Paul CHERUTHOTTUPURAM , Abroad says, Don Bosco Relics Tour By C. M. Paul
360° VIEW
Abroad, Nov. 19. Here are some stray thoughts...RELICS of Don Bosco could be a far neater word then Urn and Casket. They preferred to use the term Relics . I have been talking to the US guys who planned it very well mobilizing lay people and enlisting professionals to cover every aspect of the tour and make it to their maximum advantage... (since they are too few SDBs were forced to enlist others... and the miracle happened).Including media coverage, event management, nick knacks like caps, Tshirts, religious articles, medals, prayer books, DB life popular editions, DB films, all Salesiana material, All kinds of events like, shows, play competitions, TV talk shows, choir performers, night vigils, youth fests, family events, all to collect people of all faiths, including protestants...
Above all making it as an occasion for CATECHESIS on RELICS OF THE MARTYRS venerated from early church history...
One of the US coordinators Prof Joe Boenzi, tells me that we Indians could be already LATE to begin planning... The more you space out things in preparation, the better the impact build up, he says...
In the India tour more than any other country, we could exploit, the situation to the maximum for popular evangelization of all peoples... Children belonging to other faith in our institutions and their parents and friends MUST have an opportunity to visit the relics and pay respects to Don Bosco. We cannot deprive them of this mega once in a life time event....
We could assign ONE HOUR for each group to see the relics and pray at close quarters, while out side, there could be events for others... like DB film festival, DB dramas, DB skits or DB pagent for children, DB Exhibition etc...
DB symposium or seminar for intelligentsia of the town to expose them to DB educational principles... let us think BIG, also SECULAR and make Don Bosco known and loved also by his friends from other faiths... and thru him, let us evangelize people and bring them to Christ (Sir, we want to see Jesus! )
All groups in the diocese where the relics come must have a mass with the Bishop attended by all dignitaries both religious and civil, including politicians and civil administration... Civil authorities along with religious authorities could be invited for the reception or the farewell of DB relics... could make it a great PR event.
Of course, to do so many ``mad things``, we need to be charged ourselves!!!
CM Paul