Faithful gather to see preserved body of ‘God’s influencer’ Carlo Acutis ahead of teen’s canonization as first millennial Catholic saint
Faithful Catholics are gathering in droves in an ancient Italian city to view the preserved body of a teenager known as “God’s influencer” — before he is canonized as the first millennial saint next month.
Adorers packed the Sanctuary of the Spoliation in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Assisi to pray and catch a glimpse of the encased body of 15-year-old computer wiz Carlo Acutis this week, photos show.
.A shop in the medieval town also sold souvenirs and mementos that adorned the young teen’s face.
Acutis, a devout British-born Catholic who created a website to document every reported Eucharistic miracle and frequently ministered to the homeless and hungry in his native Milan, died of acute leukemia on Oct. 12, 2006. He was laid to rest inside the Assisi church in April 2019.
After his death, his website and legacy lived on — and in 2020, a miracle attributed to his intercession was approved and recognized by the Vatican. He was credited for healing a 6-year-old Brazilian boy who inexplicably recovered in 2013 from a rare pancreatic condition after touching a relic of Acutis.
“The boy was vomiting and risked dying. Then, on the third day of prayers, he started eating,” Carlo’s mom, Antonia Salzano, said at the time, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“We get news of miracles attributed to Carlo all the time. One woman was cured of her cancer after attending his funeral, and I heard of two more a few days ago. It’s a mystery. I sense the finger of God. Losing your son is the most terrible thing, but we are happy he is helping people discover their faith.”
He was beatified, or given the title “Blessed,” in October of that year.
A second miracle attributed to Acutis’ intercession was formally approved by the Vatican in May 2024, where he was given the title “saint.” The teen’s spirit was responsible for saving the life of a young Costa Rican woman who suffered severe head trauma after she had fallen from her bicycle in Florence in 2022.
The woman, named Valeria, required intense craniotomy surgery, but doctors had little faith she could recover. Her desperate mother made the pilgrimage to Acutis’ tomb in Assisi and prayed for her daughter’s recovery — with Valeria suddenly moving and partially regaining her speech a week later.
A CAT scan later showed that her hemorrhage had disappeared, according to the Vatican. Her recovery was so quick that she and her mother made the trip back to Assisi a month later to thank Acutis for stepping in.
Acutis will become the first canonized Catholic saint born between 1981 and 1996 — leading some to nickname him “God’s influencer.”
Canonization is a painstaking, and usually lengthy, four-step process: First, a candidate must be named a Servant of God; secondly, a life of “heroic virtue” must be proved; thirdly, after a verified miracle, the candidate is beatified and referred to as “Blessed.”
Finally, after another miracle is confirmed, the candidate is canonized and considered a saint.
Acutis is expected to be canonized during the church’s Jubilee of Teenagers between April 25 and April 27.
He requested to be buried in Assisi, having become an admirer of St. Francis of Assisi for his dedication to the poor. The Umbrian town was one of his favorite travel destinations.
Acutis’ wax-encased body, clad in a tracksuit and sneakers, has been on display for veneration in a sanctuary for more than five years, while his heart is on view in a reliquary in the nearby St. Francis Basilica.
The Post has reached out to the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore.
