A rainy night on 3Aug 2011 turned into one of the most unforgettable events that occurred in the history of the Christian community residing in Udaipur, when the relic of Saint John Bosco (Don Bosco) was kept in Udaipur for a night.

Nobody from the Udaipur’s Christian community had ever imagined or expected to receive the blessings of the 19^th century Italian Saint Don Bosco whose relic in a glass casket was accompanied by members of Salesian, who arrived in Udaipur at 9:30pm from Jaipur.

Bishop Rev. Joseph Pathalil, Parish Priest Father Ranjan and a number of devotees welcomed the relic which was first placed unexposed at Our Lady of Fatima Cathedral. After, numerous requests by the members of the Udaipur Christian community, the relic was exposed to the common public, to pay their homage.

While talking to UT, Parish Priest Father Ranjan said “On their way to Baroda by road via Udaipur, they wanted to halt somewhere for a night, either Ajmer or Udaipur. it was truly on God’s providence that they requested us to do the needful and we whole heartedly agreed.”

On the next day at 5 a.m., after the grand farewell, the journey continued and the vehicle carrying the casket entered Gujarat on the way to their next destination, Baroda.

Unfortunately, the local media was unaware about the whole event which was indeed unplanned; some sources says that there was not enough time to inform the local press about the arrival of the casket. It was thus surprising for Christian community of Udaipur that because of lack of communication many within the community remained isolated from this lifetime of an opportunity to get sanctified by the Holy Saint’s relic.

The wax replica of Saint Don Bosco has a specially created Urn inside which the bones and tissues of the right hand and arm of St. Don Bosco are placed. According to a reliable source of information on the internet, when the body of St. Don Bosco was exhumed for his beautification and canonization the relics of St. Don Bosco have been recomposed from the urn that contained his remains since 1929.

In this special tradition of pilgrimage which started in January 21, 2009, the relic of the Saint Don Bosco will travel on its journey through 130 countries to mark the 150^th Anniversary of the founding of the Salesian Congregation.

The pilgrimage will end in year 2015 to mark the 200^th Birth Anniversary of Don Bosco’s birth on 16 Aug 1815. The Saint died in 1888.

Udaipur is considered to be very lucky to receive and witness this most precious and rare moments; however it is also regretful for many who were not able to have a glance of the Saint’s replica.

Thanks to Savio Parrie, Claude D’souza for providing information