Reporting of Federici Studies Center
Exactly one hundred and fifty years ago
9 June 1868: solemn consecration of the church of Mary Help of Christians
Preparations for the party
In mid-March Archbishop Riccardi set the consecration of the church for the first fortnight of June. Everything was now ready: the two bell towers of the facade surmounted by two archangels, the large golden statue on the dome already blessed by the archbishop, the five marble altars with their respective paintings, including the wonderful one of Mary Help of Christians with the child in her arms, surrounded by angels, apostles, evangelists, in a riot of light and colours.
An exceptional plan for preparation was then triggered. First of all it was a question of finding the consecrating bishop; then to contact various bishops for the solemn celebrations in the morning and evening of each day of the octave; also to issue personal invitations to dozens of illustrious benefactors, priests and lay people from all over Italy, many of which should be worthily hosted at home; finally to prepare hundreds of young people both to solemnize the pontifical and liturgical ceremonies with songs, and to participate in academies, games, parades, moments of joy and happiness.
Finally the big day
Three days before the fateful date of 9 June, the boys from the Lanzo boarding school arrived in Valdocco. Sunday 7 June "L'Unità Cattolica" published the program of the celebrations, Monday 8 June the first guests arrived and the arrival of the Duke of Aosta representing the Royal Family was announced. The boys from the Mirabello boarding school also arrived. Here then the singers spend hours and hours rehearsing the new Mass by maestro De Vecchi and the new Tantum ergo by Don Cagliero as well as the very solemn antiphon Maria succurre miseris by Cagliero himself who was inspired by the polyphonic Tu es Petrus of the Vatican basilica.
The following morning, 9 June at 5,30 passing between a double row of 1200 festive and singing boys, the archbishop completed the triple tour around the church and then with the clergy entered the church to carry out the planned ceremonies of consecration of the altars behind closed doors. Only at 10,30 the church was opened wide to the public who attended the archbishop's mass and the subsequent one by Don Bosco.
The archbishop returned in the afternoon for pontifical vespers, solemnized by the triple choir of singers: 150 tenors and basses at the foot of the altar of S. Giuseppe, 200 sopranos and contraltos on the dome, others 100 tenors and basses in place of the orchestra. Don Cagliero directed them, even without seeing them all, through an electric device designed for the occasion. It was a triumph of sacred music, a spell, something heavenly. The emotion of those present was indescribable, who upon exiting the church were also able to admire the external lighting of the façade and the dome surmounted by the statue of Mary Help of Christians also illuminated.
And Don Bosco? All day surrounded by a crowd of benefactors and friends, moved beyond words, he did nothing but praise the Madonna. An "impossible" dream had come true.
An equally solemn octave
Solemn celebrations alternated morning and evening along the octave. They were unforgettable days, the most solemn that Valdocco had ever seen. Not for nothing did Don Bosco immediately propagate it with the robust publication Remembrance of a solemnity in honor of Mary Help of Christians.
Il 17 June returned to Valdocco for a while’ of peace, the boys hosted returned to their colleges, the devotees to their homes; the church still lacked internal finishings, of ornaments, furnishings… But devotion to the Help of Christians, having now become the "Madonna of Don Bosco" it quickly got out of hand and spread throughout Piedmont, Italy, Europe, Latin America. Today there are hundreds of churches dedicated to her in the world, its altars in thousands, millions of pictures and images. Don Bosco repeats this to everyone today, like Don Cagliero leaving for the missions in November 1875: “Trust everything in Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament and in Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are”.
