Thousands of people have travelled to see the relics of Don Bosco at the beginning of their 10-day tour of the UK.

In scenes reminiscent of the visit of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux in 2010 and the Curé d'Ars in 2011, more than 1,000 pilgrims at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral prayed before the plaster figure of the patron saint of young people, in which his hand is encased.

The tour has been organised by the Salesians, the order founded by the nineteenth-century Italian saint.

The relics will have visited major cathedrals in England, Scotland and Wales by the end of the tour on 14 January, including Birmingham on 8 and 9 January and Westminster Cathedral on the 11th and 12th.

For more information on the tour including a full timetable please visit the website

Image: A man prays before the relics of St Don Bosco Photo: Salesian link