FEAST OF SAINT CARLO ACUTIS – 12 OCTOBER

FEAST OF SAINT CARLO ACUTIS – 12 OCTOBER 

Carlo Acutis (3 May 1991 – 12 October 2006), was an English-born Italian Catholic teenager known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and his innovative use of digital media to spread faith. Born in London and raised in Milan, he showed an early fascination with computers and video games. A self-taught programmer and web designer, he used his talents to assist his parish and school with digital projects.

Deeply involved in parish life, Carlo served as a catechist and helped inspire several conversions to Catholicism. His love for the Eucharist led him to create a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions across the world.

At fifteen, Carlo was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. Despite his illness, he offered his sufferings for the Pope and the Church. He passed away on 12 October 2006, leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire countless people. Since his death, his relics have been venerated in Assisi, and his exhibition on Eucharistic miracles has travelled across the globe.

In 2020, the Church recognized a miracle in Brazil attributed to his intercession, leading to his beatification. A second miracle in Italy was confirmed in 2024, and Carlo was canonised a saint on 7 September 2025, alongside Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Today, he is affectionately called the “Patron Saint of the Internet,” “God’s Influencer,” and the “First Millennial Saint.”

Carlo was baptized on 18 May 1991 at the Church of Our Lady of Dolours, Chelsea. His godparents were his paternal grandfather, Carlo, and his maternal grandmother, Luana. Though neither of his parents were practicing Catholics, Carlo’s faith rekindled their belief in God. His mother, Antonia, later testified that her son’s faith and questions brought her back to the Church. In 2010, on the anniversary of his death, she gave birth to twins—an event she attributed to his intercession.

Carlo’s parish priest described him as “a young man of remarkable transparency,” eager to grow in love for God, his family, his classmates, and even those who treated him unkindly. He applied himself diligently to both his studies and his faith.

At fourteen, Carlo created a website for his parish, Santa Maria Segreta, at his priest’s request. He later designed another website to promote volunteerism, winning a national contest titled Sarai Volontario (“You Will Be a Volunteer”). His most notable project was his online catalogue of Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions, launched in 2004 after two and a half years of dedicated work involving his entire family. The exhibition was unveiled on 4 October 2006, just days before his death.

While hospitalized, Carlo could not attend the exhibition’s debut. Depictions of him often show him with a laptop—a symbol of how he used technology for evangelization. At the age of fifteen, he confided to his mother and grandmother his desire to become a priest.

In October 2006, Carlo fell ill with what was first thought to be a throat infection, but within days he was diagnosed with leukemia. Despite his pain, he remained serene, saying, “There are people who suffer much more than me.” He offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and the Church, declaring, “I offer to the Lord all that I must suffer for the Pope and for the Church.” His final words to his mother were filled with hope:
“Mom, don’t be afraid. Since Jesus became man, death is the passage to life. We don’t need to fear it. Let us prepare to experience something extraordinary in eternal life.”

He was declared brain dead on 11 October 2006 and officially pronounced dead the next day at 6:45 p.m. He was just fifteen.

Carlo was canonised on 13 June 2025 by Pope Leo XIV, and his feast is celebrated on 12 October.

A radiant young soul, aflame with love for God and the Eucharist, Saint Carlo Acutis reminds us that holiness is attainable in everyday life—even in our digital age. His life teaches us to use our talents and technology to glorify God and spread His light.

May his example inspire us to live with purity, purpose, and passion.
Happy Feast of Saint Carlo Acutis!

Quotes of Saint Carlo Acutis

• “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.”
• “To always be close to Jesus—that’s my life plan.”
• “The only thing we must ask God for in prayer is the desire to become holy.”
• “All people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.”
• “If we stand before the sun, we get a tan; but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.”

PRAYER

Saint Carlo Acutis, you who discovered the beauty of God in the Eucharist and made it the centre of your life, teach us to recognize Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. You used your gifts and talents to bring others closer to Christ, showing that holiness is possible even in youth and ordinary life.

Intercede for us, that we may love God with a pure heart, serve others with generosity, and use every means—even modern technology—to spread the light of the Gospel. Strengthen us in our weakness, help us resist temptation, and inspire us to live with joy and simplicity,
always seeking Heaven as our final goal.

Saint Carlo, friend of Jesus and child of Mary, pray for us, that we too may walk the path of holiness. Amen