The Catholic bishops of Scotland approved in November 2025 the opening of the cause for the canonization of Joe Wilson, a young man who died at 17 whose life of faith is awakening notable interest among young Catholics, according to EWTN News. The process could place him among the first saints of the millennial generation, although he would not be the first recognized by the Church.
Joe Wilson was born on December 12, 1994, in Carfin, a town near Glasgow, in Scotland, and died on December 20, 2011, due to Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital heart condition. Raised in a Catholic family, he stood out from a very young age for a deep faith, lived naturally in his family, school, and parish environment.
Sanctity lived in the ordinary
From the age of 14, he kept a spiritual diary in which he left reflections on prayer, the Eucharist, and his personal relationship with God. In one of his most quoted writings, he stated: “I will always be close to God, because He is the most important thing in my life.”
During a religion class at his school, several classmates spontaneously pointed to Joe when asked who could be a saint today, a gesture that reflected the impact he left on those who knew him.
Marian devotion and legacy
Joe frequently visited the Carfin grotto, known as the “Lourdes of Scotland,” where he found a privileged space for prayer. After his death, devotion around his figure grew notably.
His spirituality was marked by the influence of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, especially her teaching on sanctity lived in the small and everyday things.
Among the first millennial saints
If the cause prospers, Joe Wilson could become —along with Carlo Acutis— one of the first saints of the millennial generation and the first Scot of that generation to be canonized.