In a ceremony that drew tens of thousands of worshippers from all over to St Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Leo XIV canonized Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati on 7 September 2025.

The two saints – Frassati, from the early 20^th century, and Acutis, the Church’s first millennial to be made a saint – have been at the center of great devotion among the faithful. They are also the first to be canonized by the new Pope.

Acutis’s mother, Antonia Salzano, was present at the canonization Mass with her family, including the new saint’s two siblings. His brother, Michele, took one of the readings!

Carlo Acutis was born in London on 3 May 1991 and died of leukemia at the age of 15. His parents had moved to London from Italy in 1988 but moved back to Milan soon after young Acutis was born. He was an obedient child who insisted on going to Mass daily as a youngster. He received his first Holy Communion at age 7. In his short but extraordinary life, he was particularly devoted to the Eucharist, which he referred to as his “highway to heaven”, and to the Virgin Mary.

Acutis was enrolled at Istituto Leone XIII, a Jesuit school. His teachers said that he was bright and had a gift for computers but was also known for being kind and for looking out for his schoolmates.

To many, he appeared to be a regular teenager who wore sneakers, enjoyed playing football and video games. While he enjoyed the normal pastimes for his age, he also taught catechism in a local parish and did outreach to the homeless. His particular interest in computer science led him to devour college-level books on programming. He began to investigate Eucharistic miracles that have occurred in history and used his computer knowledge to create a website that documented over 100 of these miracles.

In early October 2006, he fell ill with what seemed like a flu that got worse. He was diagnosed with acute leukemia and a few days later, on 12 October, he was dead. His funeral was held in Milan, but he was subsequently entombed in Assisi. Following the mandatory 5-year waiting period following the death of someone, the investigation into Carlo’s virtues began. He was named “venerable” in 2018 and beatified in 2020 by Pope Francis. His canonization was previously announced for late April but had to be postponed following the death of Pope Francis.

During the homily at the Canonization Mass, Pope Leo XIV noted that both Frassati and Acutis cultivated their love for God and their brothers and sisters through simple acts, available to everyone – daily Mass, prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. Both of them also went to confession frequently, practiced charity generously and had a great devotion to the saints and to the Virgin Mary.

Pope Leo reminded everyone that the lives of Frassati and Acutis are an invitation to all, especially to young people “not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and to make them masterpieces”. May Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis pray for us all.Amen!