Saint Dominic Savio
Saint Dominic Savio: saint of purity and of faithful youth
Dominic Savio was born on April 2, 1842, in Riva presso Chieri, near Turin, Italy.
His father, Carlo, was a blacksmith, and his mother, Brigida, a seamstress.
He grew up in a humble Christian family that taught him the love of God and the importance of prayer, and from early childhood he set aside times for prayer.
From childhood to holiness
In his parents’ love Dominic saw an image of God’s tenderness.
He prayed fervently and served Mass with enthusiasm and joy.
He learned always to give thanks to God, and never ate without first making the sign of the cross with deep faith.
Unlike the custom of the time, when children were not admitted to Communion until around the age of twelve,
Dominic made his First Communion at the age of seven. This event was a turning point in his spiritual life,
and he made four resolutions that he lived faithfully until his death:
- I will go to confession and Communion often.
- I will keep holy the feast days.
- My friends will be Jesus and Mary.
- Death rather than sin.
A joyful student and a budding saint
He was loved by everyone, had a fine character, and always refused to take part in any wrongdoing.
He took Jesus as his highest model and lived with piety and gentleness.
Dominic came to know Saint John Bosco through his teacher,
and in October 1854 he moved to Valdocco to continue his spiritual formation and his studies there.
Once Don Bosco told him that God calls young people to holiness through joy, and Dominic asked him:
“What must I do to become a saint?”
He answered:
“Don’t neglect your prayers and your studies, and play cheerfully with your friends.”
An apostle among his friends
Dominic understood the secret of holiness: he encouraged his companions to go to confession and looked after newcomers and the sick.
He stood up for moral values, tore up indecent magazines and rebuked those who swore or behaved badly.
Once he stopped a fight between two of his companions by holding up a crucifix before them and saying:
“Jesus died forgiving, and I want to take revenge?”
The two boys were ashamed and stopped fighting.
With his friends he founded the Company of the Immaculate Conception, which still spreads goodness among young people today.
He loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and spent hours praying before him without noticing the time pass.
Once Don Bosco found him standing before the Blessed Sacrament, lost in contemplation for seven hours without a break.
His passing to heaven
Dominic fell seriously ill and went home to his parents in the hope of recovering, but his condition grew worse.
On March 9, 1857, he died joyfully and peacefully, only fourteen years old, leaving a living example of holiness in youth.
From heaven Dominic has continued to love young people and has obtained many graces for them, including the healing of a boy named Albano Sabatino in 1927.
On June 12, 1954, Pope Pius XII declared him a saint; at the time he was the youngest non-martyr ever canonized by the Church.
