Two weeks ago, it was reported that a relic of St. John Bosco had been stolen from an Italian basilica. Recently, the local Prosecutor's Office reported that it had been recovered.
This stolen reliquary was kept in the Basilica of John Bosco in Asti. It is the birthplace of the saint and is 20 miles east of Turin. On June 3, it was discovered that the urn containing a relic of St. John Bosco's brain was already missing.
An Italian press reported that the Asti police arrested a 42-year old resident of Pirenolo, Turin who has a criminal record. He is the alleged perpetrator of the said crime. According to the claims, the suspect believed that the reliquary is made out of solid gold, which made him plan the heist and sell the reliquary at a high price.
The 19th-century Italian priest St. John Bosco is the founder of the Salesians. He always had love and apostolate for at-risk and underserved youth. Today, the said order serves young people throughout the world, primarily in homeless shelters, schools, and community centers.
The provincial of the Salesians in Piemonte and Valle d'Aosta Fr. Enrico Stasi is thankful to "the judiciary, all the police and all those who have contributed to the positive solution to this unpleasant affair."
According to Father Stasi, "It is consoling for the Salesians, for the Church in Turin and for the many friends of Don Bosco throughout the world who have abundantly demonstrated their closeness in this time."
He also added, "the occasion of the restitution and return of the relic to its original place will be for us and for the faithful another sign of the benevolence and blessing of Don Bosco for those who continue to keep his spirit alive in the world."
In the recent weeks, the Basilica experienced some other minor thefts, though nothing of spiritual value was taken. Turin's Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia has also shared his side of the missing relic saying, "you would never want to hear because it makes us think of a profound moral misery" about someone that would steal something that has a spiritual and devotional value.
Meanwhile, in an Italian news source, the archbishop has asked all of his priests for a special prayer for the recovery of the relic, and so that it can "continue to be a point of devotion for the millions of faithful who come to the sanctuary dedicated to him."
