VietNamNet Bridge – The remains of St. Don Bosco, including the right arm and hand bones, were brought to Vietnam last week.

 
The bones were put into two metal boxes, which are place in the rib-cage of the statue of St. Don Bosco.

 

This event previously took place in some American countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Canada and the US. In Asia, the remains are brought to 17 countries, including Vietnam.

 

In Vietnam, the remains will be received and honored at six places, including the Xuan Hiep church in Thu Duc district, HCM City from January 16-21, Ba Thon church in District 12 on January 30, Phuoc Loc church in Ba Ria Vung Tau province on January 22, Duc Huy church in Dong Nai province on January 23 and the Don Bosco monastery in Lam Dong province from January 24-29.

 

At the Xuan Hiep church in HCM City, many activities were organized to welcome St. Don Bosco’s remains. Thousands of people went to the church to pay their last tribute to St. Don Bosco. The ceremony was attended by Cardinal Pham Minh Man, the Archbishop of HCM City, Bishop Hoang Van Tiem of the Bui Chu archbishopric and Bishop Nguyen Van De of Thai Binh archbishopric.

 

John Bosco (1815 – 1888), was an Italian Catholic priest, educator and writer of the 19th century, who put into practice the convictions of his religion. He dedicated his life to the betterment and education of street children, juvenile delinquents, and other disadvantaged youth and employing teaching methods based on love rather than punishment, a method that is known as the preventive system.

 

A follower of the spirituality and philosophy of Francis de Sales, Bosco dedicated his works to him when he founded the Society of St. Francis de Sales (more commonly known as the Salesian Society or the Salesians of Don Bosco). Together with Maria Domenica Mazzarello, he founded the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, a religious congregation of nuns dedicated to the care and education of poor girls, and popularly known as Salesian Sisters.

 

In 1876 Bosco founded a movement of laity, the Salesian Cooperators, with the same educational mission to the poor. In 1875 he published Bibliofilo Cattolico - Bollettino Salesiano Mensuale (The Catholic Book Lover - Salesian Monthly Bulletin.) The Bulletin has remained in continuous publication and is currently published in 50 different editions and 30 languages.

 

Bosco succeeded in establishing a network of organizations and centers to carry on his work. In recognition of his work with disadvantaged youth, he was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934.

 

PV