What it means to have a 'millennial saint'

Even a videogame-loving teenager in jeans and sneakers can become a saint.

- BUM D. TENORIO, JR.

Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint, found God in the digital age. Where disconnection from reality is many times a familiar problem posed by the internet, Carlo connected with God by creating a website called Miracoli Eucaristici (miracolieucaristici.org) documenting Eucharistic miracles all over the world. He started the website when he was 11. At 15, he died of leukemia. He offered to God his pain. Up until his last breath, his love for God was intact. Last Sunday, 20 years after his death, Pope Leo XIV canonized him.

"There's hope. You don't have to be old to be a saint," said Fr. Dave Concepcion, chaplain of Sto. Nino de Paz-Greenbelt Chapel in Makati City.

"St. Carlo Acutis made saint for he made an early choice for God. From the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we are not called to do great things for God but to do ordinary things with great love," added Fr. Dave.

St. Carlo Acutis' brief life was devoted to doing ordinary things with great love. Where the internet—despite its many advantages—can spawn disinformation, cyberbullying and other harmful content, Carlo Acutis made use of technology to spread the word of God. Technology became his friend, an ally to make sure God could be reached. He proved that the cyberworld could be used with integrity and faith—by keeping Jesus at the front, center and back of his mission.

"He had a PlayStation, but Carlo had read an article, we think it was in the