By: Maverick Rhoy De Vera
Photo courtesy of Reuters and Aleteia.org
Pope Leo XIV officially canonized Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati as new saints of the Catholic Church, on Sunday, Sept. 7, at St. Peter Basilica.
The two young Italian boys are the first saints canonized by the new pope, announced by the Vatican last June 13, 2025.
More than 70,000 people gathered at Saint Peter Basilica to witness the canonization. In his homily, the pope reflects on the life of saints that may be the inspiration of Acutis and Frassati, like St. Francis of Assisi and St. Augustine.
“[Lord], who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? This question comes after two young blesseds, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, were proclaimed saints.” Leo said, quoting the Old Testament passage.
The pope also recalls the story of Augustine's life, whose struggles were transformed by God into a new path and purpose.
He linked this to the lives of Pier and Carlo stating “A young man from the early 20th century and a teenager from our own day, both in love with Jesus and ready to give everything for him.”
The tech savvy life of the 1st millennial saint
Acutis was born on May 3, 1991, in London and moved with his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, to Milan, Italy were at a young age, he developed his undying love for God, even though his parents were not a devout catholic.
Acutis was also fascinated with computer coding, and used his computer skills to evangelize and promote the holy eucharist, programming a website containing the story of eucharistic miracles and prayers over the blessed sacrament.
At 15, Acutis suffered and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and within a few days prior to his passing he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and fell into a coma.
He offered his sufferings for Pope Benedict XVI and for the Church, saying: “I offer all of my suffering to the Lord for the pope and for the Church in order not to go to purgatory but to go straight to heaven.” he said before passing away in October 2006.
Climbing the tip for prayer and reflection
Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901, grew up with an intellectually and artistically inclined family—his father, Alfredo, founded the newspaper La Stampa, while his mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter.
Frassati blossomed his faith in unexpected ways; he attended and entered Jesuit schools, where he began receiving daily Communion and became involved in the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, devoting to serve those in need.
At an early age he also immersed himself in movements of the Church promoting Catholic Action Ministry, joining Apostleship of Prayer and Marian Sodality obtaining the permission to receive daily Communion with his zeal for living the Gospel, earning the nickname “the man of the Eight Beatitudes” from Pope John Paul II.
He was also an avid mountaineer, often inviting friends on hikes regularly and spending time for prayers and conversations about faith on the way up and down from the summit.
After what would become his final climb, he wrote a simple note on a photograph: “Verso L’Alto” (To the heights), a phrase that has become a popular Catholic motto.
Frassati died in the bloom of his youth at 24 on July 4, 1925, likely contracted while caring for the sick.
Miracles leading to sainthood
The Vatican approved miracles attributed to both Acutis and Frassati, paving the way for their canonization.
In Carlo Acutis’ case, the recognized miracle involved the healing of a young girl named Valeria, who suffered severe head trauma after a bicycle accident. She underwent emergency surgery, including a craniotomy and the removal of part of her skull, with doctors giving her little chance of survival. Her mother, Liliana, made a pilgrimage to Acutis’ tomb in Assisi. That same day, the hospital informed her that Valeria had begun to breathe spontaneously. The next day, she began to move and partially regained her speech. Days later, a CT scan revealed that Valeria’s brain hemorrhage had inexplicably disappeared, an outcome attributed to Acutis’ intercession.
For Pier Giorgio Frassati, the miraculous healing of a seminarian in Los Angeles who recovered from a torn Achilles tendon was credited to his intercession—a pivotal moment that helped pave the way for his canonization. Alongside this, other miracles linked to both St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati were crucial in their recognition as the newest saints of the Catholic Church. Their deep and heartfelt devotion to the Blessed Sacrament continues to inspire countless people to turn to them in prayer and petitions.
These stories are more than miracles; they are testimonies of love, faith, and the power of answered prayer. With his canonization, Carlo Acutis made history as the first millennial saint, while Frassati’s lifelong example of faith and service received the formal recognition it deserves.
Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to see their lives as proof that “holiness is possible for everyone — in every age, with every gift, in every circumstance.”