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Crowds of people did not let torrential rain deter them from venerating the relic of St. John Bosco when it was in New York as part of a United States tour. Wearing ponchos and raincoats and carrying umbrellas, and coming from around the metropolitan area, they made their way to the beloved founder of the Salesian order and patron saint of youth.
At the Marian Shrine in Stony Point Sept. 30, some 5,000 students from Salesian schools, young people and those with a devotion to the saint came to see the relic. During the day Archbishop Dolan led three short prayer services to accommodate the large numbers of people.
Those gathered chanted and cheered for the saint as they waited in tents set up outdoors for their turn at a viewing. At St. Patrick’s Cathedral Oct. 1, people again made their way through the rain to honor St. John Bosco and attend an evening Mass offered by the archbishop.
The relic, St. John Bosco’s right hand and arm, is encased in a life-size wax replica of his body, which lies in a glass-sided bronze box. One after another, a continuous line of people walked up to the statue, their hands touching the glass, saying silent prayers to the saint.
Explaining the veneration of relics at the Marian Shrine, the archbishop said, “We have his body here in reverence and gratitude so we are reminded of him” to “help us feel closer to God.”
St. John Bosco, known as Don Bosco, was born in 1815 in Castelnuovo d’Asti in Italy, and was ordained in 1841. He founded the Salesian Order, and dedicated his life to the young people and poor of the region, with a particular dedication to children who were poor, orphaned or abandoned. He is also the co-founder of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a women’s religious congregation.
The archbishop shared three thoughts about the saint, saying that his life teaches people to “never give up” on dreams; always “put God first”; and remember “all of us are made in God’s image and likeness.”
With words that seemed to sear into the audience, the archbishop said that just as St. John Bosco saw good in all the children he helped, “God sees Jesus in your soul.”
Along with the archbishop was his elementary school teacher, Sister Mary Bosco Daly, R.S.M., who traveled from her home in Ireland to see the relic.
Boys from Salesian High School in New Rochelle were among those in Stony Point. One senior, Ethan O’Sullivan, quipped to CNY, “Bosco is the patron saint of umbrella makers. It’s something nobody really knows, so it’s coincidental that it’s pouring.”
While that fact may not be entirely true, there is a connection between the 19th century saint and rain. Biographies of St. John Bosco tell that he promised the drought-ridden townspeople of Montemagno rain if they would come to his sermons and go to confession. It did rain, on the feast of the Assumption, as the saint said it would.
O’Sullivan continued to talk about Don Bosco with a smile and a laugh, saying, “It was good to see the founder of our school. It’s a great event, a great experience. I’ve looked forward to seeing him in person, in a way.” Another Salesian student, Michael Berman, a junior, added a little more seriously that he wanted to see the relic with his friends because of the saint’s life. “He was such an influential man, not only on kids in his life in Turin,” he said.
Nicholas Marricco, a Salesian junior, said, “This is a special moment. The relic doesn’t come out of the cathedral in Rome that often.” He noted that the number of people attending the event “shows the impact he has on children and teenagers, even today.”
Marricco remarked that he sees the spirit of Don Bosco in his high school. “In Don Bosco’s eyes, every kid was good. He wanted to make sure the boys were good, that’s what the staff does.”
Students from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie also traveled to the Marian Shrine to venerate the relic. Alexandra Lorca, a sophomore, said, “It’s incredible that his hand that touched and did so many things is right there.” Another student, Katherine Klein, a senior, said she admired the joy of St. John Bosco as he helped people. “A lot of people get depressed. You can get a lot out of helping people.”
The theme of service and joy of the saint was highlighted throughout the day, and was one of the many reasons people attended. Mathilde Misko from Blairstown, N.J., traveled with her three daughters. “What inspired me about Don Bosco was he took all these boys that people considered worthless and saw their true value,” she said. “The charity and love the boys in Turin received, they gave it to others.”
She told CNY that she felt “a close connection to Don Bosco.” At the foot of the saint was a box for petitions. “I thought I was taking my petition and putting it in his hand,” she said. Her daughters, Virginia, 13, Alissa, 11, and Sonja, 15, all told CNY that they felt a special devotion to Don Bosco. Sonja said she watched a movie on Don Bosco and read a book about his life. “Don Bosco does mean a lot to me. He’s easy for me to relate to because he’s so much fun,” she said.
René Goldsmith of Sacred Heart parish in Newburgh, an alumna of Mary Help of Christians Academy in New Jersey, a Salesian school, said with a joyful smile, “When you’re a Salesian, you’re always a Salesian!” She said she fondly remembers the nuns who each day would tell students, “Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” With her was her niece, Megan Fitzsimmons, also an alumna of Mary Help of Christians Academy who is now a junior at the University of New Haven. “Being a Salesian has changed my life,” she said. “It was breathtaking knowing that a piece of heaven was right in front of us, interceding for us.”
