Religious Education News

First millennial saint, Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, spread Catholicism online

Saint Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who tragically died in 2006, was canonised by Pope Leo XIV on 7 September 2025 and declared a saint, giving the next generation of Catholics a relatable role model who used technology to spread the faith. 

Saint Carlo, who is known as the "saint in sneakers", has been touted as the patron saint of the internet for his work cataloguing miracles and evangelising online.

Who was Carlo Acutis?

Born in London in 1991 but raised in Milan, Saint Carlo loved gaming, computer programming, soccer, Pokémon, and his dog Billy. While neither of his parents were religious before he was born, he identified as a devout Catholic from an early age and devoted his life to sharing his love of Jesus.  He was particularly passionate about Eucharistic miracles: supernatural events involving consecrated bread and wine as the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ.

At 11 years old, he created an interactive website cataloguing these miracles around the world. It is still accessible today, and has been displayed as an exhibition on five continents.  He also catalogued visions of the Virgin Mary and built websites for religious causes.

While he loved his PlayStation, he limited himself to playing just one hour a week to ensure his focus remained on God.

In October 2006, the 15-year-old developed pain in his throat and quickly became seriously ill.  Soon after, he was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, a rare and aggressive blood cancer, and died within a week.

It was his wish to be buried in the central Italian town of Assisi, the birthplace of the highly venerated 13th-century Catholic friar, Saint Francis. Acutis identified with Saint Francis' values of poverty, chastity and obedience, as well as his patronage of animals and the environment.  Followers of Saint Francis were historically "not afraid to get their hands dirty, they were very willing to help out. They were doers, but they spread the message, and I think that's one of the things that Carlo Acutis was so devoted to," explains Joanne Pierce, professor emerita in the department of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross.  "Carlo gave out sleeping bags to the homeless, he would give the poor money from his own allowance. He also protected other kids from being bullied."

The miracles that led to sainthood

Father Ranson says Saint Carlo's impact was clearly visible on the day of his funeral. "There was an unexpected crowd of people from all over Milan; basically, the poor and the homeless," he says.  He is believed to have cured a young Brazilian boy with a serious birth defect in 2014.  Saint Carlo is believed to be responsible for another miracle: healing a Costa Rican woman after a life-threatening bicycle accident in 2022.

A relatable saint

"His life shows that a true faith in God, a true faith in Jesus Christ doesn't mean that you don't get to have a normal life and be a normal teenager," Professor Pierce says.  Saint Carlo, who gained the moniker "God's influencer", is the first saint to have grown up in the internet age.  "He had a message; he had work to do even though he was so young, and he felt that he needed to do that work in the [best] way he knew how," Dr Pizzey says.

"The internet became a medium for him where he thought, 'I can get this message out and I can engage with people'."

"With his work through the internet, reaching out to people from all over the world, you could say he was actually one of the most extraordinary pilgrims in [how] far he travelled," Dr Pizzey says. Saint Carlo's online mission gained praise from Pope Francis, who had previously spoken about the need for technology to be in service of "human dignity".  Professor Pierce says the late pope appreciated Saint Carlo's message: "that [technology and faith] don't need to be distinct, as long as your heart's in the right place".

Source: First millennial saint, Italian teenager Carlo Acutis, spread Catholicism online - ABC News 

Friday Mass

At Holy Family School, each class has the opportunity to attend parish mass once a term on Fridays at 9:15am. The students enjoy this special time to be in God’s house and pray with the community.  The schedule for this term is as follows. Please note there might be changes.

Vicky Pejic

Religious Education Leader