One year ago, St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City witnessed a historic moment for the Church: Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were proclaimed saints by Pope Leo XIV. The first canonization of his pontificate brought before the faithful two young men from different eras, yet united by the same experience: the desire to make their lives a response of love to Jesus Christ.
Carlo, who died at the age of 15, became known for his deep devotion to the Eucharist and for using technology as a tool for evangelization. Pier Giorgio, who died at 24, lived out his faith in everyday life, among his studies, friends, sports, prayer, and service to the poor. Two distinct ways of life, but with the same center: Christ. While Carlo pointed to the Eucharist and to Heaven, Frassati expressed his journey through his motto, “To the heights.”
One year later, the witness of both saints remains especially relevant to young people. They show that holiness does not require an extraordinary life in the eyes of the world, but rather a concrete response to God in ordinary circumstances: in family life, friendships, studies, work, digital life, and service to others. Carlo and Frassati were not saints despite being young, but also through their youth.
The first anniversary of their canonization, therefore, is not merely an opportunity to remember that morning in Rome, but to renew a question: What are we doing with our lives? Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati continue to point in the same direction: to live fully here on earth without losing sight of Heaven, making each day an opportunity to love God and our brothers and sisters.
