Pope Leo XIV has today, September 7 2025 canonised two new saints of the Catholic Church: St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati. The solemn Mass of Canonisation took place at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

St. Carlo Acutis: The Millennial Saint

Carlo Acutis, popularly known as the “Millennial Saint,” was an Italian student celebrated for his devotion to the Eucharist and his innovative use of digital media to spread the Catholic faith.

Born in London in May 1991 and raised in Milan, Acutis created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions, cataloguing more than 150 miracles in nearly 20 languages. His online work became an important catechetical tool for parishes worldwide, demonstrating how technology can be used for evangelisation and spiritual good.

Acutis showed a profound love for Christ at a young age, preaching to children, adults, and even non-Catholics. At age 11, he began researching Eucharistic miracles, a devotion that shaped the rest of his life. His mother recalled him saying: “There are queues in front of a concert, in front of a football match, but I don’t see these queues in front of the Blessed Sacrament.” For Carlo, the Eucharist was the very centre of life.

He died at the age of 15 from leukaemia on October 12, 2006, in Monza, Italy, offering his suffering for the Pope and the Church. Pope Francis beatified him on October 10, 2020, after a miracle was attributed to his intercession: the healing of a Brazilian boy with a malformed pancreas.

His canonisation was initially scheduled for Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2025, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis. Pope Leo XIV rescheduled and today presided over his canonisation.

Lessons from the Life of St. Carlo Acutis

St. Carlo Acutis is a powerful example of how the faithful, even here at Munyonyo, can use their God-given talents to serve the Church. He shows us that the internet, often misused, can instead be a tool for evangelisation and for making the world a better place.

The Saint also reminds us of the centrality of the Holy Eucharist and the importance of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. While crowds fill stadiums for football matches and music concerts, very few gather before the Blessed Sacrament, yet this was the heart of Carlo’s devotion.

St. Carlo’s life is also a reminder that Jesus is always present with us, fulfilling His promise to the disciples in Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Fr. Male, Rector of the Uganda Martyrs Shrine Munyonyo Basilica, revealed that the shrine has been granted relics of St. Carlo Acutis by the Bishop of Assisi, which will later be introduced into the Divine Mercy Adoration Chapel.

St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us.

Read more: carloacutis-en.org

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati: The Man of the Beatitudes

Born in 1901, Pier Giorgio Frassati was an Italian young man who lived out the Gospel with remarkable simplicity and joy. Known for his deep faith and tireless charity, he served the poor, sick, and marginalised until his death at the age of 24 in 1925.

Pope John Paul II affectionately called him the “Man of the Beatitudes” and declared him a patron of World Youth Days. Frassati embodied the virtues described in Matthew 5:3-10—he was meek, merciful, pure of heart, a peacemaker, and willing to suffer for the Gospel.

Despite his short life, he became a patron saint for youth, young adults, athletes, and “ordinary people.” His extraordinary witness in everyday life continues to inspire believers to “go to the heights”, to seek Christ in the poor, in the community of the Church, and in the Eucharist.

Frassati was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1990.

Today, his canonisation alongside Carlo Acutis fulfils Pope Francis’s dream of recognising both young men during the Jubilee Holy Year 2025.

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us.