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26/7/2010 - Nicaragua – From anxiety to exultation
Photo for the article -NICARAGUA – FROM ANXIETY TO EXULTATION
(ANS – Granada) –Don Bosco’s casket had been due to leave on Friday 23 July for Nicaragua, but because of the bad weather Juan Santamaría airport in San José, Costa Rica, was closed and the casket remained blocked until the following day. In a short time, disbelief gave way to disappointment, which was then overcome thanks to a quick change to the already very tight schedule.

When on Saturday 24 July the casket finally arrived in Nicaragua, the official reception at the airport was like that for a Head of State. The President of the Republic, the Hon Daniel Ortega, in welcoming the  casket emphasised the importance of Don Bosco as an educator for the Central American country.

From that moment onwards there was a succession of crowded events. The city of Granada was the first to play host to the Father of Youth. A long procession or cars accompanied the relics at the entrance to the city where a large crowd was waiting impatiently. In front of the Mary Help of Christians School, Don Bosco was given a colourful and warm welcome typical of the people of: shouts, applause, songs and typical dances, band music and official discourses.

The second stop was the St John Bosco Chapel  erected by the Salesians at the side of the school for the local people, who when it was being built were extremely poor. Today pastoral care of the chapel is entrusted to the diocesan clergy but love for Don Bosco has remained strong and the demonstrations of affection at the entrance to the city were repeated here.

Then the Saint of Youth was welcomed at the Secondary School of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, where the Sisters with their typical skills in this kind of festive situation were able to combine deep affection for their Founder with matchless organisation.

The casket was then taken to the Cathedral which had already for a long time been  filled to capacity and where at eight in the evening Mass began; as the relics arrived accompanied by a large crowd and crossed  the threshold of the main doors they were greeted by a long emotional applause.

The new bishop of Grenada Bishop Jorge Solórzano Pérez presided at the Mass which was concelebrated by the Provincial Fr Luis Corral and other Salesian and diocesan priests.

After the Mass the casket of Don Bosco was accompanied in a torchlight procession to the house of Blessed Sister María Romero FMA. From there it was taken to the nearby Salesian Institute where a prayer vigil until dawn was planned.

Yesterday Sunday 25 July Don Bosco’s casket continued on its way to the nearby city of Masaya. Here in  a long solemn ceremony the city authorities symbolically gave the keys of the city to Don Bosco as well as the award of the Order of the Educator. At midday Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara SDB Bishop of Esteli, Nicaragua, presided at an open air Mass under the scorching sun surrounded by other Salesian and diocesan priests.

The casket then continued on its a way to Managua, where it stopped briefly at the Catholic University and the Don Bosco Youth Centre; here hundreds of people were waiting in spite of the pouring rain to see the saint’s relics. Then Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes of Managua, celebrated Mass in the large courtyard of the Salesian house; all the people joined in waving their umbrellas in time to the singing.

Published 26/07/2010