SHILLONG, JUNE 8: Amidst heavy down pours the life- size relic of Don Bosco was welcomed by the Salesian Sisters of Mary Help of Christians and students of Auxilium Secondary School at Auxilium School here on Wednesday.

Braving the inclement weather, the Salesian Sisters, students of Auxilium Secondary School and the laity of Shillong Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Meghalaya paid homage and floral tribute to the Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, students and the laity of Shillong Archdiocese pay homage to Don Bosco at Auxilium School in city, on Wednesday.

Guardian photo relic of John Bosco amidst singing of hymns and prayers invoking the saint to continue showering his blessing on the congregation.

The believers thronged the place right from 6 this morning to welcome the relic which was brought in a glass casket from the Salesian Centre at Upper Shillong till it finally arrived at the school premises after 8 am . After the casket was brought down from the foreign vehicle, the relic was placed for public view and veneration.

Addressing the function after placing the traditional shawl over the relic, Sister Rosa Pyngrope, Provincial Shillong Province said Don Bosco was a living monument of the poor and the downtrodden, saintly life and a spirit of self sacrifice and above all to save the souls of everyone.

The relic, comprising the right hand bone of Don Bosco placed within a wax image of John Bosco’s body kept in a glass casket arrived in Shillong on June 4, 2010 on global tour to commemorate the bi- centenary of the birth of St John Bosco, founder Salesian congregation to be celebrated in 2015.

The relic which arrived here in Shillong on June 4 will leave Shillong tomorrow and will be taken to various institutions of Don Bosco in Jaintia Hills district to enable the members of the Salesian congregation to pay their homage to the saint and educator of the youth.

Fr. Sebastian Karottemprel of the Salesian Congregation said. “ Don Bosco was an extraordinary monument of goodness, truth and dedication to the youth, erected by God, for the benefit of the young people especially those threatened by profound change in society such as the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century Europe”. It may be mention here that the religious pilgrimage of the relic of Don Bosco through 130 nations began on January 31, 2009, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation.