Catholic Blesseds, Saints, Solemnities & Holy Days

Carlo Acutis lived only fifteen years, but in that brief time he became known as the "patron saint of the internet" and the first millennial to be beatified. Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents and raised in Milan, Carlo was a thoroughly modern teenager who loved video games, soccer, and computer programming. Yet beneath his ordinary exterior burned an extraordinary love for Jesus in the Eucharist that would inspire Catholics worldwide.

From an early age, Carlo displayed an unusual devotion to the Mass and the Eucharist. He began attending daily Mass at age seven and convinced his parents—who were not particularly religious—to join him. "The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven," he would say, and he spent hours in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. He made it his personal mission to attend Mass daily and encouraged his friends and family to discover the same love for Jesus he had found.

Carlo's greatest achievement was creating a website documenting Eucharistic miracles from around the world. Using his self-taught programming skills, he researched and catalogued over 130 miraculous events, complete with scientific documentation and photographs. His website became a powerful evangelization tool, introducing countless people to the reality of Christ's presence in the Eucharist. "Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies," he would say, encouraging others to live authentically for Christ.

Despite his deep spirituality, Carlo was refreshingly normal. He played soccer, loved his dog Shelby, and created video games as a hobby. He was known for his quick wit and infectious smile. When his mother worried about his intense prayer life, he reassured her: "Don't worry, Mom. I'm just madly in love with Jesus." He combined his faith with a generous heart, always defending classmates who were bullied and giving his pocket money to the poor.

Carlo's compassion extended especially to the marginalized. He befriended elderly people in his neighborhood, helped homeless individuals, and volunteered at soup kitchens. He saw serving others as serving Christ himself, living out his belief that "we must become saints to be able to meet Jesus in paradise."

When leukemia struck in 2006, Carlo faced his illness with remarkable serenity. He offered his sufferings for the Pope and the Church, saying "I die happy because I have lived my life without wasting even one minute on those things that do not please God." He died on October 12, 2006, just two weeks after his diagnosis.