By Remee Vargas
On September 7, Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis as a saint. Blessed Carlo was described by Pope Francis earlier this year as a “young saint of and for our times, (who) shows you, and all of us, how possible it is in today’s world for young people to follow Jesus, share His teachings with others, and so find the fullness of life in joy, freedom and holiness.”
Blessed Carlo is the first person of the millennial generation to be canonized and is truly a saint for our times – a jeans-and-T-shirt-wearing, pizza-eating computer geek who loved Jesus and strove to inspire others to believe in the real presence, love the Eucharist and return to Mass and Eucharistic Adoration. At only 15 when he died from Leukemia in 2006, he discovered his devotion as a child through the rosary. After receiving first Communion at age 7, he attended daily Mass to receive the Eucharist, a practice that inspired his mother, family and friends to renew their faith.
He expressed his devotion beyond the walls of the Church, including standing up for classmates who were bullied, serving food to homeless people and passionately defending life from the moment of conception. Yet he also lived his life like a typical teenager: being goofy, playing video games, playing soccer, eating pizza (his favorite food), going to school, devouring information about topics he was passionate about and taking full advantage of the technology available to him.
In fact, Blessed Carlo’s technology skills are why he is the patron saint of the Internet. He taught himself computer coding, mastering the C and C++ programming languages and ultimately used this knowledge to create a unique and lasting legacy. At age 11, he began building a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles (www.miracolieucaristici.org/). After three years, he finished compiling the documents on the site (available in 19 languages) describing more than 100 miracles, including source material for churches to create their own physical exhibitions.
Blessed Carlo’s greatest legacy may be the example he set — that one can still be a typical teenager while prioritizing a devotion to faith. He proved it to be both achievable and a source of inspiration. Since his first Communion, he loved the Eucharist and believed that “the more Eucharist we receive, the more we will become like Jesus.” He believed in the real presence, loved the Eucharist and saw Jesus as his friend.
During a 2023 Eucharistic Miracles exhibit using materials from Blessed Carlo’s website, Father Matthew McDonald described Blessed Carlo’s commitment to daily prayer in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament:
“Jesus reminds us that ‘No greater love is there than this, to lay down one’s life for a friend.’ (Jn 15:13) This is the love of friendship and faith that Carlo found in Jesus in the Eucharist. This love would become for him a place where he could dwell and that would strengthen him, mold him and unite heaven to his life on earth. Carlo would also say, ‘When we are in communion with God, we are in communion with a love that is catching. As we are loved by Him, we can, in this way, love the world.”’
The outcomes of this love of Christ are also described in Pope Francis’ “Christus Vivit” – a call to action for young people.
“Filled with the love of Christ, young people are called to be witnesses of the Gospel wherever they find themselves, by the way they live. St. Alberto Hurtado once said that ‘being an apostle does not mean wearing a lapel pin; it is not about speaking about the truth but living it, embodying it, being transformed in Christ. Being an apostle does not mean carrying a torch in hand, possessing the light, but being that light.’ The Gospel, more than a lesson, is an example. A message that becomes a life fully lived.”– (Christus Vivit, 175)
On September 7, as Blessed Carlo Acutis is officially declared a saint, his canonization will serve as a reminder to the young Church — teenagers and young adults — that a life of virtue and heroic faith is not only possible but within their reach. His example proves that youth is not a limitation but a gift, capable of inspiring others to embrace a life of faith.
Pope Francis’ exhortation in “Christus Vivit” echoes this call: “The Holy Spirit pushes you forward. The Church needs your enthusiasm, your insights, your faith. We need you!”
Blessed Carlo’s life stands as a testament that young people can live lives of deep faith, inspire others through their witness and make a lasting impact on the Church and the world. All are called to be saints, and all can be saints.
Remee Vargas is the youth and young adult coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
This article has been updated from its original publication in the April issue of Catholic San Francisco magazine.
