September 8, 2025

“To always be united to Jesus, this is my life plan.” 
– St. Carlo Acutis

In front of 80,000 devout Catholics in St. Peter’s Square, Blessed Carlo Acutis was officially canonized and has become the Church’s first millennial saint. The ceremony, highlighting his enduring connection to today’s youth, took place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, marking the first canonization presided over by Pope Leo XIV. The canonization was initially set to happen during the Jubilee of Teenagers on April 27, 2025, but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis. 

In recognition of this honour, the Edmonton Catholic Schools Board of Trustees will discuss renaming its newest High School from Blessed Carlo Acutis to St. Carlo Acutis Catholic High School. That meeting will take place on September 17, 2025. 

The school, which is set to open in September 2026, is in North Edmonton next to the Castle Downs YMCA. It will help ease enrolment pressures at Archbishop O’Leary High School while expanding opportunities for students living in our city’s Northwest. 

Board Chair Sandra Palazzo says this school will draw on the example of St. Carlo Acutis to inspire students and prepare them for post-secondary studies or the world of work. 

“Providing our students with the best possible learning environment significantly enhances the opportunities for their educational journey and beyond.”

About St. Carlo Acutis

Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 and died at the age of 15 shortly after being diagnosed with Leukemia. Though his life was short, Acutis was a selfless and caring millennial who understood the importance of living a life rooted in love and service to others. The Italian Catholic was passionate about computer technology and video games, but it’s his devotion to the Eucharist that will be most remembered. He created a website of Eucharistic miracles and served his community by spending time with the elderly and young people. 

Pope Leo XIV said St. Acutis found and lived his faith through school and grew up naturally integrating prayer, sport, study, and charity into his days as a child and young man. 

"He cultivated his love for God through simple acts, available to everyone: daily Mass, prayer, and especially Eucharistic Adoration"

In his homily, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the youth of today to use St. Carlo Acutis as inspiration to direct their lives upwards to God and make them masterpieces in service, life, and holiness. 

New High School Opening September 2026

Inspired by the values of faith and technology, Chief Superintendent Lynnette Anderson says St. Carlo Acutis Catholic High School will embody the spirit of its namesake.

"His use of digital technology to spread the faith, including developing a website in which he listed miracles, prompted many to refer to him as “God's influencer.” We pray that Carlo's life may continue to inspire new generations of Catholics in Edmonton and beyond."

Approximately 1,300 students will learn inside the state-of-the-art facility, which will have modern classrooms, laboratories, and a chapel. Students will grow both spiritually and academically as they complete their educational journey.