Will the canonization of the first millennial saint inspire today’s youth? Local young Catholics think so
The short life of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006 at 15, offers a contemporary and youthful role model of Christian devotion and service. He will soon become the Church’s first millennial saint, profoundly influencing young and millennial Catholics.
Abel Asnake, a 7th grader at Bergen Technical High School in Teterboro and a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Tenafly, said that he thinks Acutis’ canonization will serve as inspiration for other young people to pursue holiness.
“Young Catholics will see that anyone of any age can become like him and become a saint,” Asnake said.
Acutis was born in 1991 in London to Italian parents and later lived in Italy. He became known for his devout Catholic faith, Eucharistic devotion, and passion for technology in the internet’s early days. During his life, he researched Eucharistic miracles and built a website to document and share them. Leukemia tragically cut his life short at the age of 15. However, his impact continues to resonate with people of all ages across the globe.
To subscribe to our newsletter click here
Beatification and canonization
Carlo Acutis is credited with two major miracles. The first involves the healing of a Brazilian boy, Matheus, who suffered from a severe and incurable pancreatic condition. His parents prayed to Acutis and touched a relic they had obtained from Acutis’ mother. Afterwards, a miracle healed Matheus. The second miracle occurred when a Costa Rican woman prayed at his tomb for her daughter Valeria, who had suffered head trauma. Valeria began to recover rapidly and fully after the prayer, defying her low survival prognosis.
In 2020, he became the first millennial beatified by the Catholic Church. Now, the Church is canonizing Acutis because of his faith, virtuous life, and the miracles attributed to his intercession.
Dominic Aurrichio, a 6th grader at Holy Trinity School in Westfield, said Acutis’ courage to share his faith inspires him. “He knew that Jesus is the Eucharist. Some people think that the Eucharist is just bread, but he wanted everyone to know that Jesus is always present in the Eucharist,” he said.
Aurrichio also noted Acutis’ use of technology to spread his love of Jesus as especially relevant to today’s youth.
Carlo’s ‘relatable holiness’
Father Andrew Rubinich, who at 25 is the youngest priest serving in the Archdiocese of Newark and was born the same year as Acutis, noted the future saint’s “relatable holiness” as particularly relevant to young people, especially those searching for meaning.
Father Rubinich anticipates that Acutis’ legacy will invigorate the Church’s engagement with youth, particularly as it coincides with the Eucharistic Revival.
“We do well to realize that the Eucharist was the source and summit of Carlo’s life and love,” he said. “The Eucharist was his ‘highway to heaven,’ and so too it is ours. And, like Carlo Acutis said, ‘If we get in front of the sun, we get sun tans, but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, we become saints.’”
An inspiring legacy
Sister Gabriela Ramirez de la Rosa, a member of the Apostolic Sisters of St. John in East Orange, is a millennial woman who entered the convent at 19. She leads a vibrant youth group at St. Joseph Parish for students aged 12 to 15, fostering prayer, service, and mentorship.
Sister Gabriela highlighted Acutis’ relatability to today’s youth. “I already saw an impact on my nephew who is 12 years old. With Carlo being very human, sharing his food, his money, and whatever he had with the less fortunate. … Younger people can identify with him.”
Sister Gabriela noted that social media can be a pervasive distraction for today’s youth. However, Acutis provides an example of how technology, when used in moderation and with purpose, can positively impact the world.
Read: Shrine of Blessed Carlo Acutis dedicated in New Jersey
“Teens get ‘caught’ by social media and video games,” she said. “Even Carlo liked video games. But he limited himself and set time aside for it.” She sees his discipline and focus on using technology for positive purposes as a beacon of guidance. His work, such as documenting Eucharistic miracles online, offers young Catholics a model for balancing their lives.
Looking ahead, Sister Gabriela envisions Acutis’ legacy significantly influencing the Church’s engagement with youth. She plans to integrate his example into her youth group through prayer, service initiatives, and peer mentorship. “I want them to see Carlo also as a real person, a friend,” she said.
Tech-driven evangelization
During his life, Acutis used technology innovatively to further the Gospel mission. He used his coding skills to create a website to share information about 187 Eucharistic miracles around the world. He believed that these miracles were a powerful testament to the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Accordingly, he wanted to make this information accessible to as many people as possible.
Asnake said he believes young people will feel inspired to become digital missionaries like Acutis. “His use of technology for evangelization serves as a sign for others to follow suit,” he said.
Brandon Polifrone, a founding member of F.U.E.L. Young Adults at St. Joseph’s Church in Oradell, agrees that Acutis’ use of technology for evangelization is an inspiring example for church ministry.
That use of technology is “profoundly relevant today as a means of spreading and sharing the faith,” Polifrone said. He also said it presents a “huge opportunity” for evangelization and outreach.
“Social media allows scattered and isolated Catholic millennials and other young adults to connect and form communities,” he said.
Polifrone also sees Acutis’ canonization as an opportunity for young Catholics to rekindle their faith. “His canonization may inspire modern Catholics to not just view sainthood as some lofty distant thing that only few people are meant to achieve. It is something real and tangible that all of humanity is called to strive for.”
