Donegal Gaeltacht School Becomes First in Ireland Named After Millennial Saint Carlo Acutis in Landmark Ceremony
Gort a' Choirce National School in the Donegal Gaeltacht has officially renamed itself Scoil Naomh Carlo Acutis, becoming the first school in Ireland to adopt the first millennial saint as its patron — a moment ten years in the making for a school community that has followed the Italian teenager's journey to sainthood since he was beatified in 2020.
Background
Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991 to Italian parents and grew up in Milan, where he developed an early and passionate interest in computing and digital technology. He was also a devout Catholic who used his technical skills to document and catalogue Eucharistic miracles from around the world, creating a website that became widely shared among Catholic communities globally. He died of leukaemia in October 2006 at the age of fifteen, having reportedly offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church.
His cause for canonisation moved with unusual speed through the Vatican's processes. He was beatified by Pope Francis in Assisi in October 2020, and his canonisation was completed by Pope Leo XIV in September 2025 — making him the first person born in the second half of the twentieth century to be declared a saint by the Catholic Church. His combination of digital fluency and deep faith earned him the informal titles of "God's Influencer" and "the patron saint of the internet," descriptions that have resonated particularly strongly with younger Catholics.
The school community at Gort a' Choirce, located in the Irish-speaking heartland of northwest Donegal, began following Carlo Acutis's path toward sainthood approximately a decade ago. The school, which operates entirely through the medium of Irish, saw in the young Italian a figure whose modern life and digital engagement offered a compelling model for children growing up in an era of social media and online culture.
Key Developments
The official naming ceremony took place over the weekend of 4–6 September 2026, with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Niall Coll of the Diocese of Raphoe. The occasion was given particular significance by the presence of Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo, who travelled from Assisi — the Italian town where Carlo Acutis is buried — to bring a first-class relic of the saint to the school. A first-class relic is a physical item directly associated with the saint's body, and its presence at the ceremony was considered a mark of exceptional honour for the school community.
Principal Patricia Uí hArlaigh spoke at the ceremony about the significance of the new name for the school's students. She noted that Carlo Acutis offers a particularly relevant model for children today — a young person who was passionate about technology and used it not for distraction or self-promotion but as a tool for sharing something he believed in deeply. In an era when many children aspire to be social media influencers, the school sees in its new patron a figure who reframes what influence can mean.
The relic of Carlo Acutis will also visit Derry as part of a wider tour of the northwest, bringing the saint's memory to communities across the region.
Why It Matters
The naming of Scoil Naomh Carlo Acutis is significant for several reasons. It represents the first time an Irish school has adopted a saint canonised in the twenty-first century as its patron, reflecting a broader effort within the Catholic Church to present models of holiness that speak to contemporary life rather than drawing exclusively on figures from the distant past. The choice of a teenager who was passionate about computers and the internet as a patron for a primary school is a deliberate statement about the compatibility of faith and modern life.
For the Gaeltacht community in Donegal, the ceremony also carries a particular resonance. The school operates in Irish, and the adoption of a new patron is an occasion for the community to affirm its identity and values. The fact that the ceremony drew a bishop, a Vatican representative, and significant media attention speaks to the school's standing within both the local community and the wider Irish Catholic world.
The speed of Carlo Acutis's canonisation — from death to sainthood in less than twenty years — is itself remarkable by historical standards, and reflects the Vatican's interest in presenting saints who can speak to younger generations. His story has been widely shared on social media, and his image — typically depicted in jeans and a hoodie — has become recognisable far beyond traditional Catholic circles.
Local Impact
For the children of Gort a' Choirce and the surrounding Gaeltacht communities of northwest Donegal, the new name brings a sense of pride and connection to a global story. The school serves families from across the Gaeltacht area, where Irish is the community language and where the school plays a central role in maintaining the language and culture of the region. The ceremony drew families, local clergy, and community representatives, and was covered by Highland Radio and national media.
The visit of the relic to the school and subsequently to Derry is expected to draw significant interest from Catholic communities across the northwest, and the school has indicated it will use the occasion to develop educational materials about Carlo Acutis for use in the classroom.
What's Next
The school will formally operate under its new name — Scoil Naomh Carlo Acutis — from the start of the 2026 academic year. The principal has indicated plans to develop a curriculum strand around Carlo Acutis's life and legacy, exploring themes of digital citizenship, faith, and service. The school is also in contact with other schools across Ireland and internationally that have adopted Carlo Acutis as their patron, with a view to establishing a network for sharing resources and experiences. The relic will continue its tour of the northwest before returning to Assisi.
