Blessed Carlo Acutis will become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint at a canonisation ceremony in St Peter’s Square on 7 September, The Holy See confirmed on Friday.
The Mass, which also includes the canonisation of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, forms part of the Vatican’s Jubilee Year calendar of events.
Acutis, who died of leukaemia in 2006 at age 15, was beatified in 2020 after a miracle was attributed to him. A second miracle was confirmed in 2024, clearing the way for his sainthood. He is widely known as “God’s influencer” for using his tech skills to promote the Catholic faith, including building a website documenting Eucharistic miracles.
Born in London in 1991, Acutis was raised in Milan. His body now rests in Assisi, in the Church of St Mary Major, where he requested to be buried due to his devotion to St Francis. More than a million pilgrims have visited his resting place over the past year. He is displayed behind glass, dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers.
The second miracle that led to his canonisation involved a 21-year-old Costa Rican student who recovered from a severe brain injury following a bicycle accident in Florence. Her mother made a pilgrimage to Assisi to pray for Acutis’ intercession. The student made a full recovery despite her critical condition.
Acutis will be canonised alongside Frassati, an Italian Catholic activist who died in 1925 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1990.
Originally, the ceremony had been scheduled for 27 April but was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Italian authorities have launched an investigation into the illicit online sale of alleged relics of Acutis, following a complaint by the bishop of Assisi.
