MIDLIFERS PAY RESPECT TO DON BOSCO RELIC AT BAREILLY CATHEDRAL

The participants of the Midlife Dynamics  and the Spiritual Journey programme currently underway (July 17-31) at Sumedha Centre took a break from their serious work of self-exploration to visit the relic of St. John Bosco at Bareilly Cathedral on the 27^th afternoon. Fr. Jose Parappully, the Director and Br. John Minj, the Administrator accompanied them.

Don Bosco’s relic arrived at the Bareilly Cathedral at 6.40 pm. It was scheduled to have arrived at 4.30 pm. But the inclement weather and the bad road conditions delayed its arrival.

The midlife participants had reached Bareilly by 4.30 pm after a four hour journey and enjoyed the hospitality offered by Bishop Anthony Fernandes and Fr. Paul Falleira, the Procurator of the diocese.

Don Bosco’s relic consists of a part of his right hand embedded in a full size plaster of paris replica of his body, and placed in casket. The relic is on a world tour which began from Turin, Italy in 2009 and which will conclude in 2015, the 200^th anniversary of Don Bosco’s birth in a small village in Italy called Becchi. The relic will visit 130 countries before it returns toTurin. It has been in India for a couple of months now, passing through the Indian Salesian Provinces of Dimapur, Guwahati and Kolkata. Currently it is journeying through the Province of New Delhi, from where it will move to the Province of Bombay.

Don Bosco’s relic arrived in Bareilly from Lucknow. It was welcomed with dance and flowers by the girls of Snehadhan run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Bareilly. Bishop Anthony welcomed the relic to his newly inaugurated Cathedral. A prayer service was conducted in his honour in the Cathedral. It was led by Fr. Paul D’Souza the Chancellor of the diocese. The devotee had the opportunity to pay their respects and file past the casket.  The relic was at the Cathedral for an hour.

After the service the Midlife participants were treated to a nice supper by the parish priest Fr. Julian D’Souza and the other fathers of the parish and the Bishop’s House.

The midlifers reached back at Sumedha Centre at the stroke of midnight. They remarked that the visit as a “graced moment” and “a privilege.”

Sumedha Centre is the only Salesian presence in the diocese of Bareilly. It began functioning at Jeolikote in 2008. The Salesian Sisters (Daughters of Mary Help of Christians) have been in the diocese for a number of years. They run Snehadhan, a home for destitute girls in Bareilly.