Saint Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
Image: The Pinoy Catholic
(Vatican) Dominic was born in Northern Italy in the Province of Turin, to humble but very devout Christian parents. While still a very young boy, Dominic decided that he wanted to emulate Jesus Christ and would avoid anything that would distance himself from the Lord.
At the age of 7, Dominic made his first Holy Communion and at the age of 12, he joined Saint John Bosco as a student at the ‘Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for Boys.’ Dominic impressed John Bosco with his desire to become a Priest and to help him in his work with neglected boys. A peacemaker and an organizer, young Dominic founded a group he called the ‘Company of the Immaculate Conception’ which besides being devotional, aided John Bosco with the boys that he worked with.
Dominic was known to spend hours in prayer as a youth, his soul interest was God and how to lead others to use all their strength to serve Him–Dominic’s happiness he called “my distractions’ according to Franciscan Media and even in play, Dominic said that at times, “It seems heaven is opening just above me. I am afraid I may say or do something that will make the other boys laugh.” Dominic would say, “I can’t do big things but I want all I do, even the smallest thing, to be for the greater glory of God.”
Always in frail health Dominic developed lung problems and was sent home to recuperate. As was the custom of his day, Dominic was bled in the though that may help him but it only worsened his already frail condition.
Dominic passed away at the age of 15 after receiving the Last Sacraments–the first biography of Dominic was written by his teacher Saint John Bosco and those pages led to many vocations including that of future Pope Benedict XV, who watched over the Holy Childhood Society with loving concern.
Some thought Dominic was too young to be considered a Saint, Pope Pius XII declared that the opposite was true–Dominic was Beatified on the 05 March, 1950 and was Canonized four years later.
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