Pope Leo XIV will canonize Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

One was a dedicated mountaineer who ended his letters with “verso l’alto,” meaning “To the heights,” and helped the poor; the other was the “first Millennial saint,” who used his computer skills to create a website cataloging all Eucharistic miracles. They will be canonized together this Sunday in Rome by Pope Leo XIV. They demonstrate that to become a saint, you don’t need to be a priest, religious, or live a long life.

Carlo Acutis (May 3, 1991 – October 12, 2006) was an Italian student born in Britain, known for his devotion to the Eucharist and his use of digital media to promote the Catholic faith. Born in London and raised in Milan, he created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions. Diagnosed with leukemia, he passed away at age fifteen. Beatified by the Catholic Church in 2020, he is regarded as a role model for young believers. 

Carlo loved sports and being with his friends, but after receiving his First Holy Communion, he was drawn to the Eucharist and began going to daily Mass. “Everyone is born original, but most end up dying as photocopies,” is one of his famous quotes. He understood that the goal of his life was not here on Earth but in Heaven: “Noble titles and money mean so little. What really counts in life is the nobility of the soul or the manner in which we love God and neighbor. . . all men and women are created by God.” 

When he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia, he accepted it bravely, offering his suffering for the Pope and the Catholic Church. He endured the painful days before his death without complaints, focusing on his goal to “die happy.”

Pier Giorgio Frassati (April 6, 1901 – July 4, 1925) was born and raised in Turin, Italy. Frassati, who died at age 24 from polio, showed compassion and charity from a young age. As a child, he answered the door to find a mother begging with her shoeless son. He immediately took off his shoes and gave them to the boy. A few years later, his father refused to help a man who came to their door because he was drunk. He told his mother about this and wouldn’t stop crying, so she told him to find the man and bring him inside for something to eat. As a teenager, he loved hiking in the mountains and climbing to the highest peaks: “Every day, my love for the mountains grows more and more. If my studies permitted, I’d spend whole days in the mountains contemplating the Creator’s greatness in that pure air.” 

Frassati was concerned about society and an advocate for Catholic Social Teaching – the faith should influence every aspect of a Catholic’s life. He wrote, “The faith given to me in baptism suggests to me surely: by yourself you will do nothing, but if you have God as the center of all your action, then you will reach the goal.”

He became a member of the youth organization Catholic Action, a Third Order Dominican and a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. 

Both of our soon-to-be saints are intercessors for the youth, patrons of the World Youth Days, and role models for young people today. If Carlo Acutis could be a “normal student,” a computer nerd, and a saint, then why not me? 

The Canonization will take place at 3 am CDT on Sunday, September 7. It will be livestreamed by EWTN, Rome Reports and Vatican News. You can rewatch the ceremony on their YouTube channels.