This year’s saint of the month series kicks off with one of the Catholic Church’s newest saints: St. Carlos Acutis! I know that, as teens, we can find it hard to compare ourselves to say, St. Thomas Aquinas, who actually levitated while in prayer, or Joan of Arc, who had the courage to die as a martyr for her faith. I think that it is important that we realize that a lot of saints actually had small beginnings. One thing I find super relatable about St. Carlos is how normal he was!
Just like any other teen, he loved video games and Pokemon. Okay, so maybe Pokemon is more of a big deal for little kids nowadays, but this only extends who can relate to him! Though he loved being on the screen, Carlos limited the time he spent on them so as to not place anything above God. In fact, St. Carlos used the internet to spread his love for Jesus, specifically the Eucharist!
Carlos used his knack with technology and his immense love for the Eucharist to create a website showcasing all the miracles of the Holy Eucharist. You can still visit this website today! This is the link to his website: www.miracolieucaristici.org Carlos lists miracles that have happened in over 15 countries and more!
Carlos also wanted everyone to discover their God-given talents and to embrace them. Most teens are so busy trying to be like everyone else they aren’t able to express their true selves. Carlos said: “Everyone is born as an original, but many people end up dying as photocopies.” What he meant by this is that we should embrace what talents God has given us and share them with the world! We shouldn’t just try to be “popular” or be exactly like our friends, we should use our talents and unique personalities to spread the love of God. Remember: God made us different on purpose!
Carlos was born in London in 1991 to his two Italian parents. Soon, though, the family moved back to Italy, where Carlos spent most of his life. He loved to be a good friend and would help out anyone in need. Unlike other teens his age, Carlos knew that inner beauty, living your life for God and serving others was more important than physical beauty. He made sure to make God the main focus in his life and loved to spend time with him specifically in the Eucharist.
Sadly, when Carlos was 15 years old, he was diagnosed with Leukemia, cancer. His parents prayed for his healing, but that was not God’s will. Carlos died shortly after. During his illness, Carlos never gave up his faith and always stayed close to God.
After his death, people began to realize how holy Carlos had been, even at such a young age. He was made a Blessed after a miracle was performed when a mother prayed for his intercession. In Brazil, there was a boy with a very serious stomach problem. He couldn’t eat and was living off the bare minimum of vitamins and protein. His mother was very worried and when she heard of Carlos’s story she knew she had to pray for his intercession. A priest who wanted to make Carlos a saint invited the boy to come and see a relic of Carlos. When the little boy touched a relic and asked for healing, a miracle happened.
The boy was hungry again. His mother made him a meal of all his brothers’ favorite foods and the boy ate it all. Nothing bad happened to him – he was healed! On October 10, 2020, Carlos was announced a Blessed.
His second miracle happened in 2022 when a young woman was miraculously healed from a severe bicycle injury. The woman had a fatal skull injury and the doctors had little hope of her surviving. The woman’s mother, however, went to Carlos’s tomb and prayed for her daughter’s healing. The same day, the young woman was able to breathe on her own and had a steady recovery from then on. A test done showed that the damage in her brain had completely disappeared!
Carlos Acutis was made a saint on September 7, 2025, and his short – but very impactful – life will always remain inspiring to all of us. One last thing to think about is how important God is in our lives. Though most of us don’t see it all the time, God is deeply intertwined in our lives and by recognizing his gifts every day, we can become so much more grateful and happy. As St. Carlos Acutis reminded us: “Happiness is looking towards God.”
Sources:
Catholic News Agency: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/46168/the-miracle-attributed-to-carlo-acutis-prayers
Word on Fire:
https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/carlo-acutis-the-first-millennial-saint/
The Catholic Herald
