‘God’s Influencer’ Becomes First Millennial Saint

There’s no such thing as being “too young” to make a difference.

In 2006, Carlo Acutis died at the age of 15 from acute promyelocytic leukemia. On Monday, he was approved for sainthood.

The Work of Carlo Acutis

Nicknamed “God’s Influencer” and “Cyber-Apostle of the Eucharist,” Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 during the early days of the internet. He loved soccer and was considered a computer genius by friends, family, and even people with degrees in computer engineering.

Carlo also had an intense devotion to the Eucharist as well as Mary, his confidant, to whom he prayed the rosary every day.

During his short life, Carlo and his family traveled to 17 countries across the world so that he could catalog Eucharistic miracles. At the time of his death, he had documented 187 different miracles. These can be found on the website he created, Miracoli Eucaristici.

He called the Eucharist his “highway to heaven.”

The Process of Sainthood

A five-year waiting period after a person’s death is required before their Cause for sainthood can be opened. Once their Cause has been opened, they earn the title “Servant of God.” During this time, testimonies on the person’s life and virtue are gathered, and, if it is determined that the person lived a life of “heroic virtue,” they are called “Venerable.”

Two miracles must then be attributed to the person for them to become a saint. When the pope approves the first miracle, the person is beatified and earns the title blessed.” The second approved miracle leads to the person’s canonization.

Carlo Acutis was declared a “Servant of God” in 2016, “Venerable” in 2018, and “Blessed” in 2020.

The First Miracle

Carlo’s first miracle occurred in 2013. A four-year-old Brazilian boy, Mattheus, was born with an annular pancreas. This birth defect caused him to vomit up nearly anything he ate. He was not expected to live past 5 years old.

The family’s parish priest, Father Marcelo Tenorio, obtained a relic, a picture of Carlo, from Carlo’s mother and held a Mass and prayer service so that people could venerate the relic and pray for his intercession.  

Mattheus and his mother went to the prayer service to pray for Carlo’s intercession so that Mattheus could be healed. When Mattheus touched Carlo’s picture, he simply said, “I wish I could stop vomiting so much.”

The healing began immediately. Mattheus was energetic after leaving the church and told his mother on their way home that he was already cured. He asked to eat French fries, steak, beans, and rice and did not vomit afterward.  

Doctors later confirmed that his pancreas was healed — and healed so well that it was a textbook example of how a pancreas should look and function.

The Second Miracle

Carlo’s second miracle occurred in 2022 after a woman from Costa Rica, Liliana, prayed at his tomb in Assisi, Italy, for healing for her daughter, Valeria. Valeria had suffered severe head trauma after falling off her bike a few days earlier, and her chances of survival were slim.

The same day that Liliana prayed for Carlo’s intercession, the hospital called and told her that Valeria had regained her ability to breathe. By early August, Valeria was moved to rehabilitation therapy and in September made a pilgrimage to the tomb herself to thank Carlo for his intercession.

The First Millennial Saint

After Carlo’s two miracles were confirmed, Pope Francis and the Consistory of Cardinals voted to approve his canonization, marking the first time a person has been approved for sainthood from Generation Y, or the Millennial generation. 

The date for his canonization is not set yet, but it will likely occur during the 2025 Jubilee.

Carlo’s body was moved from his original resting place in 2019 to St. Mary Major Parish, also known as the Shrine of the Renunciation, in Assisi.  His body remains in excellent condition, though it is not incorrupt. His body is “integral,” Carlos Acácio Gonçalves Ferreira, the parish’s rector, told EWTN.  

Carlo’s story demonstrates the impact a singular person can have on the world, no matter their age or situation. In his words, “God has written a unique and unrepeatable story for each of us, but he lets us write the ending.”

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