St Carlo Acutis

Born on May 3, 1991, in London to Italian parents, Carlo Acutis grew up in Milan. Despite his family not being particularly religious, a childhood dream of his late grandfather and guidance from his babysitter sparked a deep faith. By age seven, he requested his First Communion, subsequently attending Mass daily, making weekly confessions, and eventually converting his own mother through his devotion. By age 11, he was serving as a catechist.

Carlo possessed an exceptional, self-taught talent for computer programming. At age 11, he launched a massive digital project to catalogue more than 130 Vatican-approved Eucharistic miracles, completing the website in 2005. Beyond his technological pursuits, he was a typical teenager who enjoyed football and video games, but he also fiercely defended disabled classmates from bullies and spent his free time volunteering at homeless shelters and assisting the elderly.

In October 2006, Carlo was diagnosed with aggressive leukaemia. He offered his intense physical suffering for the Pope and the Church, facing his imminent death with profound peace. He died on October 12, 2006, at the age of 15, and was buried in Assisi, Italy, in accordance with his wishes.

His cause for sainthood opened in 2013, and he was beatified by Pope Francis on October 10, 2020. His body is displayed in a glass tomb in Assisi, dressed in casual clothes. Renowned as the first millennial saint, he is recognized as the patron saint of youth and computer programmers.