Carlo Acutis will be canonised on Sunday 27th April 2025, during the Jubilee of Adolescents, to be held in Rome from 25th to 27th April. This first saint of the millennium, nicknamed ‘Jesus’ Geek’ or the ‘cyber-apostle’, died of leukaemia in 2006 at the age of 15. His short life was devoted entirely to God and to helping others.
This canonisation comes in the same year as the centenary of the beatification of Saint Bernadette Soubirous, celebrated on 14th June 2025. Bernadette, born in 1844 in Lourdes, is known for having witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. After living at the convent of Saint-Gildard in Nevers, she died there in 1879. Her body now rests in a casket at the Sanctuary of Saint Bernadette in Nevers, attracting large numbers of pilgrims every year.
Both had a strong faith from an early age and used whatever means they had to bear witness to their faith. Bernadette, through her simplicity and humility, brought the message of the Virgin Mary to the whole world. Carlo, for his part, used modern technology to spread the Christian message on a global scale. Their lives illustrate how faith can be practised and shared, whatever the times or resources available.
A thirst for the Eucharist from childhood
Bernadette Soubirous, despite her delicate health and lack of religious education, had a great hunger for God. She waited a long time before making her First Communion, which she received at the age of 14. She spoke of it as one of the most beautiful days of her life. For her, the Eucharist was a moment of deep intimacy with Christ, whom she tenderly called ‘my good Jesus’. When she joined the Sisters of Charity in Nevers, she practised her faith quietly and with suffering and faithfully attended Mass every day.
The Eucharist plays a central role in Lourdes. Every day, thousands of pilgrims attend Mass, adore the Blessed Sacrament and receive Communion – sometimes after years of distance or doubt. One of the most powerful moments is the blessing of the sick with the Blessed Sacrament, during which silence, faith and hope mingle in a deeply prayerful atmosphere. The Eucharist becomes what it truly is: a source of strength in suffering, nourishment for the journey, and a place of encounter with the living Christ.
In the final years of her life, Bernadette was often unable to attend Mass because of her illness, so she liked to join, in spirit, with all the Masses celebrated around the world.
Bernadette celebrated the Eucharist in humility, suffering and silence, as an offering. Through her simplicity and unassuming manner, Bernadette reminds us that the Eucharist is a mystery of love lived in silence and faith, accessible to the humble.
Carlo Acutis received his First Holy Communion at the age of 7, a privilege granted because of his spiritual maturity. From then on, he attended Mass every day and spent time in Eucharistic adoration. He used to say, “The Eucharist is my highway to heaven”. Carlo, although an adolescent in a world of hyperconnectivity, showed exceptional Eucharistic devotion. He put his computer skills at the service of Christ, creating a virtual showcase of Eucharistic miracles around the world, in the hope that others might discover just how present Jesus truly is in the consecrated host.
Carlo experienced the Eucharist as a source of joy, strength and mission, in a spirit of evangelisation. His missionary enthusiasm and his use of modern tools show us that the Eucharist can be the heart of a young and creative apostolate, rooted in tradition but looking to the future.
“The Eucharist is the highway to heaven … The more we receive the Eucharist, the more we will become like Jesus, so that on this earth we will have a foretaste of heaven.” Carlo Acutis
To follow the canonisation Mass of Carlo Acutis live in St Peter’s Square on Sunday 25th April at 10.00am, click here HERE.
