“Carlo Acutis is the first saint of the millennial generation”. So pilgrims attending St Carlo’s Canonisation in Rome on 7th September 2025 were told as they gathered in devotion to this contemporary model for Christian sanctity who has become a powerful sign of God’s presence and action in our world today. Born and baptised in London in England in 1991 (Carlo’s father was working there at that time), the family returned to their native Italy later that year. Carlo, who showed great devotion to the Holy Eucharist from a young age (he was permitted to receive first holy communion at the age of seven), famously stated “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven”. Attending high school with the Jesuits in Milan, Carlo became a catechist in his parish and worked on web sites which promoted volunteer work and devotion to the Christian martyrs. Carlo, who was known for his cheerful and outgoing nature, was always willing to help those in need, be it his classmates or the poor of his neighbourhood. In October 2006 Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia and he died in hospital in the Milan area on 12th October 2007. Following his being declared “Blessed” in 2020, Carlo’s canonisation was delayed slightly by the death of Pope Francis; the September canonisation last year by Pope Leo united Carlo with Pier Giorgio Frassati, who lived in the early part of the twentieth century and was known for his work with the poor including as a member of the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
