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The relic statue of St John Bosco, will be touring Australia as part of the celebrations of the centenary of the arrival of the Salesians on Australian soil. The Salesians came to the shore of Australia on 30th March 1023 in Fremantle, Western Australia.

The wax replica of the saint contained in a glass casket comes from the province of Hong Kong, made by Gianpiero Zoncu at the time of Don Bosco’s beatification in1929. Small bones from the right hand and arm of the Saint were removed and placed in this wax replica before being securely concealed in the large glass casket.

The relic of St John Bosco, will visit Salesian College, Chadstone on 12 – 14 July 2023. St John Bosco (1815 – 1888), the founder of the Salesians and the Salesian Sisters, used the method of “Reason, Religion and Loving-kindness” to form young people as active citizens and good Christians.

The visit of the Relic of Don Bosco is an experience that the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, the Salesian Co-operators, and all Salesian

youth ministries and educational establishments wish to share with whoever would like to participate in the events outlined in this brochure.

The visit of Don Bosco’s relic provides an opportunity for all to renew their dedication to following Christ, to learn more about this charismatic saint and to pray in the presence of his relic.

When someone means a lot to us and they have passed away or they live a long way from us, we sometimes like to have reminders of them such as photos, letters, cards, or gifts they might have given us.

These objects are obviously not the same as the people themselves but they can be a meaningful connection to them. We can feel closer to a person we love thanks to the object reminding us of them.

In Victorian England, people in love would often keep strands of their lover’s hair and even today, many parents take strands of their children’s hair as a kind of lasting keepsake. Because hair doesn’t decompose, it can also be a symbol of eternal life and eventually become a relic of someone very special.

In the Catholic Church, relics make sense to us because of our belief in the Communion of Saints. The Church teaches that, at death, life is changed not ended, and so no-one ever stops existing. We can even pray to the saints and our loved ones in heaven to intercede for us – that is, to ask God for good things on our behalf. At school, we always say at the end of a prayer, “St John Bosco, pray for us.” This is because of our belief that he is still present and active in our lives, even though we can no longer see or experience him in his human form.

A special way of feeling close to the saints and being in a spiritual kind of contact with them can come from having a relic of them.

The Catholic Church recognises three kinds of relic: a first-class relic, which is usually a fragment of bone, hair, or flesh; a second-class relic which might be a garment the saint wore or a book or crucifix; and a third-class relic which is something which has touched a first-class relic.

When we pray to the saints and draw on their spiritual influence, a relic can be a special reminder for us of how close they are and how influential they can be in our lives. The relic is also something that reminds us of the great big family we belong which includes all those millions who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith.

Contact the host of Don Bosco Relic Visit