Joe Wilson

A Soul of Extraordinary Depth

Joe Wilson was born on December 12, 1994, in Carfin, a village near Motherwell in the central belt of Scotland. The son of Alan and Veronica Wilson, he grew up with his younger sister Angela in a loving Catholic family. He attended Our Lady and St Francis Primary School before moving to Taylor High School. His classmates and teachers remembered him as someone who made everyone feel included, a boy who went out of his way to befriend those who were lonely or struggling. He aspired to become a doctor.

A regular visitor to Carfin Grotto, the pilgrimage shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes near his home, Joe drew deep inspiration from Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. At the age of fourteen, he began keeping a spiritual diary. In its pages, he wrote with remarkable maturity about his relationship with God, his desire to do His will, and his reflections on faith and prayer. In 2010, he attended Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, an experience that moved him deeply.

On December 20, 2011, just eight days after his seventeenth birthday, Joe died suddenly at Wishaw General Hospital. His death was caused by a heart condition. After his passing, his father discovered his spiritual diary, and its depth stunned his family and the wider community.

Joe’s story spread rapidly. His writings were compiled into “Joe’s Words,” and the Joe’s Faith website was launched to share his story. In November 2025, the Catholic bishops of Scotland approved the opening of his cause for canonization, granting him the title Servant of God. Two miracles have been put forward for investigation. His classmates had always called him a saint. Now the Church is examining whether they were right.

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