11-year-old Larisa Khongsit miraculously cured in 2011
SHILLONG: The casket containing the relics of Don Bosco arrived in city on February 26 midnight and it will remain at Sohra forever.
Fr. Michael Makri, Dean of Studies, Savio Juniorate, Mawlai, informed on Friday that the relics, which have performed many miracles including the miraculous healing of Larisa Khongsit, a young girl from Sohra, will be made available for public veneration at Don Bosco Technical School, Shillong from February 27 to March 5.
Later, it will be placed at the Shrine of Don Bosco at Cherrapunjee permanently.
St John Bosco, who founded the Salesian order, felt a calling early in life to visit various countries in the world, but was too busy helping children in his native Piedmont.
But the relics of the patron saint of young people, who was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934, arrived in the ‘Scotland of the East’ in 2011 as part of world-wide tour before the bicentenary celebration of his birth in 2015. The relics brought a miraculous healing to Larisa from Sohra.
Larisa (11), a bed ridden girl was able to walk after praying to the relics of Don Bosco at Sohra in June 2011. Raised in poverty outside Turin, Don Bosco dedicated his life to helping young people, many of whom had been left homeless, impoverished and cut off from their faith by the rapid advance of industrialization in northern Italy.
He established the Oratory of St Francis de Sales, helping young people to find jobs and learn about their faith – a trait, which at present his followers are doing all over the world including Meghalaya.
“We are indeed blessed that his relics will remain with us forever- a sign that Don Bosco loves us. We sincerely thank all the people who have helped us to realize this dream of Don Bosco into a reality”, Fr. Makri said.