A relic of Carlo Acutis, the British-born teenager recently declared a saint by the Catholic Church, began a tour of Scottish churches on Tuesday with a veneration at St Mirin’s Cathedral in Paisley.
The relic — described by organisers as a piece of the membrane that surrounded Acutis’s heart — drew more than 500 parishioners on its first day in the Diocese of Paisley. Hundreds of children also attended services to view the items on display, which organisers said include the saint’s pericardium, hair, part of a red T-shirt and a piece of the shroud in which he died.
Bishop of Paisley John Keenan described the arrival of the relic as “a great honour for the Diocese of Paisley to have such a tangible connection to the church’s newest saint,” and said he expected the relic to strengthen faith and bring blessings during its five-day visit. Father Ryan Black, who oversees youth ministry in the diocese, said hosting the relics was “an incredible honour” and called Acutis “perhaps most especially a saint for the young.”
The relic will visit Saint Francis of Assisi Church in Port Glasgow and Saint Mary’s Church in Greenock before returning to St Mirin’s Cathedral and then moving on to St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh later in the week, organisers said.
Acutis, who was born in London and died aged 15 in Italy in 2006 after a battle with leukaemia, was canonised by Pope Leo in St. Peter’s Square over the weekend after the Vatican recognised two miracles attributed to his intercession. The first recognised miracle involved the reported healing of a four-year-old Brazilian boy in 2013 from a serious pancreatic malformation; the second concerned the sudden recovery of a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman in 2022 after a near-fatal bicycle accident, according to church statements.
Known for creating websites documenting Eucharistic miracles and for his use of the internet to promote the Catholic faith, Acutis has been widely called a patron saint of the internet or “God’s influencer.” His body is preserved in Assisi in a glass tomb, dressed in a tracksuit and trainers; it was exhumed and put on display in 2019. Church officials estimate more than a million pilgrims have visited the hilltop town of Assisi where his remains lie.
Relics associated with Acutis have previously toured internationally, but organisers said Scotland is the first place to welcome a piece of his heart since his canonisation. Canon Jim Duggan was pictured holding the relics during a service at St Mirin’s on Tuesday.
The canonisation had been scheduled for April but was postponed following the death of Pope Francis, church officials said. Father Black, who attended the canonisation Mass in Rome, said he witnessed “the joy and hope that Saint Carlo is already bringing to the youth of the world” and expressed confidence that Acutis’s example would resonate with young people across Scotland.
Diocesan organisers encouraged parishioners to attend while the relic is in their area and said arrangements were made to allow time for private veneration and prayer. After completing the visits in Paisley and Greenock, the relics will be received at Edinburgh’s St Mary’s Cathedral for further public veneration.