(ANS – Rome) – During the last six-year period, on the initiative of Rector Major Fr. Pascual Chávez, the Salesian Family, youth and lay persons lived in all the provinces a great charismatic experience, made through the pilgrimage of the casket of Don Bosco. This was in itself a profound and thorough spiritual and pastoral preparation to the celebrations of the Bicentenary of our dear Father. In order to facilitate displacements among the various nations, several Caskets had been prepared, even if it had been excluded that more Caskets be simultaneously on pilgrimage to the provinces.

We then asked ourselves what destination to give to these Caskets of Don Bosco containing a relic of his. Some province had presented a request for one, to place it in a significant location. In July, during the plenary session of the General Council, this “problem” and the various requests were taken into consideration.

First of all, considering the spiritual fruits borne during the pilgrimage, we realized the possibility of enhancing the value of these Caskets by destining them to various parts of the world. We were convinced that faith, and in particular people’s religiosity, require visible signs; faith in fact expresses itself also through the manifestation of feelings of affection and needs to see and to touch.

Besides, in the General Council we had reached the conviction that it was not convenient to destine one of the Caskets to the provinces of the Mediterranean and of Centre and North Europe Regions. For these provinces the fundamental point of reference was to be the Casket of Don Bosco kept in the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco, Turin. It was then decided to destine a Casket to one of the Provinces of the five other regions of the Congregations: Africa and Madagascar, East Asia-Oceania, South Asia, America South Cone and Interamerica.

Finally, considering the requests received, the consultation of Regional Councillors with the provincials and the significance of the places, the decision was reached to send the Caskets of Don Bosco with his relic to the following places:

-          for Africa and Madagascar Region, the Sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians in Nairobi, Kenya, was chosen;

-          for East Asia-Oceania Region, the Casket will be provisionally sent to one of the parishes in Hong Kong, China, and then its final destination will be the Salesian Institute in Macau, the Mother House of the Chinese province, founded by St. Louis Versiglia, founder of the first Salesian house in China together with St. Callistus Caravario, Salesian Proto-martyrs;

-          for South Asia Region, the Temple of Don Bosco in Cherapunjie, close to Shillong;

-          for America South Cone Region, the Temple of Don Bosco in Brasilia;

-          for Interamerica Region, the Temple of Don Bosco in Panama.

A geography of the devotion to Don Bosco was also taken into account. In some places this devotion is already strongly rooted, also with a great participation of the population; in other situations we are just at the beginning; all these places can be centres of appeal and propagation.

Published 28/08/2015