Basílica de María Auxiliadora (Turín)

The Basilica of Mary Help of Christians was built in honor of the Virgin to St. John Bosco had great devotion. The invocation of Mary Help celebrate his feast day on May 24. It is located in the neighborhood of the city Valdocco Turin (Italy). It is known as the Mother Church of the Salesian congregation and leaving every year the missionaries for everyone.

It was built with great economic problems between 1864 and 1868, but Don Bosco with the help of his Salesian Oratory boys worried charity squeeze the maximum population. Don Bosco said the money raised for the construction of the sanctuary came from Providence.

On June 9, 1868 the sanctuary of Mary Help of Christians was consecrated. At 10:30 hours, he rose to the high altar to celebrate the first Mass the Archbishop of Turin Monsignor Riccardi. Then Don Bosco celebrated Mass. In the church there were 1,200 young people.
It contains the bodies of San Juan Bosco, Santo Domingo Savio and St. Mary Mazzarello.

In 1938 the extension consisting of the presbytery with the second dome, the two side chapels and the new altar of St. John Bosco with the urn containing his body is finished.

In 1600 Catholics in southern Germany made a promise to the Virgin of honor with the title of auxiliadora if he saved them from the invasion of Protestants and made the terrible war 30 years ended. The Mother of God gave them both favors and soon had more than 70 chapels with the title of Mary Help of Christians.

Next to the chapel of Santa Maria Mazzarello there is a staircase leading to the crypt or chapel of the relics where you can find a large collection of relics. It highlights a piece of wood of the Holy Cross preserved in a reliquary of alabaster. It also highlights a bloodstained and other objects of the Salesian martyrs scarf: San Luis and San Calixto Versiglia Caravario.

One of the chapels of the crypt, called the appearance, is dedicated to the dream-vision he had Don Bosco in 1844 in which the Virgin Mary showed the beginnings and the future development of his work, and the place where it should be built church.

There are also two side altars, the remains of Blessed Michael Rua and Philip Rinaldi, first and third successor of Don Bosco respectively.