Caragh Church in Kildare to enshrine relics of St Carlo Acutis
Bishop Denis Nulty to preside at special celebration on November 19 2026
The Church of Our Lady and St Joseph in Caragh, Co. Kildare, will host a special celebration at 6.30pm on Thursday, November 19 2026, for the enshrinement of the first-class relics of St Carlo Acutis.
The chief celebrant will be Bishop Denis Nulty, Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin.
The occasion follows a special journey to Assisi in September by Fr. Ruairí Ó Domhnaill, PP Newbridge, and Fr. Joe McDermott, PE CC Caragh, to retrieve the relics and accompany them on their journey home to Ireland.
Their pilgrimage marks a significant moment for the local faith community, bringing a tangible connection with the life and witness of one of the Catholic Church’s most inspiring modern saints.
The celebration will provide an opportunity for parishioners and visitors from across the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin and beyond to gather in prayer, honour the memory of St Carlo, and seek his intercession.
Those attending will also have the opportunity to receive a blessing with his relics.
Born in London in 1991 to Italian parents, Carlo Acutis grew up in Milan and developed a deep love for the Catholic faith from an early age. His life was one of ordinary teenage interests transformed by an extraordinary love for God. He enjoyed computers, sport and spending time with friends, yet placed the Eucharist at the centre of his life.
Having been diagnosed with leukaemia on October 9, 2006, Carlo died a few days later on 12 October at just 15 years of age. Following the miraculous cure of Mattheus, a young Brazilian boy from annular pancreas in 2013, Carlo was raised to the glory of the Altars by Pope Francis in 2020. A second miracle in 2022, in which a 21 year old girl Valeria, from Costa Rica, was inexplicably healed from a severe head trauma following a bicycle accident, led to Blessed Carlo’s canonisation by Pope Leo XIV on 7 September 2025.
St Carlo’s witness carries a timely message for people of every age: holiness is not reserved for a distant past or for those who live extraordinary lives. It is possible in the everyday circumstances of family life, friendship, education, work and parish community, when these are lived with faith, generosity and love for Christ.
His particular appeal to young people lies in the way he embraced the modern world without losing sight of what matters most. Carlo demonstrated that technology along with friendship and the ordinary experiences of adolescence can become opportunities to share the Gospel and draw others towards Jesus Christ.
It is hoped that this significant event will deepen devotion to the Eucharist, encourage young people in their faith and inspire the wider community to follow St Carlo’s example of placing Christ at the centre of daily life.
All are welcome.