When you think of saints, you usually see characters from centuries past. However, recent findings suggest that we may soon identify the first millennial saint—someone who died not long ago!

Meet Carlo Acutis, an Italian child who died from leukemia at the age of 15 in 2006. The Vatican just revealed that Pope Francis has begun the process of becoming a saint. People often regard Carlo as the patron saint of the Internet because of his exceptional computer skills and his ability to use them to spread his religion.

Carlo was born in London to Italian parents and relocated to Milan when he was quite young. His love of Catholicism began at an early age, leading his mother, Antonia Acutis, to return to the church when he was only seven. He regularly attended Mass and demonstrated his dedication to assisting those in need, often contributing to the homeless.

Carlo utilized his self-taught computer skills to create a website that showcased miracles in the months before his death. Following his death, his mother received several reports from people all over the world claiming to have experienced miraculous healings after praying to Carlo, including cures for cancer and infertility. His mother described Carlo as a beacon of hope amidst the darkness, while others referred to him as “God’s influencer.”

Carlo’s canonization process began in 2020, when the Assyrian diocese petitioned the Vatican. Pope Francis credited Carlo for mending a youngster with a misshapen pancreas after he came into contact with one of his shirts.

The Vatican asserts that a second miracle, involving a Costa Rican college student severely injured in a bicycle accident in Florence, requires the Pope’s approval for canonization. After her mother prayed at Carlo’s tomb, the young woman improved dramatically, giving physicians hope that she might survive a major surgery.

The Pope announced plans to convene a council of cardinals to evaluate Carlo’s sainthood, but they have not yet set a date for the ceremonial canonization event. The prospective canonization of Carlo as the first saint born in the millennium age promises to be an exciting occasion.