From Monday 1^st – Saturday 6^th April, the youth ministry team of Salesians and Salesian Sisters went to Turin to visit the important places of St John Bosco, St Mary Mazzarello, and St Dominic Savio.

Their visit began by visiting the birthplace of St Dominic Savio, San Giovanni di Riva, on the 2^nd, which also happened to be the birthday of St Dominic Savio. To celebrate the occasion, the team joined the local community in a torchlight rosary walk in memory of the young saint.

The next day, the group spent time at the birthplace of St John Bosco, and the Basilica at Colle Don Bosco, before moving to the farm where John worked for the Moglia family while there was conflict with his brother, Anthony. They also visited the parish of St John the Baptist, where John would often go to confession, go to Mass, and receive communion. It is also the place where John had his first experience of "oratory", as he would often teach catechesis on cold and wet days.

On the Thursday, the group visited Chieri, which is where John Bosco went to seminary, at the St Philip Neri church. Before John went to the seminary, he worked in a café, and instead of earning a wage, the owner of the café gave John accommodation and space to study. He would then go onto working in the vineyard of a local tailor, before John decided on joining the Seminary.
In the afternoon, the group visited "Casa Madre" or the "Mother House", spending time in the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians, the Rooms of Don Bosco, and the Pinardi Chapel, which added to the oratory that Don Bosco was building.

Friday was the last full day for the group, and it was spent exploring the spirituality of St Mary Mazzarello, at Mornese, and visiting the home of Mary in Valponasca, where she would look at the Church from her window, and pray with those there when she wasn't able to attend Mass with them. It was in Mornese where Don Bosco would meet with the Sisters and propose that they work together to educate young girls in the style that Don Bosco was doing with the boys in the Oratory in Valdocco.

Images courtesy of Fr Steven Lloyd SDB