A personal reflection from Eileen O’Connor, Director and Co-Founder of the EM Radiation Research Trust
Today, 7th September 2025, the Church canonises two extraordinary young witnesses to Christ: Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. We joyfully embrace Carlo and Pier Giorgio as the Patron Saints of the EM Radiation Research Trust, asking their courage, vision, and devotion to guide our mission: raising awareness, protecting communities, and advocating for a safer, more responsible technological future.
Technology, Faith, and the Right Use
London-born Carlo Acutis, known as the patron saint of the internet, emphasised the importance of using technology responsibly, warning that the internet should never disconnect us from real life, faith, and authentic relationships. He was deeply concerned about young people losing touch with what is real, good, and holy. His message is clear: technology must serve God and humanity, not replace them. At the EM Radiation Research Trust, we echo this wisdom with a simple reminder:
♦ Step away from wireless.
♦ Reconnect with the earth.
♦ Ethernet for online.
♦ Real life for everything else.
Relic Visit and Mission Resonance
Visiting the relics of Saint Carlo Acutis in England in 2025, I was moved by his purity, youthful courage, and devotion to the Eucharist. Carlo died of leukemia at 15, yet his short life radiated extraordinary faith. His example inspires us to protect life, safeguard creation, and call for ethical use of technology in a wireless-saturated age.
For inspiration, the new documentary Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality offers a moving journey into his life, passion for Christ, and call to rediscover meaning in a screen-saturated age. Watch the official trailer
Also Remembering Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati
He is a patron of youth and students around the world.
Today, we also honour Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati, canonised alongside Carlo Acutis. Pier Giorgio was a young witness to Christ and is remembered as “the man of the Beatitudes.” Like Carlo, he lived with joy, generosity, and a profound sense of justice, actively engaging in the political and social issues of his day. He tirelessly worked for social reform, stood with the poor, and advocated for those most vulnerable, opposing injustice wherever he saw it. His activism mirrors the mission of the EM Radiation Research Trust: protecting those at risk and standing for what is right. His words, “Verso l’alto” (“To the heights”), inspire us to keep striving upward in faith, action, and advocacy, showing that living the Beatitudes also means taking a stand for justice.
Here are 12 remarkable facts about his life (source: EWTN Vatican, “12 Amazing Facts About the Life of Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati”):
Papal Echo and Documentary Inspiration
Pope Leo XIV today reminded us:
“Dear friends, Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis invite us especially young people not to squander our lives, but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces.”
Their witness is a wake-up call for both our digital and natural worlds.
A Special Concern for Today’s Youth
Scientific studies show children absorb far more radiation than adults, especially in sensitive areas. Christ et al. (2010) found that a child’s hippocampus and hypothalamus absorb 1.6–3.1 times more microwave radiation than in adults, and bone marrow in the skull absorbs up to ten times more. More details here This vulnerability resonates deeply with our mission to protect life and support healthy, thriving communities. Just as Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati guide and inspire today’s youth spiritually, they also remind us of our duty to protect children in practical ways, including advocating for safer, healthier environments in a world saturated with technology.
Closing Reflection
Together, Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati shine as beacons for young people and all who long for a more authentic, life-giving future. Their witness strengthens and inspires our mission to raise awareness, protect communities, and advocate courageously for those who cannot protect themselves.
Saints Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati canonised, here are their stories: https://vatican-ac.ewtnos.com/articles/carlo-acutis-and-pier-giorgio-frassati-canonized-meet-the-catholic-churchs-newest-saints-6367