Staff Reports
The Catholic Church has announced it will canonize two young figures, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV, marking a bold embrace of youthful holiness in a modern era often hostile to faith. Frassati, who died in 1925 at just 24, lived a life filled with service, mountain climbing, and deep devotion to the poor, earning the nickname “Man of the Beatitudes.” Acutis, who passed away in 2006 at 15 from leukemia, is celebrated as a digital-age witness to Christ, known for his love of the Eucharist and creation of an online catalogue of Eucharistic miracles. Their canonizations send a powerful message: sanctity is not confined to the cloister—but can thrive in everyday life, even in an age plagued by secularism.
On college campuses like Franciscan University in Ohio, students are buzzing with excitement over the announcement. These young saints are relatable figures, showing that faith isn’t about abandoning modern interests—it’s about directing them toward a higher purpose. Hiking with friends, gaming online, or exploring technology aren’t incompatible with holiness, so long as God remains the center. In a society where young people are too often told their lives should be defined by careerism, consumerism, or identity politics, Frassati and Acutis shine as reminders that the highest calling is to live for Christ, not self-indulgence.
The canonization also reflects a broader religious renewal that elites find harder to ignore. Despite decades of secular propaganda in schools and the culture at large, record numbers of Gen Z Catholics joined the Church this past Easter. This uptick is no accident. Carlo Acutis has already captured the imagination of young Catholics worldwide, being called the “patron of the internet.” His enthusiasm for using technology to share the truth of the Gospel stands in stark contrast to the nihilism and censorship too often found in today’s digital culture. The timelessness of faith, anchored in eternal truth, is reaching through the noise of social media to remind young people they were made for more.
Interestingly, the Church is no longer shying away from the digital sphere but engaging it directly. Campus ministries, Catholic universities, and parishes across America are livestreaming Mass, using apps for prayer and study, and building online communities where students can find faithful support. For years, critics mocked the Church as outdated, but this shift shows that the timeless message of Christ’s salvation can adapt to new tools without losing its integrity. Unlike progressive institutions that warp values to follow cultural fads, the Church is adapting its methods while preserving its message, offering a stability the modern world lacks.
When students at Franciscan University gather at 4 a.m. to watch this canonization live from Rome, they will not just be celebrating two new saints. They will be celebrating a faith that refuses to be shoved aside by materialism or modern arrogance. In a time when young people are hungry for meaning, the lives of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati are a clear challenge to the hollow promises of secular culture. They embody a faith that is joyful, courageous, and fully alive—exactly the kind of example America’s next generation desperately needs.
