The relics of Blessed, and soon to be Saint, Carlo Acutis are at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, from Saturday 13 September to Monday 15 September 2025.
Pope Leo XIV declared Carlo Acutis to be canonised on Sunday 7 September 2025.
Carlo Acutis is known for his love of the Eucharist and for his use of technology in sharing religious content, particularly on eucharistic miracles. He died from leukemia aged 15 in Monza, Italy, and will become the first millennial saint.
Saturday 13 September
6:00pm: Vigil Mass in presence of relic (Cathedral open until 8:00pm for veneration).
Sunday 14 September
12:00pm: Mass in presence of relic, celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley.
Monday 15 September
12:45pm: Mass for Schools in presence of relic (all welcome).
On Saturday 13 September the relics will be present for out annual Altar Servers' Day at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. This event is for Altar Servers and volunteers only. If you have a child who is an altar server in the Diocese, please register fo this event with your parish priest. From 9-13 September, the relics will visit the Diocese of Paisley.
Archbishop Leo said: “It is a real blessing for our Archdiocese to welcome the relics of Carlo Acutis.
"The late Pope Benedict, when visiting Britain in 2010, called on our young people to be the "Saints of the 21st Century”.
"Carlo’s life is a powerful witness to precisely that, the beauty of holiness in our time, and a reminder that sanctity is possible at every age.
"I pray that his visit will especially inspire our young people to deepen their love for the living Lord in the Eucharist and to follow Him with renewed faith and courage."
The relics of Blessed, and soon to be Saint, Carlo Acutis are at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, from Saturday 13 September to Monday 15 September 2025.
Pope Leo XIV declared Carlo Acutis to be canonised on Sunday 7 September 2025.
Carlo Acutis is known for his love of the Eucharist and for his use of technology in sharing religious content, particularly on eucharistic miracles. He died from leukemia aged 15 in Monza, Italy, and will become the first millennial saint.
Saturday 13 September
6:00pm: Vigil Mass in presence of relic (Cathedral open until 8:00pm for veneration).
Sunday 14 September
12:00pm: Mass in presence of relic, celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley.
Monday 15 September
12:45pm: Mass for Schools in presence of relic (all welcome).
On Saturday 13 September the relics will be present for out annual Altar Servers' Day at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. This event is for Altar Servers and volunteers only. If you have a child who is an altar server in the Diocese, please register fo this event with your parish priest. From 9-13 September, the relics will visit the Diocese of Paisley.
Archbishop Leo said: “It is a real blessing for our Archdiocese to welcome the relics of Carlo Acutis.
"The late Pope Benedict, when visiting Britain in 2010, called on our young people to be the "Saints of the 21st Century”.
"Carlo’s life is a powerful witness to precisely that, the beauty of holiness in our time, and a reminder that sanctity is possible at every age.
"I pray that his visit will especially inspire our young people to deepen their love for the living Lord in the Eucharist and to follow Him with renewed faith and courage."
The relics of Blessed, and soon to be Saint, Carlo Acutis are at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, from Saturday 13 September to Monday 15 September 2025.
Pope Leo XIV declared Carlo Acutis to be canonised on Sunday 7 September 2025.
Carlo Acutis is known for his love of the Eucharist and for his use of technology in sharing religious content, particularly on eucharistic miracles. He died from leukemia aged 15 in Monza, Italy, and will become the first millennial saint.
Saturday 13 September
6:00pm: Vigil Mass in presence of relic (Cathedral open until 8:00pm for veneration).
Sunday 14 September
12:00pm: Mass in presence of relic, celebrated by Archbishop Leo Cushley.
Monday 15 September
12:45pm: Mass for Schools in presence of relic (all welcome).
On Saturday 13 September the relics will be present for out annual Altar Servers' Day at The Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. This event is for Altar Servers and volunteers only. If you have a child who is an altar server in the Diocese, please register fo this event with your parish priest. From 9-13 September, the relics will visit the Diocese of Paisley.
Archbishop Leo said: “It is a real blessing for our Archdiocese to welcome the relics of Carlo Acutis.
"The late Pope Benedict, when visiting Britain in 2010, called on our young people to be the "Saints of the 21st Century”.
"Carlo’s life is a powerful witness to precisely that, the beauty of holiness in our time, and a reminder that sanctity is possible at every age.
"I pray that his visit will especially inspire our young people to deepen their love for the living Lord in the Eucharist and to follow Him with renewed faith and courage."
An estimated 1 MILLION people were at the Jubilee Mass for Youth on the outskirts of Rome on Sunday.
They included Archbishop Cushley, Fr Robert Taylor of St Mary's Cathedral and our young adult pilgrims.
Steven Jeffrey, of St Mary's, Haddington, described the experience as "phenomenal".
Seeing so many young people here was a powerful witness to the vitality off the global church. It's a reminder that the future of our faith, rooted in Christ, is vibrant.https://t.co/suX9KtnPra
— Archbishop Leo Cushley (@leocushley) August 4, 2025
He said: "I was struck be the emotion...it was really encouraging to see so many young people active and devoted to their faith in the modern world.
“I really wanted to see the fullness of the church and it’s not every opportunity you get to go every 25 years, it's perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity which I just had to do."
Ben Waller (24), of St Margaret’s, South Queensferry, said: "You watch footage of people seeing the Pope but when you are there mongst it and see the excitement, it’s beautiful.
"People truly love the pope and what he represents. It’s the first time I’ve been in Rome and there was no better time to attend than the Youth Jubilee."
“It was very powerful. It was lovely experience. Phenomenal.”
The pilgrims return today (Monday 4 August) following a special week in Rome for the Archdiocese's Young Adult Pilgrimage in the Jubilee.
Archbishop Cushley, who concelebrated at the Youth Mass, said: "Seeing so many young people here was a powerful witness to the vitality off the global church.
"The energy they brought was joyful and contagious, yet there was a deep sense of reverence and prayerfulness.
"It's a reminder that the future of our faith, rooted in Christ, is vibrant."
Bishops from across Scotland gathered at the Scottish Parliament to celebrate Mass with MSPs and staff.
The Mass marked the feast of Ss John Fisher and Thomas More, the patron saint of politicians, and featured
MSPs from all parties and the Parliament’s Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone, attended the Mass, with the Presiding Officer and sponsoring MSP, Mark Griffin, assisting with readings.
After the Mass, Paul O’Kane MSP presented the bishops with a framed copy of a parliamentary motion welcoming the election of Pope Leo and which attracted cross-party support in the Parliament.
The motion highlights how Pope Leo’s first words from the balcony at St Peter’s Square included the need to “build bridges”.
After accepting the motion and thanking Mr O’Kane, Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said: “That’s what Pontifex literally means, being a bridge builder.
Archbishop Cushley's message to MSPs at Mass in Holyrood yesterday.
More: https://t.co/Atsf07HZ3k pic.twitter.com/xcw6uL8gPn
— Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh (@archedinburgh) June 19, 2025
“That’s part of why we are here today – to build bridges between the church and parliament and we appreciate this opportunity to come here, to make friends and discuss things.
“Some things we’ll agree on, some things we won’t, that’s part of the process.
“But there is so much work to be done in Scotland together as we continue to get to know each other, to think how we can work better together for the common good.”
In his homily during the Mass, Archbishop Leo Cushley, said: “One of Pope Francis’ lessons was that we listen to each other and be merciful to each other; listen to each other without prejudice and with humility and goodness and openness of heart.
“The Bishops and the Catholic Church in Scotland is a willing and open partner to work with you and to listen to you and, for our part, to accompany you when we possibly can.”
Join Archbishop Cushley, priests and people of the Archdiocese to celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents at midday on Thursday 28 December.
He will celebrate Mass at St Margaret's Chapel in the Gillis Centre, 100 Strathearn Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1BB.
Refreshments will be served afterwards in the Islay room of the Gillis Centre.
Parking: Gillis parking is available but limited. Come early to secure a space. Metered parking is available outside Gillis on Strathearn Road, Whitehouse Loan and Thirlestane Road
Bus: Edinburgh's Number 5 bus stops directly outside the Gillis Centre.
Driving: Postcode for the Gillis Centre is EH9 1BB.
Here is a list of the Christmas Day Mass times (and Christmas Eve Vigils) for churches in our Archdiocese.
5:00pm
5:30pm
6:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
7:30pm
8:00pm
8:30pm
9:00pm
9:30pm
10:00pm
11:00pm
Midnight
8:00am
9:00am
9:30am
10:00am
10:15am
10:30am
10:45am
11:00am
11:15am
11:30am
Midday
1:30pm
6:00pm
Today we welcomed His Excellency Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía, Apostolic Nuncio for Great Britain, to the Annual Festival Mass at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh.
He was joined by Archbishop Leo Cushley and dignitaries from across the city.
Homily of Archbishop Leo Cushley of St Andrews & Edinburgh. Festival Mass, St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Edinburgh , Sunday 13 August 2023
My dear friends,
A warm welcome to St Mary’s Metropolitan Cathedral as the 76th Edinburgh International Festival takes place in our city.
It is an honour to have you among us, and to salute our friends in the family of nations whom you represent and serve in Scotland.
I also have the honour to welcome our Episcopalian friends, Bishop John Armes of Edinburgh, and Bishop Kevin Pearson of Glasgow & Galloway. You are both most welcome here.
In particular, we have the honour of welcoming today His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, my friend and colleague Archbishop Miguel Maury Buendía (below left).
These days are among the highlights of the civic year here in Edinburgh.
As the Lord Provost (below) and Councillors present well know, running a city is not just about fixing the roads and emptying the bins, although we all like both things done timeously, and appreciate everything you do in those and many other directions.
But sometimes, we need to lift our eyes from the day-to-day, the work at hand, and as it says in Exodus, “rise up and play”. And this is something that the City of Edinburgh has been doing with evident gusto since the Edinburgh International Festival began in 1947.
As we have been reminded again these day by the release of the movie Oppenheimer, at the end of the second World War, the world was still a very precarious place, where the peace of 1945 was starting to turn into a darker struggle that became the Cold War.
Most of us here remember personally how this played out in the second half of the last century, and how, at length, the Cold War drew to a close, and the beginnings of what we all hopefully named a “peace dividend” started to emerge.
I remember, less than 20 years ago, amid the optimism of globalisation, seeing signs in the United Nations in New York declaring that it would take $50bn to fix world poverty.
Yet peace and prosperity remain elusive, war is no farther away, and while the stats tell us that developing countries and their people have got richer in the last thirty years, it still doesn’t feel like our generation has made things much better.
To this rather mixed picture, we must add that none of us thought to see a land war in Europe in our lifetime. Europe, and the concert of nations in general, is still in search of peace.
I believe one of the intentions of Rudolph Bing, founder of the Edinburgh International Festival, was to find an antidote to war, to selfishness, to the institutionalized, official, legalised disregard for human dignity and worth.
In the Edinburgh Festival he and its co-founders wished to remind us of the better angels of our nature, and to draw our attention to something better, purer, higher.
As I have had occasion to say before, the Edinburgh International Festival is, at its best, a festival of the human spirit. At its best, it is a celebration of beauty, and beauty draws us out of ourselves and inspires us.
We can’t always articulate it, but we know it when we see it. Beauty in something outside ourselves helps us see that it’s not always about us; in fact, it’s a better, healthier place to be when we’re drawn out of ourselves, when we are thinking about the other, when we’re looking out for each other.
And the dignity and worth of every human being, no matter or what they may be, is at the solemn, essential heart of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Fun is fun, but there is a bigger picture, a meta-narrative that we mustn’t lose sight of, as we enjoy the arts and the music and the theatre around us.
Bing, a Jewish German refugee who fled to this country to escape the Nazis, founded the Festival with the city authorities in the wake of the atrocities of the Second World War, to put the human person and everything that is noble in our spirit, back at the heart of things.
The Festival’s deeper significance is that it’s about pushing back the extremists and the nihilists; it’s about putting the human person, and the beauty that we can achieve, back at the centre of our attention, and allowing a little grace build on our modest and broken nature.
It’s about taking back our stolen dignity and worth. It’s about denying the field to the ideologues, the fatalists, the extremists, the people who don’t believe in humanity.
And the need for the Festival’s positive, gentle energy should be clear, as we look at what is happening again in the family of nations, especially in Ukraine, but elsewhere too.
As we give thanks for the many blessings that have come to the city every year through these celebrations, we take a moment to recall that that the Edinburgh International Festival is at its best when it is faithful to its founder's vision, and when it promotes and respects the dignity and worth of the human person; it is successful, not only when there are millions of happy visitors, but also when we let it be true to itself: a Festival of all that is best in our broken, but blessed and grace-filled human spirit.
All images: Paul McSherry.
Couples from across the Archdiocese got together at St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh last night for a celebration of marriage.
Archbishop Cushley was the principal celebrant at Mass and gave a blessing to married couples and to engaged couples.
He said: "It is always a lovely, happy occasion when we thank God for the many blessings received through the great gift of marriage.
"It warms my heart to see so many people here to celebrate that and to pray for God's blessing upon their lives."
After the Mass a reception was held in Coffee Saints cafe.
The longest married couple at the event were Margaret & Bill Mawdsley (below).
They are parishioners at St John the Baptist Church in Corstorphine and have been married for 68 years.
They were wed at St Mary's, Star of the Sea, Leith, in 1955, and have three daughters and five grandchildren.
They cut the celebration cake alongside the most recent married couple, Eilish & Callum Lloyd (below left), who have been married for just a few months.
The annual event was organised by Fr Jeremy Milne and the Archdiocesan commission for Marriage & Family Life.
