(ANS – Rome) – Bl. Carlo Acutis and Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, who will be canonized together in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, September 7 by Pope Leo XIV, embody the promise and dynamism of youthful holiness in the Church. This canonization, formally announced at Pope Leo XIV’s first Ordinary Public Consistory with the approval of the Cardinals, is greatly anticipated—not only because they are two young saints, one from the early twentieth century and the other the first twenty-first-century saint, but due to the tremendous devotion they inspire among today’s faithful.

Living Reality: Reaching the Margins

In a world often transfixed by virtual distractions, Pier Giorgio Frassati reminds us that sainthood springs not from escape into screens, but from encounter with those in need. From a young age, Pier Giorgio gave himself entirely to serving the poor—giving away shoes to a barefoot boy, using graduation money for the needy, and sacrificing privileged holidays for the sake of charity. His acts were rooted in personal relationships and loving service, living the Gospel concretely and joyfully. For Pier Giorgio, evangelization was not simply verbal; it was presence, solidarity, and self-gift in the world of suffering and exclusion.

Meaningful Engagement with the Digital World

Carlo Acutis, “the cyber-apostle of the Eucharist,” shows that disciplined, purposeful engagement with technology is possible—and powerful. Rather than allowing the digital world to become a realm of addiction or superficiality, Acutis made it a vehicle for evangelization, curiosity, and communion. He produced an extensive website that catalogued Eucharistic miracles, making use of his “passion for computers and video games” in service to faith and global community. Carlo’s digital creativity was not escapism but mission: “Our aim must be infinite, not finite,” he said, wisely reminding his peers that technology should amplify, not replace, the search for truth, beauty, and encounter.

The Salesian Path: Constructive, Joyful, and Apostolic

Both saints resonate with Don Bosco’s vision for contemporary youth: joy, practicality, and apostolic zeal lived in the midst of ordinary life. There are a number of digital labs today in the Salesian world named Carlo Acutis, to affirm how his spirit continues to inspire communities that blend faith, digital skills, and outreach to the poor—real spaces where the digital serves the Gospel and opens new routes for engagement and inclusivity.

Carlo gave witness to joyful Christianity, living with serenity and radiance, fully embracing his age and interests, but integrating them with vibrant faith. Carlo’s attention to others—especially the marginalized and forgotten—echoes Don Bosco’s principle of loving-kindness and practical charity. His “kit for becoming a saint” included daily Mass, Holy Communion, Rosary, Bible reading, Adoration, Confession, and sacrificial love—practical steps for youth seeking holiness today.

Pier Giorgio was known as the “Man of the Beatitudes,” passionately living out the Gospel in daily life and social engagement. Despite his privileged background in Turin, he chose a path marked by humility, service, and a contagiously joyful spirit. Frassati’s spiritual practices included regular Eucharistic Adoration, Marian devotion, and personal chastity—forming a robust spiritual foundation similar to Don Bosco’s formative methods for youth.

He was deeply connected to the Salesian milieu, attending preparatory exams at the Salesian Collegio Don Bosco and participating in initiatives linked to the Salesian Basilica of Mary Help of Christians. He actively served the poor of Turin, embodying Don Bosco’s vision of engaging young people in loving service to the marginalized. His motto “Verso l’alto” (“To the heights”) became a rallying cry for youthful aspiration rooted in faith, inspiring generations to seek fulfillment not in fleeting pleasures but in serving Christ and neighbor.

Pier Giorgio’s commitment to friendship, sports, and charity, and Acutis’s innovation in evangelizing through websites and virtual reality, prove that it is possible to balance digital presence with social rooting, mission, and relationships. Each young saint shows that choices—in digital consumption or real-world acts—shape destiny, and that holiness embraces all dimensions of life.

Models for Today’s Youth

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati urge young people to recover real-life relationships and service; to harness technology for constructive, meaningful evangelization; and to pursue disciplined, authentic happiness rooted in Christ. In them, sainthood is not nostalgic, but vibrantly contemporary—a call to rise above loneliness, addiction, and passivity, and become witnesses of hope in both the virtual and tangible worlds.

A Canonization that Inspires

Their canonization is set to become a source of great encouragement, guidance, and inspiration for young people everywhere, inviting them to aim higher and aspire toward greater ideals. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati show that it is possible to live meaningful lives as good Christians and honest citizens amid the challenges of modern society. Their witness affirms that authentic happiness lies in faith, service, and integrity—reminding youth that they too are called to be light, hope, and builders of a better world. Rooted in Salesian tradition, their legacy is a summons to every young person: “Verso l’alto!”—”To the heights!”—in daily life, service, and, yes, digital mission, shaping a new generation of saints in action and presenc