The Catholic Church in Scotland has taken a significant step toward recognizing the life of a teenage layman whose faith left a lasting impression on all who knew him. Last November, Scotland’s bishops formally approved the opening of the canonization cause of Joe Wilson, a young Scotsman who died suddenly at the age of 17 in 2011 and whose personal writings continue to inspire Catholics around the world, according to EWTN News.
Joe’s profound relationship with God was not hidden or theoretical. In his personal diary, he wrote with striking clarity: “I will always be close to God, because he is the most important thing in my life,” a line that has since become emblematic of his spiritual legacy, according to EWTN.
Those who encountered Joe during his life recognized something extraordinary beneath his ordinary teenage routine. Valerie Fleming, the postulator of his cause, recalled an unforgettable moment from his final year at Taylor High School, a Catholic school in Scotland. During a religion class on modern saints, the teacher asked students what a saint today might look like. Fleming said, “The whole class turned around and pointed to Joe, and the principal said, ‘There he is,’” according to EWTN News.
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Joe’s faith was nurtured not only at school and at home, but also through prayerful solitude. He frequently visited Carfin Grotto, a Marian shrine often referred to as the “Lourdes of Scotland,” located near his home. According to EWTN, the shrine became a place where Joe found peace and deepened his friendship with the Lord, especially during his final years.
That devotion became visible to the wider community when Joe fell into a coma caused by a congenital heart condition. Hundreds of people gathered at Carfin Grotto in a candlelight pilgrimage, praying fervently for his recovery, according to EWTN News.
Joe’s spiritual life was deeply shaped by the saints, particularly St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Fleming explained that Joe drew strength from her example, allowing her “little way” to inform his generosity, humility, and service to others, according to EWTN.
On Dec. 20, 2011, just five days after his 17th birthday, Joe died at Wishaw General Hospital from Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition that can especially affect young athletes. Fleming described his death as “a huge shock to his family,” according to EWTN News.
In the aftermath of that loss, Joe’s father discovered a diary his son had kept since the age of 14. The writings revealed a spiritual depth far beyond his years, with reflections on suffering, hope, and the Eucharist. Writing about Pope Benedict XVI’s 2010 visit to Scotland, Joe recorded: “I prayed the rosary on Sunday so that everything would go well and there would be many conversions. Jesus will be on the altar! Or at least, as close to Jesus as we can be on earth, on the altar,” according to EWTN.
In one of his final reflections, Joe expressed a strikingly Catholic understanding of redemptive suffering and eternal justice. “I know the world won’t be perfect, and that’s why I love having faith,” he wrote. “Think of all the people who are starving, in wars, in famines; who were excluded, tortured, who weren’t loved in the world. All these people who were unfortunate on earth are, I’m sure, sitting on the highest thrones in heaven. How reassuring is that?” according to EWTN News.
Fleming has emphasized that Joe’s writings continue to reach people well beyond church walls. According to EWTN, she said they are “inspiring people who otherwise wouldn’t know about the Church,” particularly young people who “realize that you can be a normal person and, at the same time, a witness to God.”
If canonized, Joe Wilson would become Scotland’s first millennial saint. The last Scottish-born saint recognized by the Church was St. John Ogilvie, canonized for his martyrdom centuries earlier. Joe’s cause, by contrast, highlights the holiness possible in modern youth, lived quietly, faithfully, and without acclaim.
As the Vatican review process continues, Joe Wilson’s life stands as a powerful reminder that sanctity is not reserved for another era—or another kind of person—but is still alive in bedrooms, classrooms, and parish shrines today, according to EWTN News.
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