A Saint in Sneakers
On a warm September morning in St. Peter’s Square, tens of thousands of pilgrims, many of them teenagers clutching smartphones, witnessed a moment that marked a historic shift in the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV declared Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old gamer and tech prodigy who died of leukemia in 2006, to be considered as a saint - the first of the millennial generation to be canonized. The crowd erupted into applause, some livestreaming the ceremony to social media, others praying quietly with tears in their eyes. It was a scene that fused old-world ritual with the digital reality of the 21st century. In the middle of it all was Carlo, a boy who had once loved Super Mario and Pokémon, who coded websites after school, and who wore sneakers and hoodies like any other teenager. Except now, he was being proclaimed holy.
Childhood and Faith
Born in 1991 in London to Italian parents, Carlo moved to Milan at a young age. His upbringing was comfortable, but his spiritual depth quickly became noticeable. From the age of seven, he developed a devotion to the Eucharist, which he famously described as his “highway to heaven.” He lived a life of quiet faith: attending daily Mass, praying the rosary, volunteering at parish activities, and helping classmates who struggled with schoolwork or personal problems. To his peers, he was approachable, funny, and ordinary. But beneath that ordinariness was a burning conviction that holiness was not reserved for the old saints in stained glass, but possible for anyone, even in jeans and a t-shirt.
A Digital Missionary
Carlo’s genius was recognizing that the internet as a tool often accused of distracting young people from faith could also be a vessel for evangelization. Long before Instagram reels and TikTok challenges, he created a website cataloguing Eucharistic miracles from around the world. The project was massive, and he poured his heart into it, using his coding skills to present miracles in a clear, accessible way. His vision was simple: if young people spent hours online, why not give them a reason to encounter God there too? His work earned him the nickname “God’s Influencer.” It was not an ironic moniker. His digital archive spread globally, translated into multiple languages, and inspired traveling exhibitions that continue to circulate today.
The Short Life and Early Death
In 2006, at just 15, Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The illness advanced quickly, and within days of hospitalization, he asked that his suffering be offered “for the Pope and for the Church.” On October 12, 2006, Carlo passed away, leaving behind grieving parents, classmates, and a legacy that seemed destined to fade with time. But it didn’t. His funeral drew large crowds, and stories of his kindness, humility, and creativity began to circulate.
Young people who had followed his work online testified to how his faith influenced them. Slowly, a movement formed one that would grow into a cause for sainthood.
The Miracles That Changed Everything
The path to canonization is not only about personal holiness but also about proof of divine intercession. For Carlo, two miracles were recognized by the Vatican:
- The Brazilian Boy (2013): A child suffering from a rare and debilitating pancreatic condition reportedly recovered after prayers were offered to Carlo. The case stunned doctors, who could not explain the healing.
- The Costa Rican Student (2022): A young woman named Valeria suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from her bicycle in Florence. Her prognosis was grim, but her mother traveled to Carlo’s tomb in Assisi and prayed for her recovery. Within days, Valeria awoke, her injuries inexplicably healed.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints investigated both cases and confirmed them as miraculous. These events, combined with the widespread devotion Carlo inspired, paved the way for his canonization.
Beatification and Canonization
In 2020, Pope Francis beatified Carlo in Assisi, placing him one step away from sainthood. At the time, the Pope praised Carlo as a role model for young people, calling him an example of how the internet can be used to spread good. But it was not until September 7, 2025, under the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, that Carlo was canonized as a saint. The ceremony was more than a religious event; it was a cultural one. Images of Carlo in casual clothes were displayed across giant screens in the Vatican, while youth choirs performed modern hymns alongside traditional chants. The Church had canonized saints before, but never one who could have been your classmate in computer science or your teammate in a soccer match.
A Saint for Millennials and Gen Z
Carlo’s canonization is historic not only for his age but also for what he represents. He is the first saint of the digital generation, a teenager who bridged the gap between tradition and technology. In an age where the Church often struggles to connect with younger audiences, Carlo offers a compelling figure: approachable, modern, and relatable. He did not renounce technology but showed how it could be used for spiritual growth. He didn’t live in a monastery but in an apartment. He didn’t avoid video games, he enjoyed them, but without letting them dominate his life. His example tells young Catholics: holiness is not about rejecting modern life but living it with purpose.
Critics and Questions
Not everyone has been entirely comfortable with the speed and style of Carlo’s canonization. Some critics argue that the Vatican is using him as a marketing tool to reach young audiences, worried that his image risks being commercialized. Others note that many saints lived for decades in heroic virtue, whereas Carlo’s life was brief and ordinary. But defenders point out that sanctity is not measured in years but in authenticity. Carlo lived with extraordinary faithfulness in the time he had, and his ordinary teenage habits make his example more powerful.
Pilgrimages and Popularity
Today, Carlo’s tomb in Assisi has become one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Italy. His incorrupt body, displayed in sneakers and a sweatshirt, draws millions of visitors every year. Pilgrims, especially the young, feel connected to him in a way few other saints allow. His story has spread worldwide, sparking documentaries, youth events, and even online communities dedicated to prayer and digital evangelization in his spirit.
Legacy and Symbolism
Carlo Acutis’s canonization symbolizes more than one boy’s holiness. It signals a Church adapting to a new era, recognizing that sanctity is not frozen in medieval cathedrals but alive in modern lives. He is a saint who speaks the language of code and memes, but whose message is timeless: live with faith, love, and purpose. Pope Leo XIV summarized it during the canonization ceremony: “Carlo shows us that holiness is not distant. It is possible here, now, in the digital world, in the ordinary lives of our young people.”
A Saint for Our Times
Carlo Acutis is not just the first millennial saint who is a saint for the internet age, a patron for gamers, coders, and young people navigating the complexities of modern life. His canonization reminds the world that sanctity is not about rejecting who we are but about elevating it. In a society often divided between tradition and progress, faith and technology, Carlo offers a bridge. A teenager who transformed his laptop into a pulpit, his passion into a mission, and his short life into an enduring testimony of holiness. For the millions who now look to him for inspiration, Carlo Acutis is proof that even in the age of Wi-Fi and smartphones, saints are still being made.
