The mother of an Italian teenager set to become the Catholic Church’s first millennial saint has told of her “great joy” as she portrayed her son as an otherwise ordinary boy who enjoyed video games and pets. Carlo Acutis – whose computing skill helped him spread the message of the Catholic Church and earned him the nickname “God’s Influencer” - died from leukemia in 2006 aged 15.
Ms Salzano said her son used his computer skills “not to do things for earning money or to become famous but to spread the Gospel , to help people,” and was “full of joy.” While he had similar interests to other kids, the soon-to-be-saint was unafraid to stand out from the crowd. His mother said that the age of nine the youngster spent time helping the homeless in Milan and giving his pocket money to those sleeping on the streets.