THE ENTHRONEMENT CEREMONY OF THE FIRST-CLASS RELIC TOOK PLACE DURING THE 5TH SCALABRINIAN PILGRIMAGE TO THE MARIAN SHRINE AND WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 400 PEOPLE.
Newsroom (11/04/2025 14:53, Gaudium Press) The Shrine of Our Lady of Caravaggio in Farroupilha (RS) received a first-class relic of St. John Baptist Scalabrini, founder of the Congregations of the Missionaries of St. Charles – Scalabrinians and the Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo – Scalabrinians.
5th Scalabrinian Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Caravaggio
The ceremony to enthrone the relic took place during the 5th Scalabrinian Pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine and was attended by more than 400 people, including religious men and women, lay people, and devotees. The occasion also marked the 120th anniversary of Scalabrini’s visit to Caravaggio, during which the saint celebrated Holy Mass and gave a homily on Our Lady.
Dom Alessandro Carmelo Ruffinoni, CS, Bishop Emeritus of Caxias do Sul, presided over the Eucharistic celebration that made the enthronement of the relic official. The Solemn Holy Mass was concelebrated by Scalabrinian priests from southern Brazil. This enthronement makes the Shrine of Our Lady of Caravaggio a new place of pilgrimage and devotion to St. John Baptist Scalabrini.
The eternal presence of St. John Baptist Scalabrini
Recalling Scalabrini’s visit to the Shrine, Father Adriano Pires, CS, responsible for Scalabrinian Vocational Animation, emphasized that this fact is very significant, because now he “returns spiritually to this place. He who was physically here now remains as a holy relic and a sign of God’s grace for all who pass by here.”
Father Alexandre De Nardi Biolchi, CS, Regional Superior of the Region of Our Lady Mother of Migrants, pointed out that this was a very important moment for the community, which can now venerate the relic of this great Saint and be inspired by his life. “It is a unique moment, in which we eternalize the presence of St. John Baptist Scalabrini for all those who believe in his intercession,” he said.
A spiritual link between the history and present of the Congregation
This first-class relic is a bone fragment of St. John Baptist Scalabrini. According to Catholic tradition, first-class relics are those that have been in direct contact with the body of the saint and are venerated as expressions of the spiritual presence and continuity of Christian witness.
The presence of the relic in the Shrine of Caravaggio represents a spiritual link between the history and the present of the Congregation, strengthening the bond between the Scalabrinian charism and Marian devotion that so marked the life and mission of St. John Baptist Scalabrini. According to Sister Neusa Spagnol, MSCS, one of the organizers of the pilgrimage, “as we remember our holy founder, who walked on this earth, we rekindle in ourselves the flame of hope, so that we may be signs of hope in the world of migration.” (EPC)
Compiled by Teresa Joseph
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