The Philippine is very much indeed privileged to be visited by the Pilgrim Relic of St. John Bosco from December 2010 until mid-January 2011. Don Bosco, as he is popularly called/known, is the patron saint of the youth and printers. He died on 31 Jan 1888, and was canonized saint on Easter Sunday 1934 where he was given the title “Father and Teacher of Youth.” His incorruptible remains can be seen in Turin, Italy.

But in preparation for the 200th birth anniversary of Don Bosco, they decided to have a pilgrim relic tour of each and every country where the presence of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) can be found — and the Philippines is one of those countries where the SDB presence is very strong. What was brought to the Philippines is a resin replica of the body of St. John Bosco; the relic contains the saint’s right hand in a sealed case and inserted at the chest of the sculpture. The face of the was sculptured based on Don Bosco’s death mask.

Pictures from the relic’s arrival at our parish on Christmas Eve can be seen here, while pictures taken during the Send-Off Concert last 26 Dec 2010 are here. I was able to take some videos of the event as well:

Truly, a once-in-a-lifetime event and I was indeed privileged to had grown of Don Bosco’s teachings even if I did not went to any of the Salesian-run schools.