(ANS - Milan) - Don Bosco has come back to comfort, encourage and give hope to young people in juvenile prisons. A typical example of the pastoral activity of the saint from Turin was repeated on Monday, 3 February with the visit of the relic of Don Bosco to the Cesare Beccaria juvenile prison in Milan.

The relic came to Beccaria at 8.30 a.m. on the Monday morning from the Basilica of St. Augustine, the Salesian heart of Milan, where the relic had been hosted for almost the entire day of Sunday 2 February at the Forum of the Salesian Youth Movement.

The visit of the relic was the occasion for great festivities at the juvenile detention centre. First there was a solemn celebration in the prison chapel presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Milan, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, and concelebrated by the Provincial of the Salesians, Fr Claudio Cacioli, the two prison chaplains and several other priests. The Cardinal also baptized two of the young people and gave them, and one of their companions, the sacrament of Confirmation.

"Don Bosco is a living example of God's mercy” said Fr Gino Rigoldi, one of the chaplains of the prison.  “Today, as in the days of Don Bosco , we live in a reactionary society that says ‘close them in jail and throw away the key’. For 40 years I have been among these young people and I have seen wonderful things happen. In here you can change. But the problem is outside, it is later when there are no resources to provide jobs , education, home, and hope for the future of our children."

"Don Bosco teaches us to trust in ourselves, in the talents that God has planted in our hearts " added Cardinal Tettamanzi.

The celebration continued in the prison theatre. In front of a crowded audience of students of the diocesan colleges of Milan, the young detainees told the story of their lives, the reality of prison and their journey of redemption with the language of theatre and music, weaving together personal testimony, scenes from Romeo and Juliet  and Antigone,  and rap songs written by the young people.

Yesterday 4 February, the pilgrimage of the relics to the territory of the Ambrosian Church came to an end with a Eucharistic celebration in the Cathedral presided over by the Archbishop of Milan, Cardinal Angelo Scola. Over the four days, about 40,000 people paid homage to Don Bosco.

Published 05/02/2014