As the Church celebrates these two young saints, their stamps serve as a reminder of their enduring influence, inspiring a new generation to live with unwavering faith.
Newsroom (05/09/2025, Gaudium Press )The youthful visages of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925) will grace special commemorative stamps issued by the Vatican to mark their canonization. The ceremony, presided over by Pope Leo XIV, is set for Sunday, Sept. 7, in St. Peter’s Square.
The Postal and Philatelic Service of the Governorate of Vatican City State, in collaboration with Italy, the Republic of San Marino, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, has created the stamps to honor these two young witnesses of the Gospel, according to the service’s website.
The Acutis stamp features a photograph of the young man in a red shirt with a backpack, taken during a school trip to Mount Subasio near Assisi, shortly before his death from fulminant leukemia at age 15. The Frassati stamp showcases a portrait by artist Alberto Falchetti (1878–1951), a member of the Frassati family. The Vatican will issue 60,000 Acutis stamps and 50,000 Frassati stamps, each with a face value of 1.35 euros ($1.60), in partnership with Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises, the San Marino Post Office, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta’s postal service.
Special postmarks accompany the stamps. The Acutis postmark reproduces the stamp’s photograph alongside the Eucharistic symbol with Christ’s monogram. The Frassati postmark includes his signature and the phrase “Verso l’alto” (“to the heights”), a phrase he penned on a photograph of himself climbing a mountain a month before his death in 1925. Additionally, a commemorative folder for Acutis, along with first-day envelopes and a postmark, will be available for 10 euros ($11.66). The stamps and folder go on sale immediately after the canonization at the St. Peter’s Square post office and all Vatican post offices the following day.
A Boy with a Backpack and a Faith that Moved Others
Before his sainthood, Carlo Acutis was a typical student at the Tommaseo Institute, a Catholic school in Milan run by the Marcelline Sisters, located across from his parish church, Santa Maria Segreta. Teachers recall a joyful, occasionally mischievous boy who was passionate about his faith.
“He was certainly not a perfect student,” said Sister Monica Ceroni, Acutis’ middle school religion teacher, in an interview with EWTN News. “He sometimes forgot his homework or showed up late.” Yet, his “healthy curiosity” and determination stood out. “When he became passionate about something, he didn’t give up,” she added.
At Tommaseo, Acutis balanced schoolwork, soccer games, and chapel visits. His report cards showed religion as his strongest subject, and he thrived in classroom discussions about faith. “He was also a real joker,” Ceroni said, recalling his playful pranks with classmates.
Acutis’ compassion was evident in his actions. He befriended struggling classmates, including a boy abandoned by his mother, whom he “took under his wing,” said Sister Miranda Moltedo, the school’s former principal. When a classmate with mental disabilities faced bullying, Acutis defended him, telling a teacher, “He is a great friend of mine, and I want to help him.” Ceroni noted, “This ability to be inclusive as an 11- or 12-year-old boy was extraordinary.”
At the Jesuit-run Leo XIII Institute in high school, Acutis’ faith deepened. Father Roberto Gazzaniga, the school’s chaplain, recalled him praying in the chapel before classes and during breaks—a rarity among students. Classmates described him as respectful yet unafraid to share his convictions on the Eucharist, baptism, pro-life issues, and Church teachings. He often helped peers with homework, particularly in computer science, a field he loved.
Acutis lived simply, once asking his mother to return new sneakers so the money could aid the poor. He prayed with a cloistered religious order for classmates caught up in partying and drugs, and he spoke openly about chastity. His leukemia diagnosis at 15 cut his high school years short. He died in October 2006, offering his suffering for the pope and the Church.
Sister Monica saw him weeks before his death outside their parish church. “He was happy to be back at school,” she recalled. “He said he wanted to focus on computer science.” His funeral drew a large crowd, including many poor people he had helped. Today, Sisters Monica and Miranda share his story with students, presenting him as “a friend of Jesus” who embodied the joy of Christianity.
Frassati’s Legacy of Action and Aspiration
Pier Giorgio Frassati, known for his athleticism and social activism, lived a life of service before dying of polio at 24. His stamp and postmark reflect his vibrant faith and the call to strive “to the heights,” a fitting tribute to a man who climbed both mountains and spiritual summits.
As the Church celebrates these two young saints, their stamps serve as a reminder of their enduring influence, inspiring a new generation to live with joy, compassion, and unwavering faith.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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