Saturday, 12 January 2013

The road crew and their host families celebrate- quotes


Celebration and quotes from the host families of the road January 12th  
Toby Grill Basildon

Thanks to an anonymous donation the parish in Basildon (Our Lady and All Saints) was able to host a meal for the team and their host families. During the meal the lap top was passed around and some thoughts were recorded by the host families about the experience of hosting members of the road crew. The results are below.

'this has been a very moving and meaningful experience. The dedication and hard work of the young volunteers is inspiring. A beautiful day' – Maria Hartnett
'a good presentation of a special life, giving meaning to young peoples lives and the word is still being spread around the world, getting nearer to his bicentennial year.' - Mick Hartnett

A wonderful opportunity to host such wonderful and special people, may they keep up the excellent work they do for young people. - Fina & Daniel Neaves

An honour to be involved and serve such wonderful and committed individuals, for such a great memory and cause. Veena , Ross , Liam and Daniel Callaghan.

Joe Joseph & Sebastian always smiling! It was a real privilege to share our home with you and you didn't even moan about our 6 dogs! What lovely young men full of life and enthusiasm. Thank you !

We had the great pleasure of the company of Josie & Katie who could have quite easily have been one of our own! When young people show commitment to a project that you yourself would think twice before taking on and even then give a poor excuse not to do! you are pushed into a situation where you have to look a little closer at your own faith. We have learnt more about our own faith through Josie,Katie and their dedication then they could possible know. We have shared an experience. Thank you.

The mass in Westminster Cathedral was particularly moving. With forty priests concelebrating St John Bosco would have been justly proud of the Salesian group and its young people who accompanied the relics.
It was a humbling experience to be part of it all. We have loved hosting two lovely young ladies in our own home.
Margaret and James Fox

At the end of the meal Gerry Kehoe, the event manager, spoke on behalf of the team with gratitude for the way that they had gone out with energy and hospitality to those who visited the relics. He also added that it was as important to receive hospitality as to offer it. The words were heckled and overwhelmed by cheers and “viva Don Bosco!” In being welcomed in Basildon the team had been blessed and supported in the sometimes gruelling task of being a road crew over long hours and weeks. Gerry also spoke with great warmth about Fr Dominic's commitment to young people and to Don Bosco.
Fr Dominic pointed out that the whole experience had been an experience of church, of welcome, self sacrifice and humour. After a short prayer and a blessing he sent the group of for a long lie in and invited people to return to the parish by midday Sunday.

Westminster Relics of Don Bosco report January 12th


Westminster day two January 12th

The team arrived from a 6.30 am start in Basildon and were ready to welcome pilgrims by 8am. The flow of people never relented as they walked the pilgrim journey to Don Bosco's relics. Cathedral staff estimated that about 4,000 people visited the relic during the day. Groups arrived from parishes from around the diocese and beyond; from Hertfordshire, Chertsey, Farnborough as well as many from central London. Manor House , Rotherhithe, Basildon, Tourists visited from places like Mumbai where they already had participated in the pilgrimage of the relics of Don Bosco and were delighted to re-engage in a more intimate encounter with Don Bosco.

Watching the pilgrims approach the relics in silence was a meditation in itself. Some came and stood quite close and looked. Some stood a few feet away looking, perhaps more objectively an perhaps hesitantly at the practice of veneration of relics. Those who stood close were looking at the lifelike effigy of a man who looked quite ordinary, small in stature, with the signs of a stroke on his face and the impact of a lifetime of hard work behind his closed eyes. But what was going on in the minds of the pilgrims as they looked at the casket? Here are some of their words:

I wanted to talk to Don Bosco about my children and ask his guidance.

I had no thoughts.... just a sense of peace and reassurance that God had not left me.

I found that I wanted to cry and I did. I don't know why but it was good and I walked away with my shoulders a little but lighter. I was surprised because, to be honest I am a bit of a sceptic really.

I felt that Don Bosco was not a relic but standing right next to me and smiling even as I was looking at his relic. It was weird but very calming. I was aware that I was stood in a powerful place, a focus of holiness that was linked to the relic but separate from it.

I felt that God had hugged me right there at the relic. Everything else seemed to fade and it was just me and a presence which I suppose is God.

One lady stood at the feet of Don Bosco and moved her lips in silent prayer for twenty minutes. Many others simply wanted to touch the relic and even caress the glass that contained it. Their faces shone in the reflected glow of lighting around the relic. One group stood in silence and held hands allowing Don Bosco to recognise and bless their bond of friendship. All of these pilgrims, caught in the light of a saint came away changed on their own pilgrim journey. Each one was challenged if not illuminated by that light for the road ahead.

At 2pm Bishop Alan Hopes led a thanksgiving mass with 32 concelebrants and spoke warmly at the beginning and the end of mass about the impact of Don Bosco and the animating influence of the pilgrim team which were accompanying the relics around the UK. Fr Martin Coyle preached on the need for Don Bosco's balanced approach to faith in which the sacred is recognised as much in the home, school and playground of each life as it is in the church. Fr Coyle challenged the congregation to demonstrate their faith through optimism and cheerfulness. Those thoughts were echoed in the offertory procession as 8 large banners were carried forward.

Towards the end of the mass the road crew,all volunteers from the Salesian network, gathered on the sanctuary to lead the congregation in the pilgrimage hymn ably led by the cathedral organist. After the blessing Bishop Hopes venerated the relic and incensed it on behalf of the congregation. Then, accompanied by the clergy and the uniformed road crew, the casket was taken into the piazza where a van waited to take the relics to a new location. As the relic moved into the specially adapted van the crew began to sing “da mihi animas !” and “viva Don Bosco!” as the van moved away. Bishop Hopes then moved among the team and thanked them for their work, enthusiasm and inspiration.

The team then spent the next hour dismantling the pilgrim experience before returning to theor hosts in Basildon parish for a shared meal.

Friday, 11 January 2013

Relics of Don Bosco Westminster day one Jan 11th report


Westminster Cathedral Fri 11th January Don Bosco's relics

The relics arrived at the Cathedral in the middle of the day and there was a brief delay due to midday mass so that the pilgrim experience had to be set up later. The relic was unveiled simply soon after mass and pilgrims began bringing to Saint John Bosco their hopes and fears, the thorns and roses of life.

Past pupils arrived from across London and some small groups of young people from St Vincent’s School and St Bonaventure's school in Forest Gate visited. The latter school had heard about the visit of the relics and volunteered to come to visit Don Bosco. The school is a wonderful mix of backgrounds and it was good to hear from students from Nigeria, Ghana, South India and the Caribbean because their parents will have known of Don Bosco in those countries. Pupils from the school from Ecuador were delighted to hear that the footballer Roque Santacruz developed his football through a Don Bosco youth programme. Just another demonstration of the way that this spirituality of the young has embraced the whole world.

As the banners flew over the beautifully lit relics of Don Bosco young and old took the opportunity to celebrate reconciliation in a one to one conversation with a wide range of priests spread around the huge Cathedral. This aspect of Don Bosco's ministry, especially with young people is centred around the compassion of God and links into his concentration on experience as a school where mistakes become opportunities for growth. The experience of confession as a school of life experience is one of the ways in which Don Bosco's spirituality weaves into the sacramental life of the church.

Sat in one of the benches in a bright orange t shirt is Rosio a young aupair from Andalucia. She was part of the preparation team for the visit of Don Bosco's relics to Spain but was sad that she had to leave for England before the relics arrived. She was amazed to hear that Don Bosco had followed her to London and spent a good few hours before the relic with gratitude. She now hopes to link up with the salesian youth movement in Great Britain.

Below the Cathedral in the evening Fr John Armitage Vicar General of Brentwood diocese gathered the group for the Brentwood Diocese Don Bosco Camps and as pilgrims made their journey to the relics above, they prayed for the success of a new season of Don Bosco camps below.

A parishioner from Our Lady's parish in Folkestone by chance met a member of the road crew who had been a teacher in Dundee and had taught two troublesome young people she knew and was now supporting with prayer. Both had made huge progress and despite long struggles and with much prayer our crew member heard that they had both engaged with life and with the church in very high profile roles. An example of the power of one woman's prayer.

The closing liturgy began at 8.30 with music by Edwin Fawcett and was led by James Trewby. Psalm 139 led us into meditation through the words of Ste and Jess from the Savio House team. As a goodnight thought James reminded us of his experience of Salesian work across the world and the need for justice and with Don Bosco's optimism to be able to find the positive and draw energy to continue to change the world. He invited Fr Martin Poulsom SDB to sing a song dedicated to Sean Devereux who as a volunteer gave his life in Africa to work for young people in Africa. In distributing aid in Somalia he refused to hand over food to warlords and was shot in the back and died instantly. "While my heart beats I have to do what I can for others" was a motto for the young Sean Devereux. 

This song brought to an end a long and memorable day in this great Cathedral which hosted over 3,000 pilgrims to Don Bosco relics in the first half day of veneration.





Westminster Relics day one crew quotes


Quotes from day one at Westminster Cathedral January 11th Don Bosco Relics

Tiring and inspiring
Polly Witter (Road Crew)

I never realised that Don Bosco was so small
John Pendleton Baldock

I didn't realise how international the population in London is and how much the church is a bridge between so many cultures.
Lukasz Torbicki SDB

I was astonished that many people did not care about the long queue and they were just reflecting patiently on the banners of the pilgrim journey.
Jarek Budny SDB

Sometimes people just wanted to talk about their life and listen to other stories. Today I could do both things and Don Bosco was present not only in my story. It is good to know that he still changes our lives.
Sebastian Marcisz SDB

Wow! Westminster Cathedral Day 1 – today we experienced again, the warmth and breadth and depth of the Salesian Family, meeting past pupils from Peru, South Africa and Kenya. This wasn't really a surprise, but I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to meet so many people with no links to the Salesians, but a huge devotion to St John Bosco! Viva Don Bosco! (Jessica Wilkinson)

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Quotes from Cardiff January 10th

Ste, our guide through the pilgrim experience was fabulous and inspirational. He inspired us to get more involved with others and think about joining the wider salesian youth movement. He is really nice, young and down to earth.
Tilly and Nell Heron Newent

It made me think that I should think things through, at a deeper level and maybe pray a bit more in the middle of life. It has been so uplifting and a really happy day.
Jean Parkes Chepstow

I loved the smiles of young people engaged in church in a natural way. It did me good.
Rosie Skivington Blaisdon

The banners spoke to my heart
Jeanette Trebail Newent

It was a real learning experience for me. It was educational . Serving on the altar was scary but a happy experience
Sean Clifford Gloucestershire

If the attitude and impact of the road crew is a reflection of the power of Don Bosco's spirituality we need to see more of it in our church and soon.
Oliver Garman  Haverford West

Cardiff report


Cardiff St David's Cathedral January 10th

Don Bosco's relics arrived early in the morning to the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Wales, St David's, to a welcome from Canon Peter Collins, the cathedral dean. Actually he was also there to welcome the road crew at 1am the night before after a disrupted journey of the relics team from Birmingham.

The Cathedral has a special link with Don Bosco since a friend of his early years, Lawrence Gastaldi, was appointed as rector of St David's mission in this same church in 1854. It was, perhaps, his conversations with Fr. Lawrence Gastaldi that inspired Don Bosco to have a real desire to engage in a British mission himself. Don Bosco invited Lawrence to preach to the oratory young people, one of whom was the young St Dominic Savio who constantly encouraged Don Bosco to start work in the British Isles after hearing Fr Gastaldi preach. He did not achieve this until 1887 when a group of Salesians arrived in Southwark diocese to work in the then poverty struck area of Battersea. It is noteworthy that when Fr Gastaldi eventually became Archbishop of Turin his relationship with Don Bosco became much more difficult which was a great disappointment to them both.

The morning at St David's was a unique experience since it was focussed on the needs of young people from the ages of 8 to 18. Don Bosco would have been delighted with the range of activities taking place in the benches: action songs, games and magic tricks which were used as a way to introduce the pilgrim experience which was done in small groups led by the crew. After visiting Don Bosco's relic in silence the groups ended up in a space outside the church playing games of “splat!” and other lively games. All these games, conversations and activities were there to emphasise the importance of being cheerful in order to be holy.

Bishop Thomas Burns led the Eucharist and invited the pilgrims to draw on the pastoral creativity of Don Bosco. The mass was described as extremely moving by many participants with music led by Edwin Fawcett and the road crew. Fr Martin Coyle spoke about the importance of holiness as cheerfulness and to let people know that they are loved and in so doing making it easier to believe in God's love. Fr Coyle presented the oratory model: home, school, playground and church as a way of making this love real in ordinary lives and relationships.

After the mass Bishop Thomas commented that the message of Don Bosco was much needed in the hearts of adults as well as in the lives of the young. He also accepted a unique statue of Don Bosco on behalf of the archdiocese presented by Fr Martin Coyle.

Groups arrived from Truro, Gloucester, Newport, as well as a range of schools from S Wales who brought their energy and magic to the pilgrim experience. In the afternoon a steady stream, mainly of adults, moved through the pilgrim experience. These included students from the university, visiting academics from the USA.

Once again, there was a strong and sustained demand for confession. Fr Gerry O'Shaughnessy led the closing service and invited Canon Peter Collins to lead the Our Father in Welsh. In the Salesian Goodnight Fr Gerry spoke about finding God in the ordinary and invited Brother Sandy to demonstrate the magic in three ordinary pieces of rope that separated and joined together in an amazing display of conjuring. Fr Gerry spoke about Don Bosco's horror of his work accompanying young people to the gallows. It was the horror of those public executions that drove Don Bosco to set up works that would prevent them ever getting into trouble. Fr Gerry asked us to go out to young people with encouragement and praise and follow in the footsteps of this great saint.

At the end of the service Canon Peter thanked the crew and invited the congregation of 250 to keep them in their prayers for the ongoing pilgrimage. The casket was then covered with a black pall and the formal visit of Don Bosco's relics to Cardiff came to an end.







Wednesday, 9 January 2013

Birmingham Day 2 Report January 9th


Birmingham Day Two Don Bosco Relics January 9th 2013

Yesterday over 900 people came to venerate the relic at St Chad’s
Today over 1,100 people visited Don Bosco

St Chad's Cathedral Birmingham opened its doors for second day of veneration of the relics of St John Bosco, patron and friend of youth. The pilgrim experience was focussed on young people in their teens from around the archdiocese. The road crew accompanied them through activities and reflections on the life of Don Bosco which included stories, magic tricks and spinning plates. There was an atmosphere of celebration and reflection throughout the morning interrupted on a regular basis by flurries of clapping and laughter. In this way it reflected the spirituality of the genial Don Bosco who believed so much in young people and saw holiness and cheerfulness as intimately connected.

The later morning saw the celebration of mass with all the young people in a full cathedral led by Archbishop Bernard Longley . Bishop Philip Pargeter concelebrated and revealed later that he had always had a great devotion to Don Bosco since his days of teaching at Cotton College. In his homily Archbishop Bernard spoke to the young people about his own visit to Turin to venerate the relics of Don Bosco. He said that we have had the privilege of Don Bosco coming to visit us in this archdiocese and that it was typical of Don Bosco to take the initiative in going out to others. He encouraged young people to be cheerful and holy.

It was good to see some small groups from Syro-Malabar rite visiting the relics, reminding us of the international nature of this pilgrimage and its message of balanced spirituality across the world. The hunger for a friendly confession with a cheerful and optimistic welcome has been amply demonstrated.

A group visited the relics today from All Saints School in York and took the opportunity to bring some northern accents into the experience. Their experience of the visit and confession was expressed in very positive terms. It could be that one of the effects of this pilgrimage might be to renew the practice of this sacrament as an experience of compassion and optimism for the future. Another outcome may be the recognition that it is within the changing and complex relationships between people that there is an opportunity to hear the spiritual dimension of ordinary life captured by the Gospel.

A lady visited Don Bosco's relics today by accident. She was passing by and wondered what the activity was about. After making the pilgrim experience she spent some time at the relic and then spoke to Bro Kevin. She told him that her brother had died of a heart attack suddenly over Christmas and since then she had been full of confusion and a heavy heart. Putting her hand on the relic and being still she felt a new sense of peace and calm and came away with the certainty that things would be OK. Saying that, she went out onto the street looking the same on the outside but with a new inner strength.

At the final service Siobhan, one of the road crew, called us to prayer. The Archbishop led a reflection on peace and justice and Fr Bob Gardner SDB led a goodnight reflection on the experience of Itzhak Perlman playing a concert with only three strings on his violin. He offered the following quote from Itzhac Perlman as his goodnight thought:

Sometimes it is an artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left”.

After the final hymn Don Bosco's relics were taken out of the Cathedral and the congregation sang as the relics were transferred to the specially designed van that will carry them on to Cardiff Metropolitan Cathedral.

Tonight the road crew packed up the equipment and are also on the way to Cardiff; to the early mission that was established in part by Don Bosco early friend Fr Gastaldi at St David's mission.

Itzhak Perlman

Birmingham day one (2) evening


Birmingham Day One (2) Don Bosco Relics

The pilgrim experience opened in St Chad's Cathedral for a late night vigil hosted by Birmingham youth service and CYMFED. The evening was focussed around the work of young animators of youth ministry, and groups from around the diocese and beyond gathered around Don Bosco to celebrate their common concern for young people. 

Archbishop Bernard spoke warmly about the wonderful work done by those in youth ministry around the diocese. Among the groups represented were the teams from Alton Castle in Shropshire and Soli House in Stratford as well as a wide network of groups that also make up the heart of the Birmingham Diocese youth ministry and groups from further afield in Leicester and Telford. At the closing service at the end of the first day Sue MacDonald, the national youth coordinator for the Salesians gave a good night thought that deliberately left people with unanswered questions about how they worked with young people.

The pilgrimage hymn "Friend of the young" with its lively chorus of da mihi animas (give me souls - part of Don Bosco's motto) is really catching the attention and the imagination of pilgrims. It is available for download on the web site (www.donboscorelics.co.uk)

The road crew left after 10.15 pm to stay at a local premier inn for a good night's sleep before doing it all again on day two.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Birmingham quotes day 1


Quotes from Birmingham Day (1)

I have brought my four children up by Don Bosco's methods for many years and I never knew it. I wish I had realised that there was a spirituality for parents that might have kept me sane when they were younger. I need to let my own children know about some of this Salesian approach.
Alex McNaughton Solihull

It was really heart-warming to meet the team and bring my own school to meet the Salesian charism. I was amazed at how easy it was for them to approach confession. I was moved by their readiness for real faith.
Bernie Healey Sheffield

Just being still and quiet with Don Bosco in a pool of light was restoring for my spirit. I found myself praying for young people, many of them were all around me. They have such a hard time with so many choices and confusion in their lives.
Imelda Lane Sutton Coldfield

Such a joyful experience and prayerful too! It was great to see the awe and wonder in the young people as they shared the pilgrim experience.
Jess Wilkinson Burnley

I came in to shelter from the rain at the cathedral. I stay in the hostel down the road and was feeling rough. I've made a mess of my life recently. I had been off drink for 11 months and then, like a fool, I thought I could manage just one before Christmas. I can't remember what happened but I woke up in a police cell and within a few weeks I was homeless.
Going into the church, seeing the young people and praying at Don Bosco's relic was amazing. I just felt he would have understood and I left the church with a warm feeling; feeling that I could manage and be stronger in the future.
Richard Salvation Army Hostel

Relics at Birmingham day 1 (1)


St Chad's Cathedral Birmingham January 8th

The twin spires of St Chad's cathedral welcomed the relic of Don Bosco with great warmth and organisation. The relics arrived quietly overnight and the doors opened at 9am to welcome seventeen school groups from the Midlands and from as far away as Sheffield for this historic visit of the saint of youth.

The diocesan youth team organised a range of activities and Don Bosco's own order, the Salesians, organised a pilgrim experience which has travelled from Scotland via Liverpool to Birmingham with the casket.

The casket contains the remains of Don Bosco's right hand within a full size 5' 4”replica of his body in a glass coffin.

In the morning Archbishop Bernard Longley celebrated mass to welcome the relics in a full church with music by Edwin Fawcett and the cathedral team.

In the homily Fr Martin Coyle SDB, the provincial of the Salesians in Great Britain encouraged the congregation to smile at one another for 5 seconds. That, he said was part of Don Bosco's wisdom that made holiness consist in being cheerful.

More to follow



Monday, 7 January 2013

Word from the relics road crew

-->
Words from the road crew

Day 4 of our pilgrimage... the excitement is growing each day, as more and more people come and join the fun! We've just arrived in Liverpool, ready to go to the Cathedral and set up for another day of sharing the joy! The Don Bosco vans overtook us on the motorway (again!) and for a while we were in a Don Bosco sandwich! Bring it on! #DBRelics (Jessica)

Just arrived in Liverpool and the excitement is growing through the team, after 2 amazing days already I can't wait to start today and meet all the people that will be joining us over the next 2 days in my home diocese to share this amazing experience we are having. (Polly)

It's great to bring Don Bosco to Liverpool. Everyone is on a high after the experience in Glasgow. Now we wait in excitement to see to what his Spirit will do here. How his personality, deep faith and love of the young has changed so many people through the years. On this, the feast of the Epiphany, we're going to let his star lead us to Christ! (Kevin)

The days are long and the journeys are tiring, however I am loving every single minute of working alongside the relics, it's such an incredible experience and I'm meeting so many people along the way who keep telling me how much the Salesians have affected them over the years (Josie)

relics at Liverpool Jan 6th quotes


As a a married couple it is good to see our relationship as a school, a playground a church and a home. That four fold balance could help us to live a better life together.
(Andy and Bernadette Cahil Chester)

The pilgrim experience was a creative and reflective way to lead us into prayer and an encounter with Don Bosco. The whole event was a wonderful way to bring the Salesian Family together.
Rachel Chadwick Liverpool


This was a unique opportunity to reflection the Salesian Charism through the symbolism of the relics.
Ian Biddle

I hope I will be able to share our unique salesian spirituality with the young.
Mary Biddle

This is not a theoretical, up in the air spirituality, it is real and it is about the inner strength to be cheerful.
Francisca Wheeler Salford

I loved Don Bosco's words to young people, his care for them and the confidence he had in their goodness.
Daniel Navarro Liverpool Universtity (Sao Paulo)

It was great to see young people at home in church and being able to sing and dance with such energy. It did me good!
Patricia Martin - Crosby

Young people are having a hard time right now, especially with unemployment. They need new reasons to get out of bed and this spirituality can do that.
Catherine Silkern Liverpool

I loved the energy of the new hymn to Don Bosco, it gives me energy and especially the emphasis on a ne tomorrow which gives me hope.
Ted Carless South Manchester

It has been a beautiful time to stop, take stock and reflect and to re-value what I am doing with life. |It has challenged me to be less anxious especially about the things I am not good at.
Anne Cunliffe Bolton

I love the humour and playfulness of this spirituality. It has made me think about relaxation as an act of faith.
Margaret Russel Bolton

I am delighted that our young people from Savio High Bootle can be involved in such an historic moment. Don Bosco promised to come to England over a hundred and fifty years ago and today he has kept his promise!
Fr. Gerry Briody SDB Head teacher Savio High School

This is a fantastic experience for the school to revisit and renew its salesian spirituality.
Mrs Anne Pontifex Head Teacher St John Bosco School Croxteth.

Relics at Liverpool January 6th report

-->
Liverpool Sunday 6th January

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ The King is hosting the pilgrimage of Don Bosco's relics over two days. Sunday gave an opportunity for parish groups from all over the North of England to make their pilgrimage to this great saint of youth.

The relic, displayed in a glass casket, lies at the heart of the experience but the real spirit of the saint was expressed by the team of young people from the salesian network that changed the relic into a lived reality for the pilgrims.

This is the second stop of the pilgrimage which began in Scotland where almost 3,000 people shared the pilgrim experience. The experience involved walking through a dream of Don Bosco and engaging with the story of this man who was able to touch the hearts of young people, parents and teachers with a simple spirituality that transforms lives.

In the pilgrim experience people were invited to find their “inner playground” to check their level of optimism and to recognise cheerfulness as a pathway to wholeness and holiness. Don Bosco wanted no long faced saints and presented a balanced and gentle approach to the mystery and meaning of each life. Commenting on the experience Catherine Silkern from Liverpool said “Young people are having a hard time right now, especially with unemployment. They need new reasons to get out of bed and this spirituality can do that”.”

The casket of Don Bosco was lit in a pool of light in the middle of the Cathedral. During the mass girls from St John Bosco School Croxteth and from Savio High School danced in front of the relics and presented a wonderful interpretation for the offertory and the communion.

Bishop Thomas Williams presided at the mass and Fr Martin Coyle, provincial of the Salesians in Great Britain preached on Don Bosco as one of the wise men who had much to say to us today about how to live and work together. The message, said Fr Coyle, spoke especially to young people and his words were to be tested a few minutes later when the event picked up some “passing trade”. One of the youth crew found a lad outside having a splif and got talking to him. He eventually decided to come in to have a look and found the experience interesting and helpful, much to his surprise. Another two lads, playing on scooters outside also came in to have a look and one of them found it really good, his name was Joe. The other lad thought it was rubbish and gave his name as “82”!

The number of pilgrims on Sunday afternoon numbered over 1,200, more are expected on Monday.

On Tuesday the pilgrimage moves on to Birmingham and then into Wales.
The detailed timetable of the event can be found on the website www.donboscorelics.co.uk


Don Bosco relics at Carfin Quotes


Helen Border Glasgow University Chaplaincy
The experience was deeply spiritual, it seeps into you right on the spot and it's easy to understand.

Helen Gilmore
I found my soul in the words and in the experience.

John, Glasgow University
It seemed to give me a way to link soul to life. I work in accounting and I found ways in this experience to link my work to spirituality.

Susan Smith Stonyburn
The whole life story of this man reads as an incredible and brilliant experience. It inspires me and gives me hope that my own life has some meaning.

Gerald Reynolds Motherwell
Friendship seems to be the key to this saintly life. As a teacher myself I recognise Don Bosco's challenge to be a friend to the young. The quote that sticks with me is this “ a teacher who only appears in the classroom remains just a teacher. A teacher who spends time in the playground becomes a friend.”

Marie McGuire Uddingstone
The spirituality we experienced today is so down to earth and I can see it all happening in the story of my family life.

Agnes from Blantyre
There is a warmth and presence of God radiated by the young people who accompany the relic. There was an almost magical sense of presence throughout the day.

“The ladies of Carfin” ( Mary, Anne Marie, Kathleen and Margaret)
The relic pilgrimage reminds us that we all need to be more child-like and not take ourselves so seriously.

Children brought up with Don Bosco's method would grow into strong and balanced young adults.

We need to delight in young people and recognise their energy and gifts.

The idea of a goodnight thought in families is a brilliant way to close the day with peace and a positive thought for young people.

Elizabeth and Laurence Murphy
You don't need to go into extraordinary places to find God. Don Bosco helps us find God in the ordinary things of life, in what happens and in our relationships.
We liked the emphasis on a gentle approach to other people and ourselves, especially when things were going badly. Focussing on a gentle personal care for others gives us deeper spiritual motives for working with other people.

Margaret Kelly Easterhouse
This experience has made me look at myself more clearly. It touches my life in ways I can't explain but it gives me more reasons to stay connected with the church. Through salesian spirituality small things become more meaningful and feed the soul.

Don Bosco Relics LIverpool January 7th report


Liverpool January 7th Report.

This was the first day back at school for many students so it was fantastic for a number of schools to get large numbers to Liverpool Cathedral. Students visited from St John Bosco Croxteth, Thornleigh College Bolton, Savio High School Bootle, All Saints Primary Bootle, St Anselm's Birkenhead, Blessed Trinity Burnley. During the day over 3,500 people visited Don Bosco's relics.

The morning was filled with a buzz of anticipation as people waited to visit the relic. The pilgrim experience became a youthful mixture of conversation, spinning plates, magic tricks and story telling all of which helped younger visitors to understand something about Don Bosco and how they wanted to pray at his relic. Jessica Wilkinson told stories about Don Bosco's dreams, a whole team helped young people to put their thoughts into words as prayers and others were teaching plate spinning. Plate spinning in church? It was a way to introduce the idea of balanced living in a memorable way. Many students had prepared by watching the Don Bosco film and had answers ready for all our questions. Some lucky youngsters went away with multi coloured “Don Bosco hats.”
As the young people went away more adults arrived after having seen the coverage on BBC Northwest. Two sisters came because they wanted to know why their now deceased aunt took the name Don Bosco when professed as a Franciscan in the mid 1930s. A retired university professor came and waited alongside a Nigerian family and shared their concerns about young people. The conversations flowed around the pool of light within which the relic rested.

A farewell mass for the relics was celebrated by Bishop Tom Williams and Bishop Terry Drainey from Middlesbrough Diocese. In the homily Bishop Drainey praised the relics team for the joy and energy that had surrounded the event which he described as a moment of grace for the whole of the northern dioceses. At the end of the mass the 30 concelebrants and the road crew accompanied the relic out of the cathedral and cheered and sang as it was taken back to the specialised vans designed for this world tour. Just as the doors of the van closed a distraught family arrived from Birkenhead and were disappointed to have missed the opportunity. The Italian members of the road crew opened the van for them and helped them climb up as a family to spend some time alone with Don Bosco.
The team and relics left for Birmingham St Chad's Cathedral where Don Bosco's relics will remain for two days before moving on to Cardiff.

Quotes from Liverpool January 7th


From youth groups:

Strange but interesting
James Deane

The body thing was weird but the team were great and helpful
Liam Bladon

It was actually quite cool that a person from so long ago wanted people to have fun and enjoy their lives as young people.
Courtney Buchanan

It was interesting to see the person we had learnt so much about in school
Georgie Turner

This was a totally unusual experience. I liked the spinning plates and the tricks from the crew.
Abbee Hurst.

It has been quite an experience finding out about Don Bosco and the way he made cheerfulness a holy thing.
Anisa Haji

What would I ask if I met Don Bosco? I'd ask Don Bosco if he likes roses and then if he would like to come and play with my games.
Thomas Proctor (age 4) Norris Green.

Adults

The most moving thing for me was the simplicity of the words on the pilgrim experience. They revealed something of Don Bosco but more about where I am on the bigger journey of life. It was very helpful!
Paul Crumpton Birkenhead

The energy and singing of the team was a great moment at the end of the mass and the way that the congregation all clapped Don Bosco as he left the Cathedral was quite emotional for me.
Agnes Clark St Helens

I loved the way that hundreds of young people gathered and waited with great patience around Don Bosco before saying a prayer with him. It was good to see that church can still hold young people and give them a good experience.
Trevor Cunliffe Burnley

It was brilliant to see the relic crew working so well with young people. They were telling stories, doing tricks and talking about Don Bosco. The cathedral was filled with the cheerful noise of young people. Long may it last.
Anne Dawson North Manchester


Sunday, 6 January 2013

The saint and the splif

He was hiding away, having a splif on Hope St. Just one of thousands of Liverpool lads needing to escape from home on Sunday afternoon.  He was minding his own business but he was still spotted by a young woman who asked him for a light. She didn't seem to notice the smell of his splif and he began to relax into a conversation.
Seems she is from Derby and she was fun despite her weird accent. It turns out that Jess is part of a crew working in the cathedral and helping with the world tour of the relics of a dead saint.
At first he thought it was the splif talking but no, Jess and her friend Emily were on tour with a dead body! This was beyond wierd!
Jess told him he was called Don Bosco and he spent his life working for young people setting up places for them in Turin, his home town.
As he listened to the story what started as weird turned into something fascinating. After a while he asked Jess if he could have a look. So they took the steps up to the cathedral together and Jess introduced him to a 200 year old saint in a glass coffin. On the way he learnt how Don Bosco had lost his Dad as a kid, had fights with his brother that forced him out of home and didn't have a great start at school. It sounded like it could be his story as he stared at the relic.
What was really impressive was that Don Bosco had used these set backs to help others. He wanted young people to feel safe, to belong because he hadn't when he was young. Maybe be could use some of his problems to sort his life out.
Jess told him he could be a saint too, but he didn't fancy the glass coffin!