A few days ago, Pope Leo XIV canonized two young, modern-day, and, in some ways, very relatable, men. The witness of the holiness of their lives has outlived them, spurring investigations into their lives and the validity of the miracles attributed to them. Having now passed the Vatican’s rigorous canonization proceedings, their saintliness verified—the canonizations of St. Carlo Acutis and St. Pier Giorgio Frassati took place this past Sunday, September 7.  

Born on May 3, 1991, in London, St. Carlo Acutis spend most of his childhood living in Milan, Italy. He lived a normal life for a boy of his age, in many ways, enjoying computer games and teaching himself coding. Although his parents were not particularly devout at his birth, his example of fervor, frequent Communion, and a love for the poor converted his mother (as well as his au pair, who converted from Hinduism!). He died of leukemia at the young age of 15.

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati lived almost one hundred years ago also in Italy: he was born in Turin on April 6, 1901. Like St. Carlo Acutis, he came from a family that did not always share the depth of his devout Faith. Popular among his friends, he loved being outdoors but also spent significant portions of his time and spending money on the poor. It was in tending the poor that he caught the polio that would end his life at age 24. 

(These very abridged biographies can (and should!) be supplemented with further reading of the many well-researched and inspiring biographies that can be found online. Some suggestions: biographies on St. Carlo—here, here, and here (this is the Eucharistic miracles exhibit that St. Carlo started); biographies on St. Pier—here, here, and here.)

For the most part, their lives were simple. Although they lived many years apart, they shared many externals: both were drawn towards more technical fields—St. Acutis to computer programming and St. Frassati studied mining engineering, both came from wealthy families, both died young of disease. Of more consequence, the ways in which they lived out their Faith also overlapped. It is this that inspires so many to follow in their footsteps: that their holiness was so simple—in their similarities, they (and the communion of saints proceeding them) give us an outline for sanctity. 

As soon as St. Carlo Acutis received his first Holy Communion, he became an ardent daily Mass attendee, even convincing his mother to attend with him (who, in the past, had only attended Mass when she was receiving her sacraments). St. Carlo was so devoted to the Eucharist that he created an online inventory of 187 Eucharistic miracles to help people come to believe in the Real Presence. A daily Communicant, St. Pier Giorgio Frassati would often sneak out of the house to attend the earliest Mass—climbing down a bed sheet out of his bedroom window to avoid waking his family. As a result of the times in which he lived, St. Pier actually had to obtain special permission to receive the Eucharist daily! First pillar of holiness in their lives: frequent and ardent reception of the Lord in the Eucharist. At a young age, St. Pier joined the Marian Sodality out of his great love for Our Lady. Similarly, St. Carlo started praying the Rosary frequently, if not daily, as a young boy. Second pillar of holiness—a deep love for Our Lady. Although St. Carlo has become almost synonymous with using the internet properly (and this was something in which he set an excellent example!), in reality he spent much more of his time serving the poor than looking at a screen. St. Pier also spent most of his time serving those less fortunate: one of his last actions was to write a note, with his partially paralyzed hand, giving instructions to bring certain medicine to a sick man he had been visiting. Third pillar of holiness—a love for God’s poor. Finally, neither of these young men felt shy or ashamed of authentically living out and talking about their Faith. St. Pier loved to take hiking trips with his friends and he often encouraged his companions to accompany him to Mass. Additionally, like his father, he was politically active in advocating for the stances in line with Church teaching. Likewise, those around St. Carlo were used to hearing him speak passionately and intelligently about his faith. Not only did his example and discourses bring his au pair to the Faith, but his classmates remember him defending his principles in class as well. Fourth pillar of holiness—unashamed Faith, whether that meant simple conversations or apologetics. 

However, none of these pillars of holiness, as I’ve named them, are new. They can be seen in any of the lives of the saints. The beauty of their holiness, to borrow a phrase from St. Augustine, is ever ancient and ever new. In their pursuit of holiness, they achieve an ancient sanctity, but, in each saint’s earthly life, it is lived in a new setting. As St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis grew in holiness, neither of them conformed to some boring picture of what a saint should be. Instead, their holiness radiated through their lives, making them each more of the unique and vibrant person God had created. It is these simple pillars of holiness that we, the faithful still walking our earthly pilgrimages, are able to imitate. As we do, our own beautiful personalities will shine out more brightly, slowly losing the dullness of sin and gaining the luster of holiness. (Of course, this does not mean the pursuit of holiness will be easy—simplicity does not equate to ease.) May we soon lend our quirks and character traits to the communion of saints as we follow in the simple example of holiness given to us! St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us! St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us!