In 2025, the Church celebrated the canonization of nine extraordinary men and women whose lives reveal the beauty and strength of faith in every generation. From young witnesses of the digital age like Saint Carlo Acutis, to courageous missionaries, martyrs, and founders who transformed their communities, each new saint reminds us that holiness is both timeless and within reach. Their stories—rooted in love, service, and fidelity to Christ—continue to inspire believers to live the Gospel with joy and conviction in today’s world.
Below, you’ll find the stories of each new saint, along with a short video highlighting their lives and the lasting impact of their witness.
Saint Carlo Acutis (1991-2006)
Born in London and raised in Milan, Carlo was an English-born Italian Catholic teenager who developed an early interest in computers and video games, teaching himself programming and web design. Carlo was known for his deep devotion to the Catholic faith and his adept use of technology to share religious content. He created a website documenting Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions, ultimately cataloging 187 Eucharistic miracles during a period of two-and-a-half years. He called the Eucharist “the highway to heaven” and was known to have said, “When we face the sun we get a tan…but when we stand before Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints.” He was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia and died at the age of fifteen offering his suffering for the Pope and the Church. He was canonized on September 7, 2025, becoming the first millennial saint.
Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925)
Born on April 6, 1901 in Turin, Pier Giorgio was the son of Alfredo Frassati, an agnostic who owned the newspaper La Stampa, and Adélaïde Ametis, a painter. During his life was dedicated to social justice issues and joined several charitable organizations, including Catholic Action and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, to better aid the poor and less fortunate living in Turin. Known for giving away his own possessions—sometimes even his coat or shoes—to those in need, he performed many of his charitable acts anonymously; his family only came to know of them after his death. Frassati was an avid mountaineer and athlete who was a member of the Club Alpino Italiano and climbed mountains such as the Grand Tournalin and Monte Viso. His motto “Verso L’Alto” symbolized both his literal mountain ascents and his spiritual aspirations. On July 1, 1925, he returned home with a severe headache and fever, and was soon diagnosed with poliomyelitis, which his doctors later speculated he contracted while assisting the poor. He died on July 4, 1925 at age 24. Pope John Paul II beatified him in May 1990 and dubbed him the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes,” and he was canonized on September 7, 2025.
St. Ignatius Choukrallah Maloyan (1869-1915)
Ignatius Maloyan was an Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin in the Ottoman Empire who was executed during the Armenian genocide for refusing to convert to Islam and renounce his Christian faith. At the age of 14, Maloyan was sent to the convent of Bzommar-Lebanon, and in 1896 he was ordained a priest, taking the name Ignatius in honor of the beloved martyr of Antioch. From 1892 to 1910, Maloyan was a parish priest in Alexandria and Cairo, where his good reputation was widespread, and on October 22, 1911, he was named archbishop of Mardin. Before his death, Maloyan declared: “I consider the shedding of my blood for my faith to be the sweetest desire of my heart. If I am tortured for the love of him who died for me, I will be among those who will have joy and bliss, and I will have obtained to see my Lord and my God. He represents the courage and witness of countless Armenian Christians who died during one of history’s darkest genocides. He was canonized on October 19, 2025.
St. Peter To Rot (1912-1945)
Peter To Rot was a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea who was martyred during the Japanese occupation in World War II and became the country’s first saint. To Rot defied Japanese authorities who permitted polygamy, defending Christian marriage until his death. As a married man with three children, he courageously upheld Catholic teaching on marriage when the occupying forces tried to reinstate traditional polygamous practices. In 1945 he was killed by lethal injection and is considered a martyr for the Catholic faith. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on January 17, 1995 and canonized on October 19, 2025. His witness demonstrates extraordinary courage in defending the sanctity of marriage and Christian moral teaching even at the cost of his life.
St. Vincenza Maria Poloni (1802-1855)
Maria Vincenza Maria Poloni was an Italian foundress who founded the Sisters of Mercy of Verona and spent her life caring for the elderly, the sick and “the little ones”. She is remembered for her tireless service to the poor, including at the risk of her life during the cholera epidemic of 1836. During a time when Italy faced severe poverty and disease, she dedicated herself completely to serving the most vulnerable members of society. Her religious congregation embodied the corporal works of mercy, particularly caring for those who had no one else to turn to in their suffering. She was canonized on October 19, 2025. Her legacy continues through the Sisters of Mercy who carry on her mission of compassionate service to those in greatest need.
St. Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martínez (1903-1977)
Maria Carmen Rendiles Martínez, notwithstanding physical disabilities, founded the Servants of Jesus, which did catechetical work, assisted the poor, the needy and priests . Born in Venezuela, she is the country’s first female saint. Despite the challenges posed by her physical limitations, she refused to let them define or limit her service to God and neighbor. Her religious institute focused on the vital work of religious education, bringing knowledge of the faith to communities throughout Venezuela. She also recognized the importance of supporting priests in their ministry and ensuring that the poor and marginalized received both spiritual and material assistance. She was canonized on October 19, 2025 . Her life is a powerful testament to how God can work through human weakness to accomplish great things.
St. Maria Troncatti (1883-1969)
Maria Troncatti was an Italian Salesian sister who spent 44 years as a missionary among the Indigenous Shuar people in Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. Known affectionately as “Madrecita,” or “little mother,” she served as a nurse, surgeon, and catechist with missionary zeal. She worked in the Amazonian forest and died in a plane crash. Beginning her missionary work in Ecuador in 1922, she brought medical care, education, and the Gospel to one of the most remote and challenging environments on earth. Her dedication to the Shuar people earned her their deep affection and trust. She learned their language, understood their culture, and served them with unfailing love and professionalism. Her death while traveling to serve those in need exemplified a life completely given in service. She was canonized on October 19, 2025 .
St. José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros (1864-1919)
José Gregorio Hernández was born on October 26, 1864, in Isnotú in the Venezuelan state of Trujillo, and lost his mother at the age of 8. He studied medicine in Caracas and received government funding to continue his studies in Paris in 1889 for two years. After returning to Venezuela, he became a professor at the Central University of Caracas, where he started each lesson with the sign of the cross. The Venezuelan doctor and Third Order Franciscan became known as “the people’s doctor” and provided medical assistance to the poor, paying for medicine out of his own pocket. He treated patients regardless of their ability to pay, often visiting the sick in their homes and bringing them medicine at his own expense. He combined his scientific knowledge with deep Catholic faith, seeing Christ in each patient he served. He was killed in an accident while on his way to help a patient. He was canonized on October 19, 2025, giving Venezuela its first male saint and providing a model of holiness for medical professionals.
St. Bartolo Longo (1841-1926)
Bartolo Longo underwent one of the most dramatic conversions in recent Church history. An Italian lawyer and former high-ranking Satanic priest, Longo’s deviation from the Catholic Church began after losing his mother early in life. His departure from Catholicism was short-lived, however; he rededicated himself to the church with renewed fervor, reportedly thanks to the influence of his family and a professor at the University of Naples, where he was studying law . After his conversion, he became famous for propagating the rosary, founding the Marian Shrine of Pompei and helping the poor. He died in 1926 at the age of 85, and was instrumental in founding the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii. He was canonized on October 19, 2025 . His life offers hope to anyone struggling spiritually, demonstrating that no one is beyond God’s mercy and that the greatest sinners can become the greatest saints.