading people to Christ. Seriously—go check it out.

“Go Make Disciples” (Without the Karaoke Machine)

Jesus calls us in Matthew 28 to go out and make disciples. For some people, that means street preaching with a karaoke mic on the corner in Southie. God bless ‘em—but that’s not me. Mission Ready Faith is my meager attempt to spread the good news.

Carlo? He evangelized with HTML. In middle school, he built his website chronicling the mysteries of the Eucharist, which became a global resource for Eucharistic faith. Meanwhile, here I am at 45, still fighting to figure out Instaface and trying to lock down my kid’s iPhone so he doesn’t stumble into the dark web (the interwebs is terrifying).

But God gives us gifts, and Carlo put his in action. I think that’s how its suppose to work—you use the gifts God gave you (whatever they are) to build His Kingdom.

Carlo’s Illness and Passing

In October 2006, Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. His illness progressed very quickly, and though he endured his suffering with remarkable faith (offering it up for the Church and the Pope) his condition worsened rapidly. Despite medical care, he died on October 12, 2006, at just 15 years old. His short but busy life left a profound impact, and dedication to spreading awareness of Eucharistic miracles continues to inspire the world.

Miracles Matter

As we saw in the BRILLIANT article by MRF (wink face emoji), miracles must be attributed to anyone being nominated for Sainthood, serving as evidence of their union with God. Here are the two miracles attributed to Saint Carlo’s canonization, which occurred after his death.

1. Healing of Mattheus (Brazil, 2013)Mattheus, born with a rare pancreatic condition, couldn’t keep food down and was wasting away. After praying before Carlo’s relics, he was instantly healed. Doctors confirmed his organ had changed physiology. The kid went from surviving on shakes to eating steak and fries the very day he was healed.

2. Healing of Valeria (Costa Rica, 2022)Valeria suffered severe head trauma in a bicycle accident. Her mother prayed at Carlo’s tomb in Assisi. Within days, Valeria’s brain hemorrhage disappeared, her condition improved dramatically, and she fully recovered—against all medical odds.

These miracles cleared the way for Carlo’s canonization, the first millennial saint.

Why Carlo Matters

Carlo’s story reminds us that holiness isn’t reserved for mystics in caves or martyrs in coliseums. It’s for ordinary people—kids with laptops, parents struggling through Mass with toddlers, guys like me rediscovering the faith after wandering.

Want to be inspired? Watch the excellent documentary I Am With You from EWTN and featuring Mary and Séamus from Ireland, who founded the organization Carlo Acutis Youth Ireland (@carlo_acutis_youth_irl). Also, check out the documentary Roadmap to Reality, (a Wahl St. Production). And above all, please check out Carlo’s Eucharistic Miracles website. To my Protestant friends, check it out—this site was a turning point for me. Go explore it with an open heart.

Saint Carlo Acutis, pray for us.

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