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Don Bosco Relics in California 2010

Download Southern California Relics Schedule HERE.

PHOTOS OF RELICS PILGRIMAGE ARE COMING IN THROUGH DIFFERENT CHANNELS. Please share your photos, send us links to DB Relics Photo albums. Please send the links to levanduoc@gmail.com. Thanks!

Photos of DB Relics Pilgrimage:

The year 2015 marks the second centenary of the birth of Saint John Bosco. To prepare for that observance the rector major of the Salesian Society, don Pascual Chávez, has responded the request of many young people and sent the saint’s relics from Turin on pilgrimage through 130 countries. The pilgrim journey began last 31 January in Italy. By summer the urn passed to other countries. In September 2010, Don Bosco’s relics will journey through several U.S. cities.

Event Updates

9/12/10 - Relics at Sts. Peter and Paul Church

Joe Boenzi

At 2:00am Sunday morning we arrived in San Francisco - what we learned is that there are too many steps. Only with the help of twelve big men were we able to get the Urn into the church by lifting and pushing up the last ﬁ ve steps that the ramp could not cover. At this point I do not know how we will manage to get the urn out of the church on Monday: we will need 12 to 16 men to help us: strong guys. Also, it is possible to turn the cart, but very difﬁ cult if the space allowed is small. It took us a long time to get the urn in place on the sanctuary of SS Peter and Paul’s because there is too little space due to the remnants of an altar rail and steps in front of the lectern.

Our drivers Mauro and Nino managed, but it was very difﬁ cult to complete that task. 6 strong men were needed to help them to move the urn into that tight spot. Help will be needed to get the relics out of that position on Monday. This is not to complain about SS Peter and Paul’s. The committee at SSPP has been meticulous in its planning. Furthermore, the information that we received last March was that the spaces were correct and the steps were doable. But the reality is different from the projection.

Since I have seen how the urn can be moved, I just want to ask everyone who will receive the relics to check for the space, entrance and exit. If you have steps (read, more than one), it would be helpful for us if you had some sort of ramp built that can take the weight of the urn on its cart (total 800 kilos). If you are in doubt, please contact me. Thanks so much… our problems so far are only technical ones. Everyone has been more than supportive, including the customs ofﬁ cials of both Mexico and USA through our four-hour border crossing. They too did everything that they could to help us. I know that all are trying their best to foresee all the circumstances, and am very grateful. I will continue to speak of difﬁculties as I see them arise to help us all to resolve them better.

Schedule at Sts. Peter and Paul:

First view of the Relic on California soil.
7:30 Mass “Don Bosco: Model of Service”
8:45 Mass “Don Bosco: Apostle to the Young”
10:15 Mass “Don Bosco: Missionary to the Worldcelebrated by Bishop Ignatius Wang
12:00 Mass “Don Bosco: Model of Holiness” followed by a Reception in the Auditorium.
5:00 Mass “Don Bosco: Faithful for the Kingdom,” honoring our 2010 Salesian Jubilarians.

9/11/10 - Don Bosco Arrives in California

At 11:45 am the relic arrived at the Mexican Custom and left the US Custom at 4:00 p.m.
By 5:12 pm it was passing San Diego.
At 7:17 pm it was passing Soto St., leaving the Santa Ana Freeway and entering the Golden State Freeway.
At 7:31 pm it was going through Burbank.
At 8:03 pm it was on the Grapevine.
Arrived at SS Peter and Paul at 2:00 am Sunday

9/10/10 - Tijuana

We are crossing at Otay - we will be on the Mexican side at 12.00 noon sharp. How long it will take to cross, I do not know  From St Joe's there are some going to welcome us. We will make a short stop but at this point we do not plan to open the truck. I guess it depends on if there is a decent place to stop. We will stop where we see the Don Bosco banners -- so hopefully the Southern California group will have found a decent stopping place. Otherwise we will wave and honk and stop at the first rest stop on I-5.   Fr Paul Tran has the information, I believe  Am in Tijuana right now.  Joe

9/7/10 - We have Pre-Clearance!

Yesterday I had contact with the Mexican authorities through Cleofás Murgüia, provincial of Guadalajara… and today, with our agent Milo Ott, of Mid-America Overseas, spoke with Officer Roble of US Customs and Immigration at Otay

WE HAVE PRE-CLEARANCE! Now it is just the details.

PRAYER CARDS: Between yesterday and today I have already distributed 5,000 prayer cards with the image of Don Bosco to houses in the Bay Areas. That has exhausted my supply, but more are coming in soon.

TShirts are in bright colors. Check with Al Vu if you still plan to order.

Ciao,

Joe

9/6/10 - Relics Cart and Urn Dimensions for Organizers

For those who need to see again the dimensions of the cart and urn, look at these graphics with the blue prints in attachment

The first graphic (DB-URNA-DIMENSIONES) is an artistic depiction of the urn with the dimensions listed on the side

In the second graphic you see the blue prints

The urn on the cart is
252.50 cm long (8.3 feet)
108.30 cm wide (3.6 feet)
184.30 cm high (6.04 feet)

You'll see a second graphic (URN-CART-DIMENSIONS) with the dimensions shown. It reports the same data. This will give you a better idea of the proportions and you can calculate accordingly.

The cart has wheels - large ones for easy rolling. These can be substituted with smaller wheels if need be, by the drivers. The drivers of the trucks will take the urn and cart out of the truck and put it back inside at the end of the local visit. They will substitute the wheels if need be; this is not something you need to worry about.

The wheels can be set in a brake. Once the relics are in place, there is a drape that goes around the wheels, so that the cart is made to look like a stand. Photos are posted on the province website so you can study these.

Also, please be mindful that it takes between 20 minutes and 30 minutes to load or unload the relics into or out of the truck. Please be aware then that the departure time means when the truck is driving out of your school or parish or center. I will do everything possible to get the trucks to your house ON TIME… but I need you to help me get the truck to the next venue ON TIME. Last minute delays will create a problem for the next venue - so please, help us out.

Of course, the truck itself is decorated - its arrival and departure can be part of the celebration. I'm looking forward to coming to your place with Don Bosco. Please continue to call on me with any questions. It was the questions of others that helped me to clarify this point.

With the warmest regards and deepest appreciation for all you are doing!

Joe

9/6/10 - Word Just in From Mexico!

The trucks carrying the Urn and relics of Don Bosco will make the crossing at the OTAY border crossing, just inland from Tijuana main border crossing. This is the freight crossing, and all trucks that cross here need to have pre-clearance, which is what our two trucks will have from the Mexican side for the exit process.

Arrangements are being made to have the trucks there at 12.00 noon sharp (as per the letter of the Guadalajara provincial shown in the forward.

This information should help us with our planning.

Happy Labor Day,

Joe

18 August 2010 - Updated Schedule (download .doc)

3 April 2010 - Pilgrimage schedule has been updated

9 March 2010 - Committee chair briefs provincial council on progress in preparation for the pilgrimage of Don Bosco's relics. Resolution: posters need to be made for LA Religious Education Congress (18-21 March). Committee chair will hold a briefing session for all members of Salesian Family during the Religious Ed Congress.

7 March 2010 - Pilgrimage schedule has been updated