4 unknown facts about St. Carlo Acutis ‘The God’s Influencer’ as he becomes the first millennial saint

St. Carlo Acutis, an Italian teenager who died of leukaemia in 2006, has become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint. His canonization ceremony was held on September 7, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. It was led by Pope Leo XIV.

According to BBC, his canonization was previously scheduled to take place in April; however, it was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis.

He was a self-taught computer programmer. At the age of 11, St. Carlo Acutis created a website where he documented Eucharistic miracles from around the world. This is how he got his nickname, “God’s Influencer.”

Today, his body lies in the Italian hilltop town of Assisi, preserved in wax in a tomb, wearing a sweatshirt, jeans, and sneakers. Millions of people have visited the site, drawn by his influence. His canonization took place alongside Pier Giorgio Frassatti, who died in 1925 at age 24, according to a report in CNN.

Four Unknown Facts about St. Carlo Acutis

Let us have a look at four unknown facts about St. Carlo Acutis, who was declared the first millennial saint:

Acutis was born in London, England, in 1991. He was baptized in a Roman Catholic church in Chelsea, London. According to a BBC report, an old confession booth in the church has been converted into a shrine dedicated to him. It includes a relic holder that contains his single strand of hair.

His family was temporarily in London. His father, Andrea Acutis, worked in the banking sector. He later chaired an insurance firm. When St. Carlo Acutis was less than six months old, his family moved to Milan.

St. Carlo Acutis was known for his love of video games. But, he was aware of the dark side of the internet and thus dedicated only an hour a week to his PlayStation, according to his mother, Antonia Salzano.

St. Carlo Acutis was also a sports lover. His mother said that her son used to make funny “Star Wars”-style films with his cats and dogs, where he voiced different animals.

Carlos was humble since he was young. Despite not growing up in a religious household, he used his pocket money to help the homeless in Milan. He supported his classmates who were bullied and those whose parents had divorced.

Carlos received his first Holy Communion at just seven years old and, after that, never missed a Mass. His devotion to god influenced his mother, who attended Mass rarely before, but began going daily because of her son’s faith.

Nicola Gori, the postulator of Acutis' cause for sainthood, said that Carlos:

“Managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.”

Salzano said in a 2023 interview with EWTN News Nightly that for her son:

“Eucharist was the center of his life.”

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