Late teenager Carlo Acutis is in the process of becoming the first millennial saint for his usage of the internet to spread God’s word.
Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006, taught himself coding and created detailed websites with a spiritual focus. He also defended victims of bullying and helped the homeless in Milan.
According to News, Podcast, and Live Radio (NPR), he would document Eucharistic miracles around the world on web pages. These web pages had maps of documented miracles, visuals, and featured multiple languages. Today, it is still used for religious instruction by parishes around the world.
This use of the internet led to him being nicknamed “God’s influencer.”
Catholic Miguel Cardenas ’27 said, “I believe that spreading the faith on the internet is good, as it is easier for people to receive the message especially in this day and age.”
Before his death, Acutis asked to be buried in Assisi as he devoted himself to Saint Francis of Assisi. He was relocated later in 2007.
Because of his work, he has been considered for sainthood since 2013. Pope Francis and a group of Cardinals believe that he will officially be named a saint in 2025.
There are a few steps to becoming a saint: First, one must be declared venerable and must have taken part in a miracle. In this case, he has done it twice.
In his first miracle, it was believed he intervened from heaven and saved the life of a young Brazilian child who had a rare pancreatic condition. After praying to Acutis and coming in contact with Acutis’ clothing, he healed.
In the second miracle, a girl suffered a head injury in Florence, Italy. In distress, her mother prayed at Acutis’ tomb, and the girl healed afterward.
In recent years, he was exhumed in 2019 and transferred to a shrine in Church of St. Mary Major, where St. Francis shed his luxurious clothing for a habit of renouncing his wealth.
“Others build shrines to remember the deeds [people] have done. Having a way to honor heroes and remember their deeds is worth doing,” said Campus Ministry member Dr. Oliver Meneses.
Teenager Carlo Acutis’ work is one that continues to resonate with Catholic communities like Riordan and many others around the world.
