Carlo Acutis, who was born in London but raised in Milan, spent most of his short life devoted to the Catholic Church and to helping those less fortunate than himself.
From a young age, he showed signs of deep faith. He received his first communion at only seven years old and was already giving money to the poor, showing a generosity and maturity beyond his years.
His mother, Antonia Salzano, has often recalled that her son had a ‘special relationship’ with God, one that felt different from most children his age.
At just seven years old, Acutis wrote in his diary: “My life plan is to be always close to Jesus.”
Today, his body remains preserved in Assisi, dressed in his usual outfit of jeans and trainers, inside a glass tomb visited every year by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who come to honor his memory.
On Sunday (September 7), Acutis will officially become the first millennial saint, in a canonization ceremony led by Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, marking a historic moment for the Catholic Church.
What miracles did Acutis perform?
The first miracle credited to Acutis involved a two-year-old Brazilian boy named Matheus Vianna.
The child had been diagnosed with a rare congenital condition called annular pancreas, in which pancreatic tissue forms a ring around the small intestine and blocks normal digestion.
Seeking help, the boy’s family turned to Father Marcelo Tenorio, who was involved in blessing Acutis’ body during a pre-canonization ceremony.
According to the family, from that moment on the boy’s health dramatically improved, and he never experienced symptoms of the illness again.
This was only the first of the extraordinary miracles attributed to the teenager’s intercession.
Her mother prayed at Acutis’ coffin in Assisi, and in what doctors later described as a complete turnaround, Valeria was discharged from hospital after scans showed the hemorrhage had fully healed.
Originally, Acutis’ canonization had been scheduled for April, but it was delayed following the death of Pope Francis. The date has now been reset, bringing new anticipation and hope for many faithful.
