Remains of Don Bosco's Successors Transferred to Valdocco

Remains of Don Bosco's Successors
Transferred to Valdocco 

(ANS – Turin – November 22) – The mortal remains of Frs. Louis Ricceri, Egidio Viganò, and Juan Edmundo Vecchi were delivered to the basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Valdocco on the afternoon of Monday, November 20.

Their remains of the sixth, seventh and eighth successors of St. John Bosco had rested in the Salesian cemetery at the Catacombs of St. Callistus in Rome until November 18, when they started their journey from the capital to Turin.

In Turin, a delegation from the motherhouse community of the basilica and Mary Help of Christians Parish arranged for their placement inside the wing dedicated for this purpose, namely, in the basilica’s relics chapel.

Fr. Pascual Chavez Villanueva, when he was Rector Major, conceived the initiative of bringing together the remains of all the deceased Rectors Major, which is still in process.  Already entombed in the basilica, relatively near Don Bosco’s tomb, are Frs. Michael Rua, Paul Albera, Philip Rinaldi, and Peter Ricaldone, all of whom died in Turin (between 1910 and 1951) when the Salesian Society’s general headquarters were located there.

The transfer of the bodies from Rome makes a reality of collecting the successors of Don Bosco with their founding father in one place.  He now lies in the bronze and glass casket at the altar dedicated to him in Mary’s great Valdocco shrine.

On this evocative and holy site of Valdocco, the Salesian Congregation had its start in truly concrete terms, and thanks to this transfer, the faithful and pilgrims will be able immediately to perceive the enormous historical legacy to which each successor of Don Bosco, and each Salesian, is bound.