First millennial saint Carlo Acutis will be canonized Sept. 7, the pope says

Statuettes of Carlo Acutis, an Italian boy who died in 2006 of leukemia, are displayed for sale in a shop in Assisi, Italy, on Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

ROME — Pope Leo XIV on Friday set Sept. 7 as the rescheduled date to canonize the Catholic Church’s first millennial-era saint Carlo Acutis.

Leo made the announcement during a meeting of cardinals, known as a consistory, to set the dates for a handful of new saints.

Acutis’ canonization was originally scheduled for April 27, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Acutis was 15 when he died in northern Italy in 2006, after a short bout with leukemia. He has become enormously popular especially among young Catholics who have been flocking to his tomb in Assisi.

While he enjoyed regular pastimes for his age — hiking, video games, and joking around with friends – he also taught catechism in a local parish and did outreach to the homeless. He used his computer skills to create an online exhibit about more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognized by the church over many centuries.

His tomb in Assisi has become a pilgrimage site especially during the 2025 Holy Year underway. It features a glass coffin in which Acutis can be seen dressed in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt,

In setting the Sept. 7 date, Leo announced that Acutis would be canonized along with another Italian Catholic, Pier Giorgio Frassati, who also died young at age 24 after contracting polio.

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