St. Carlo Acutis was an Italian Catholic teenager whose love for Jesus in the Eucharist shaped his prayer, friendships, service to the poor, and use of technology. He showed that holiness is possible in ordinary life when our gifts are offered to God. As Catholics, we pray the novena to St. Carlo Acutis for deeper Eucharistic devotion, purity of heart, wise use of technology, and courage to seek holiness each day.
Begin PrayingMore about St. Carlo Acutis
St. Carlo Acutis was born in London on May 3, 1991, to Italian parents and was baptized two weeks later. His family returned to Milan that year. He received his First Communion at the age of seven and developed a deep love for the Eucharist. He attended Mass daily when possible, made a spiritual communion when school prevented him from attending, spent time in Eucharistic adoration, went frequently to confession, and prayed the Rosary. His faith was also visible in ordinary acts of charity. He helped classmates in difficulty and shared his friendship and pocket money with poor people in his neighborhood.
St. Carlo served as a catechist and used his skill with computers to create websites for Catholic and charitable projects. He is especially remembered for using digital media to promote knowledge of Eucharistic miracles. In October 2006, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. He offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church, received the Anointing of the Sick, and died on October 12 at the age of fifteen. St. Carlo was beatified in Assisi on October 10, 2020, and Pope Leo XIV canonized him on September 7, 2025. His feast is celebrated on October 12, and this novena is prayed from October 3 through October 11. St. Carlo's life invites young people and adults alike to place the Eucharist at the center of life and to use their abilities, including technology, in the service of God and neighbor.
