An Italian teenager who enjoyed computer coding and playing video games, Carlo Acutis, became the Catholic Church’s first “millennial saint” on Sept. 7.

Within a few days of diagnosis, at 15 years old, Acutis passed away from leukaemia in 2006. Prior to his death, he used his computing skills to spread awareness of the Catholic faith by putting together a website documenting reports of miracles. 

His canonization (admission of a dead person into sainthood) took place in the Vatican, presided over by Pope Leo XIV. Alongside Acutis, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who died in 1925 at age 24, was also canonized. 

The canonization of the youthful saints comes at a time when the Catholic Church attempts to explore new ways to engage younger generations, as many young people are increasingly disconnected from mainstream religion. 

“When I first heard about Carlo Acutis I was curious on why he was selected as a saint and thought it was the wrong call but I think now it’s the right move for the Catholic Church because it adds representation for younger people and leads more people to become interested in Christianity/Catholicism,” senior Abel Stephen said. “I also like how Pope Leo is continuing what Pope Francis did because Francis’s was popular and was very influential for Catholics and non Catholics alike.”

Many believe that Acutis’ life and faith resonate with a generation of young people, especially those interested in navigating the digital world, considering he found ways to use his love for technology to spread the word of God. 

Being canonized is a rather complicated process. However, Acutis’ path to sainthood has been rather swift. Normally known to be a long and expensive process, it can take centuries and requires an examination of a candidate’s life. Generally, two miracles must be attributed to a saint’s intercession. Evidence related to these miracles must be studied by different groups of theologians and medical experts appointed by the Vatican. 

Acutis was beatified (declared “blessed”) in 2020 after his first reported miracle, when he seemingly healed a Brazilian boy with a birth defect that left him unable to eat normally. The boy’s mother prayed to Acutis to help her son, and soon enough, the boy was healed. 

The second miracle relates to the reported healing of a girl from Costa Rica who suffered head trauma after a biking incident in Florence, Italy. Her mother said she prayed for her daughter’s recovery at the very tomb of Acutis in Assisi.