Two new Saints, St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, were canonized this past Sunday, September 7th, by the Catholic Church. These recent additions join the multitude of Saints the Catholic Church recognizes as shining examples of discipleship.
St. Carlo Acutis was born in England in 1991, but he spent most of his life in Italy. He died at the young age of 15 in 2006 from leukemia. According to CatholicV ote, the sufferings he experienced due to his disease he offered “for the Lord, for the Pope, and the Church.”
Carlo’s mother stated that her son’s faith and witness reignited her faith; it was Carlo who pushed for attending daily Mass, and his parents accompanied him. Another thing Carlo enjoyed doing was playing video games, which some may find surprising to hear about a Saint, but practicing moderation, he restricted his video game time to an hour a week. Carlo also learned how to code computers on his own and created a website promoting the Eucharistic miracles.
The other young Saint who was just canonized was also from Italy. St. Pier Giorgio Frassati was born in 1901 and died from polio in 1925 at just 24 years old. He was a great servant to the poor and sick. Pier would even donate the money he used to ride the bus home to the needy, resulting in him racing home on foot to make mealtime. He also provided opportunities to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion to the poor who were a part of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Additionally, Pier loved to mountain climb and would invite others to join him, incorporating prayer into the climb in an effort to evangelize. Pier would even make bets with his friends while playing pool, and if he won, the friend would have to go with him to Mass or Adoration.
The modernity of these two Saints can make them easier to identify with, and because of that, they can be an even greater inspiration. St. Dominic’s Vice President for Mission and Identity, Fr. Patrick Russell, marvels at the fact that Carlo Acutis is now a Saint when he would be his same age if he were still alive today.
“…it’s just caused a lot of personal reflection about how it is that I’m called to be a saint in a way that no other Saint’s canonization has for me,” Fr. Patrick stated.
Approximately 70,000 filled St. Peter’s Square for the canonization of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. These two young men used their lives to make a beautiful impact, and they will surely continue to make a blessed impact on many through their loving and faith-filled examples and Saintly intercession.
