Relic of St. John Bosco in New Orleans
September 20 & 21, 2010 (This info provided by TFP (http://www.tfp.org/index.php)

The visit to New Orleans is part of a bicentennial tour, commemorating the saint’s 200th birthday in 2015.

The relic, consisting of tissue and bones of St. John Bosco’s right hand, will be presented in a lead box, interred into a painted, life-size fiberglass effigy of the saint. The relic is on loan from St. John Bosco’s final resting place in Turin, Italy. It is enclosed in an urn, on which is inscribed one of St. John Bosco’s quotes: "Da mihi animas, ceatera tolle," which translates to, "Give me souls, take away the rest," according to a web site devoted to the relic tour.

The use of holy relics in Catholic church teaching is designed to encourage the faithful to pray for intercession from the saints. In recent years, the veneration of relics of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Therese of Lisieux drew large crowds to local churches.

Here is the schedule of events for the St. John Bosco relic:

Monday, September 20
St. Rosalie Church
600 Second Ave., Harvey
Mass 7:00 a.m.
Veneration of the relic until 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 21
Alario Center
2000 Segnette Blvd., Westwego
Public viewing 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond 10:00 a.m. – Noon

Tuesday, September 21
St. John Bosco Church
2114 Oakmere Dr., Harvey
Veneration of the relic 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

After leaving New Orleans, the relic will travel to Florida, Washington, D.C., New York, and several sites in Canada, before embarking on a tour of east Asia.