September 7, 2025 – St. Peter’s Square, Rome
Last Sunday, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed the first saints of his papacy in a historic ceremony at St. Peter’s Square. Before thousands of faithful pilgrims, the Church rejoiced as Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati were raised to the altars as saints of the Catholic Church.
These two young men, separated by nearly a century yet united in holiness, remind us that the call to sainthood is not reserved for religious alone, but is possible in every state of life.
St. Carlo Acutis (1991–2006): “God’s Influencer”
Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, was born in London on May 3, 1991, and baptized at Our Lady of Dolours Church, Chelsea. Though his family soon returned to Italy, that baptismal font in London is remembered as the starting point of a life lived entirely for Christ.
Raised in Milan, Carlo was a gifted child with a passion for computers and coding. Yet he never used technology for self-promotion. Instead, he harnessed it as a missionary tool, creating a website that catalogued Eucharistic miracles worldwide.
“The Eucharist is my highway to heaven.” – St. Carlo Acutis
Carlo attended daily Mass, prayed the Rosary faithfully, and lived his life with deep charity. He gave his pocket money to the poor, bought sleeping bags for the homeless, and volunteered in soup kitchens.
Carlo died of leukemia in 2006 at just 15 years old. But his witness did not end there. Pilgrims continue to flock to Assisi, where he is buried, and his example speaks powerfully to today’s youth.
- Miracles leading to sainthood:
- 2013 (Brazil): Healing of a young boy with a malformed pancreas
- 2022 (Italy/Costa Rica): Young woman miraculously recovered after a bicycle accident.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925): The Man of the Beatitudes
Born in Turin to a prominent Italian family, Pier Giorgio grew up in wealth but chose the path of simplicity and service. A mountaineer and outdoorsman, he often brought friends on hikes where prayer and laughter filled the day.
His life was one of deep spirituality and self-giving love for the poor. Through Catholic Action and the St. Vincent de Paul Society, he served polio patients and the destitute. Tragically, at only 24 years old, Pier Giorgio contracted polio, likely from the sick he served, died in 1925.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8
- Miracles leading to sainthood:
- 1933 (Italy): Healing of a man with spinal disease (Pott’s disease).
- 2017 (USA): Healing of seminarian Juan Gutierrez’s Achilles tendon.
A Living Call to Holiness
Though born in different eras, both saints show us that holiness is possible in ordinary life:
• Carlo, a teenager in jeans with a laptop, reminds us that the Eucharist is the center of life and technology can serve God’s mission.
• Pier Giorgio, the joyful mountaineer, shows that faith, friendship, sports, and service can all become paths to holiness.
Their lives are an invitation to us all — especially our youth — to live with joy, courage, and a love for Christ.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We give You thanks for the gift of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Through their youthful witness of faith, they show us that holiness is possible today.
May their intercession inspire our families and young people to love the Eucharist,
serve the poor, and live with joy in the Spirit.
Grant that we, too, may follow Christ faithfully each day.
St. Carlo and St. Pier Giorgio, pray for us!